The Lions are coming off their first overtime win of the season on Tuesday night, a 1-0 victory over Princeton. The defense continues its recent stretch of solid play and is the backbone of the team according to coach Char Morett.
"They've really been strong all year," Morett said. "I think they just had an off day against Syracuse."
The 3-2 loss to the Orange is the only defeat for the Lions in the past two weeks.
Time and time again, goalkeeper Megan Akstin has left opponents frustrated. The Albany transfer recorded her fifth shutout of the season against Princeton, but she quickly deflects the credit to her defensive backfield.
"The defense is awesome," Akstin said. "All of the girls work together, they're talking [more on the field] ... it's awesome working with those girls."
While the defense dominates opponents, the forwards have started to chip in with some clutch goals of their own. Senior co-captain Karin Grap, who scored the overtime winner against Princeton, has four goals in her last four games. Morett is glad her forwards are starting to find the back of the cage, but is still looking for more consistency from the unit. The Lions had several chances to put Princeton away before the overtime period.
"We need to be more intent on finishing and not think 'Oh, we'll get the next one,' " she said.
The depth on offense is a concern for the team injuries have forced one of its more reliable players out of the lineup. Midfielder Natalie Berrena is currently missing time with a knee injury.
"We really miss her, she does a great job of putting pressure on the ball and she's one of our more skilled players," Morett said.
Making matters worse, defender Bekah Hostetler continues to play with numerous aches and pains. She said she has been playing all season with a herniated disk in her back and now is nursing a stress fracture in her foot.
"She has a really high pain tolerance but we have to be careful with her practice and playing time," Morett said. "We're trying to get her healthy, but she manages very well."
On the plus side for Penn State, the Hoosiers have been struggling as of late. After winning six games in a row, the team has dropped its last three.
On first glance, West Chester may appear to be an easy win for the Lions as the Golden Rams have a record of 1-9. However, seven of the team's losses have only been by a single goal.
