With the goalie competition as tight as it is, last night's game against Bucknell (3-3) was not a very good stage to make the case for starter.

Erin McLeod, who earned the start for the No. 5 Penn State (4-1) women's soccer team, got about as much action as an ear piece at a mime show.

McLeod played the entire game but faced no shots on goal from Bucknell. The Bison got no shots off at all, as Penn State had little problem discarding the overmatched Bison, 5-0 at the newly renovated Jeffrey Field.

Senior Sophie Hiler started the scoring 11 minutes into the game when she took a clear-out by Stephanie Pezzullo and beat Bucknell's goalie, Katie Dry, for a breakaway goal. Hiler was the only Lions player to score in the first half, as Penn State went into halftime beating Bucknell a buck-nil.

Though the Lions dominated every facet of the game, out-shooting the Bison 16-0 in the first half, it was not the type of effort that Penn State coach Paula Wilkins was looking for.

"It's not about being pretty now," she told her team at half. "I know I talked about putting on a show, but now it's time for some of you to get the job done."

In the second half, the show started for Penn State and junior forward Tiffany Weimer took center stage.

Weimer scored two goals in the second half, and assisted on another. With her lighting-quick footwork she penetrated the Bison defense all night, and in the 53rd minute she finally put one over the left shoulder of Dry for her first score.

Just 59 seconds later she set-up Amanda Lentz with a smooth pass through traffic and right in front of the goal to put the Lions up 3-0.

Weimer harassed Bucknell all night, as its defense just tried to stay back and not let things get too out of control. It didn't work. Weimer was too fast, too smart, and just flat out too good. She added her second goal on a second-half penalty kick.

"I felt I needed to step up," she said about her second half performance. "It didn't seem like anyone else was so I kinda took it on my shoulders and everyone else followed."

Junior Carmelina Moscato had an assist and four shots, and her impact was felt all over the field. Sophomore Ali Krieger had four shots as well, one of which clanged off the crossbar midway through the second half.

The only disadvantage that the Lions had, was that freshman midfielder Zoe Bouchelle sat out with a stress fracture in her right leg. The length she will be out is still undetermined.

In the second half Penn State put 12 shots on goal, and gave Wilkins the type of response that she asked for. Hiler finished the scoring with a shot that went just over Dry's head with 26 seconds remaining in the game.

"Mentally we were not into it as much in the first half," Weimer said. "Bucknell packed it in the box and made it difficult to move the ball around. We didn't adjust until the second half."

Bucknell played like a team that new it was doomed from the get-go, and the Lions spent the majority of the game in Bucknell territory. In front of 974 fans, and a few construction workers still toiling on the unfinished side of the stadium, Penn State won its 31st consecutive game at home.

The game served as a nice night to prepare for Big Ten play, which starts on Friday night. Wilkins got 21 players in the game, and got an up-close look at her new facilities.

"My goal was to play a lot of players," Wilkins said. As for the stadium, "Absolutely amazing. It's the best by far in the Big Ten, maybe even the country."