UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa- Penn State head coach Missy Doherty spoke to the media Tuesday morning, along with Sophia Triandafils and Hayley DeAgostine. The Nittany Lions are 1-0 on the season following a 12-9 win over Towson last Saturday. Here are a few takeaways from the morning.
Doherty impressed with season-opening win
For the eighth time in the last nine seasons, Penn State is 1-0. That is thanks to a 12-9 victory over Towson on the road last weekend. It was not the prettiest win for the Nittany Lions, but Doherty is pleased with how the team played while they continue to build cohesion.
Doherty felt there was still a lot of individual play, which was expected this early in the season. She was pleased that even though Penn State is still working on playing as a team, the first game showed they have players who can take over when needed.
"That first game is really indicative of who's ready to step up and every year we have different people stepping up," Doherty said.
With Penn State taking on Lehigh this Saturday, it'll be interesting to see what another week of practice does for the team's cohesion.
Leadership of senior class
One of the main differences between this year's Penn State team and teams of the last two years is the leadership of older players. The Nittany Lions are hoping a better balance in the age of their players can help them improve on last season's 8-9 record.
"With older leadership, we're not relying so heavily on our younger players," Doherty said. "It's a pretty good balance of talent in all the classes. We've had more depth this year than in prior years."
DeAgostine is one of the seniors Penn State is turning to this season as a leader. The West Chester, Pennsylvania native anchors the Nittany Lions defensively and feels this year's senior class could leave a lasting impact.
"We're definitely a special class," DeAgostine said. "There's a lot of personalities and character to it, but I think each of us bring something different. We're all leaders in different ways and I hope we leave a good impact on the team."
Triandafils on position change
Triandafils, a junior, may be facing her biggest adjustment in her third season at Penn State. After playing at midfield the last two seasons, she is making the shift to behind the net on offense.
"I've been working on learning how to play that position and I think it's been going pretty well," Triandafils said.
It would be fair to say the position change is going well for Triandafils as she found the back of the net four times in the season opener. As she looks to build off her strong start, Triandafils is glad that she and the other veteran players are stepping up to help Penn State win games while they continue to grow comfortable playing with one another.
Year two at Panzer
Last season, Penn State made its first appearance in the newly-renovated Panzer Stadium. The consensus is that Panzer is a favorite amongst the players and being back in the friendly confines for a second year should serve as a benefit to the Nittany Lions.
"Panzer is awesome," DeAgostine said. "Not every team has a stadium like that so it's great to go out there every game."
Penn State returns to Panzer on Saturday for its first regular season game.
New additions to the staff
Outside of Doherty, Penn State's staff had a bit of a shakeup this past offseason. Michael Moster and Corrine Drost are both in their first years with the Nittany Lions and Doherty is excited about what the new additions can bring to the program.
"It's interesting for me having a new staff," Doherty said. "Amy [Altig] was with me for nine years and I definitely miss her. Mike has brought a lot to the defense. Corine has the experience of working with some different schools and she has brought in an array of ideas."
It's not always easy to adjust to a new coaching staff but having the upperclassmen leadership Penn State has certainly helps. With the season now underway, it will be interesting to see how quickly the new additions adapt. If the first weekend is any sign, Penn State should be in very good shape.
