Return of the Shield – Penn State

Multiple familiar faces line the halls in Happy Valley, with many of those individuals set to embark on breakout seasons in a Penn State uniform. Opportunities for team and individual success abound, but Dambach knows how valuable it is to have leadership on the roster that’s capable of guiding the team towards their goals.

“Overall, we have amazing returning leadership from last season highlighted by our four team captains, Olivia Damico, Devon Olive, Rowan Lapi and Mieke Schiemann,” Dambach said. “Rowan is performing at a high level, as is Mieke, who has been a real cornerstone of our backline since she got to campus as a freshman. Rebecca Cooke has stepped up in a significant way, and she’s looking more and more dangerous as the offseason continues. Finally, I’m very excited for Mackenzie Gress, who is one of the best goalkeepers in the country. I am confident that she is going to effectively step into Kat Asman’s shoes and leave us in very capable hands.”

Talent is one thing. Execution is another. Overall, the most significant contributing factor to Penn State’s success in 2023 was a calm, cool, collected and process-oriented mindset. That mindset was cultivated over the course of one of the most grueling schedules in women’s soccer a year ago. Playing in big match after big match influences athletes and staff members alike; if you feel like you’ve been there before, then the next big moment doesn’t feel as big. Dambach discussed the lessons learned through playing a tough slate of opponents, and foreshadowed how the 2024 schedule might be one of PSU’s toughest yet.

“We are notorious for taking on the toughest schedule in the country, and that is a philosophical reason why so many players want to come and play for Penn State,” Dambach said. “You come here to play against the best and be the best. So, a couple lessons that we learned; the highs can’t be too high, and the lows can’t be too low when you’re competing against those kinds of opponents. It’s a grind, and if they can work through that grind, they’ll know how to do hard things. I think their mentality has been refined over the last couple of years, understanding that when you play against the best teams in the country, you can’t take a play off. You can’t take a moment off; you have to stay focused on burying one into the back of the net. There’s a strong belief that we can score goals, and that we can be an exciting team that can play exciting…