Weakness is not an admirable trait in sports. Balance is. For the No. 5 Penn State women's soccer team, the latter is a much better description for them than the former.

Penn State is a balanced team that has no glaring weaknesses. The Nittany Lions play tenacious defense and have the makings of a very explosive offense. They play smart with the ball and they make second-half adjustments that always seem to work.

In fact, they have been playing so well that they have not lost since their first game of the season, a 2-1 loss to Washington, who is now ranked third in the country.

Penn State is currently on an eight-game unbeaten streak bringing its overall season record to 7-1-1. During the streak, the Lions have beaten three ranked teams and recorded five shutouts.

"I think we have been progressing," Penn State coach Paula Wilkins said. "We haven't taken any steps backwards and every game we are better than in the past."

The progression Wilkins has seen has come on both sides of the ball. Defensively, the Lions had given up at least one goal in their first three games. Since then, they have only given up one total.

The Lions had five shutouts in a row until they gave up a goal in their last game, a 3-1 victory against Purdue, and they have only given up 24 shots on net all season.

The offense, although it has not been as consistent as the defense, is starting to click, especially at home. Penn State has scored nine goals in its three games played at Jeffrey Field this year, doing most of that in the second half of games.

The scoring spark has also been there for the Lions against Big Ten opponents. They are 3-0 in the conference, scoring eight goals in those contests, including four against then-No. 16 Wisconsin.

The main reason the Lions have been able to be so strong and balanced is due to the talent of the players on the field.

In years past, Penn State has relied on a few people to score, putting pressure on those few.

While junior forward Tiffany Weimer is the biggest threat, leading the Big Ten with 24 points and 10 goals, she is not the lone scorer.

This year, the Lions are a very talented team that can get goals from anyone at any time.

Senior Sophie Hiler, along with fresmen Alli Donofrio and Aubrey Aden-Buie have all created chances from the forward position, along with Carmelina Moscato who plays both forward and midfield.

The Penn State midfielders have been controlling the middle, allowing the forwards to gain space and get opportunities. Moscato, along with Ali Krieger, Amanda Lentz, and Sarah Dwyer have all been solid. Krieger's speed, Moscato's power, Lentz's leadership, and Dwyer's hustle have made them a tough group to rattle.

The Lions' defense has been the unsung hero. Natalie Jacobs, Stephanie Pezzullo, Lindsay Bach, and Denay Riley have made things very easy for goalie Erin McLeod, who has been stellar herself. The defense has only allowed three shots per game to get through to McLeod, and the group never seems to panic. The speed of all four defenders has made things tough on opponents trying to break through, and the defense has kept the pressure off of the offense.

"We have definitely been progressing," Wilkins said of her team. "I would still like to see more attacking, have us dominate teams. Put teams away early. The wins are nice, but we really want to be ready for the Big Ten and ultimately the NCAAs."