Traci Anselmo leads the No. 6 Penn State field hockey team in shots on goal, assists, points and game-winning goals.
Not to mention she also has started all 13 games for the Lady Lions.
Anselmo started Wednesday night's contest against Bucknell the same way she started the game against Indiana, by scoring the first goal for the Lions. Anselmo took a penalty corner from Jill Martz and Neilye Stoner and slammed it home in the eighth minute for the first of many goals for Penn State on the night.
"I think (Penn State) has, in Traci Anselmo, one of the best players in the country," said Bucknell coach Heather Lewis. "She keeps them so organized that you are going to be hard pressed to find a breakdown against them. If you are going to score against them, you are going to earn it."
Anselmo added two goals and an assist against Bucknell to raise her point total for the year to 32 points. Although she leads the team in points, she is known for being unselfish when it comes to calling the shots, especially during penalty corners.
"Traci is so unselfish," Penn State coach Char Morett said. "Whenever we have a lead we let them (the players) call the corner plays. She never calls a shot for herself. She is a great leader out there and the kids have all the confidence in her offensively and defensively."
Anselmo is the glue that holds the Penn State team together many times. At the end of the first half with just 10 seconds remaining Bucknell's Lauren Campbell banged in a penalty corner to cut the Lions lead to just 3-1 at halftime. Anselmo answered in the 17th minute of the second half with her 11th goal of the season.
That goal took away any momentum that the Bison could have gained from the late goal in the first half.
Teammates, along with coaches and opposing coaches are quick to praise Anselmo. She is unselfish with the ball, deflects praise to her teammates, and gets her team fired up.
Penn State faces Northwestern and No. 5 Michigan in upcoming games. If the Lady Lions figure to be victorious against two tough conference foes, Anselmo will have a big role in doing so.
