For the last few years the Lions have started their season against Old Dominion, one of the top teams in the country.

Coach Morett said that she uses the game each year to see where the team is competitively.

"It's always a good measuring stick to see where we are," Morett said. "It shows us where we need to go."

To start the second half the team had a goal called back but fought back minutes later to get on the scoreboard.

Freshman Ali Scola scored the team's only goal in the second half to make the game 2-1.

But the Lady Monarchs scored 16 minutes later to put away the game at 3-1. Old Dominion had twice as many penalty corners as Penn State (8-4) and outshot the Lions 16-12.

Akstin kept the game close in the second half but the scoring just never came.

"This year like last year we have players who can hit the ball," Morett said. "But not with the power and consistency we've had in the past."

Morett said that sophomore Kiersten Wood and junior Carey Maser could be the ones to develop into power-type players.

"That would really help us keep teams on their heels," Morett said.

On Sunday, the Lions did not score in regulation but came away with a 1-0 victory after two scoreless overtimes and a penalty stroke-off.

Asktin held William & Mary scoreless through regulation and stopped five shots in the two overtimes and two out of four in the stroke-off.

The Lions were a perfect 4-4 in the stroke-off with Maser, Scola, Wood and sophomore Mallory Weisen scoring.

Morett's teams in the past have been weak when it comes to penalty stroking and she was pleased when the team netted four in a row.

Morett mentioned senior Sara Cahill as one of the difference makers in the game for she played all 70 minutes at the back position.

The Lions came out of the opening weekend 1-1 with a Big Ten Player of the Week honor and Morett could not be more excited about the prospects of the season.

"To come back the next day against William & Mary like we did gives me as a coach a tremendous amount of confidence in the competitiveness that they had, the heart that they had and the fitness that they had," Morett said.