Women's soccer dominates Bucknell

The Digital Collegian - Published independently by students at Penn State

[ Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2004 ]

Midfield duo steps up play for Penn State

By Joe Boland

Collegian Staff Writer

In the No. 5 Penn State women's soccer team's 5-0 annihilation of Bucknell last night, the midfield play was the key.

Despite not lighting up the stat sheet, one assist and two shots on net combined, the Nittany Lions' midfield duo of Ali Krieger and Carmelina Moscato were the difference makers, totally outplaying their Bison counterparts and controlling the game.

"They played really good," Penn State defender Amanda Lentz said. "They played the ball to feet, kept possession, and made crisp passes. They really controlled the middle."

Krieger and Moscato were simply too strong and too fast for Bucknell to compete with. The two dominated the middle, rarely allowing the Bison to advance the ball past midfield, which led to a huge possession advantage for the Lions. Even with such good ball control, the offensive tactic of the duo was not working in the first half, so they adjusted and helped open up the offense to the tune of four second half goals.

PHOTO: Meghan White/Collegian

Marmelina Moscato dribbles toward the Bucknell goal.

"We were a step ahead of Bucknell tonight," Moscato said. "We took advantage of our speed and tried to keep good possession. We gave the ball away a little more than we would like in the first half. [Bucknell] gets lots of numbers on the ball, and Ali and I were trying to feed balls over them. In the second half, we changed our tactic and put more balls to feet. That worked a lot better."

The second-half tactic worked from the get-go as forward Tiffany Weimer scored the Lions' second goal of the game just nine minutes into the second half, with Moscato getting the assist. Although the assist was the only point of the game for the duo, the next three goals were all a result of the dominance of the midfield.

Moscato and Krieger were all over the field, seemingly winning every loose ball and tracking down any Bison that tried to weave her way through the middle. Penn State women's soccer coach Paula Wilkins was very pleased with the two midfielders' play, as they did exactly what she wanted and expected them to do.

"Carmelina and Ali just have a great work rate," Wilkins said. "They created the tempo we wanted and created so much space. Ali was exceptional getting by the Bucknell players, and Carmelina fed some great balls to the forwards."

Moscato's combination of speed and strength, along with her ability play forward as well as her usual midfield position, has made her a vital part of the Lions' attack. Krieger's physical talent and hard-nosed work ethic have turned her into a team leader and have even led to comparisons with last year's star midfielder and Herman trophy runner-up Joanna Lohman.

"I think you could make a comparison between Ali and Jo," Wilkins said. "Physically she is as good as Jo, but not quite there yet. Then again, Jo wasn't Jo her sophomore year. Ali is really good with the ball at her feet, and she physically dominates with her speed. Her decision-making is good, and she brings a lot of spirit and intensity to the game."

That spirit and intensity from Krieger and Moscato have the Lions looking for a seventh straight Big 10 title and ultimately a national championship. If they continue to play as well as they did last night, expect both goals to be obtainable.

PHOTO: Meghan White/Collegian

Penn State midfielder, Ali Kreger, 22, dribbles the ball under pressure from Bucknell defenders, splitting them down the middle.

R E L A T E D S T O R Y

Lions too much for Bisons to handle

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