The No. 1 on Alyssa Naeher's back looked more like a question mark when the season began.

As the top replacement for since-departed All-American Erin McLeod, the freshman goalkeeper looked to fill the huge void left in the Penn State women's soccer team's defense.

Despite being a Soccer Buzz top-five national recruit and the highest rated goalkeeper in the country, as well as completing stints with United States' U-16 and U-17 National Teams, Naeher was surrounded with questions as opening day drew closer.

Naeher did little to answer those questions in the opening minutes of her first collegiate start. Against then-No. 2 UCLA, the Connecticut-native allowed a goal on the first shot she faced.

Any less of a player may have folded after such a disastrous start. For Naeher, she responded by shutting down one of the most explosive offenses in the country and earning the win.

"I've learned from that first 30 seconds," Naeher said. "Each game, I've been focusing on what I need to do to get better."

Fast forward to Sunday's matchup in Bloomington, Ind. With her offense struggling against the conference-leading Hoosiers, Naeher made seven key saves that may have saved her team's chance of winning a ninth consecutive Big Ten championship.

Naeher thwarted two Indiana scoring chances in the 64th and 78th minutes and preserved a scoreless tie for the Nittany Lions, who are currently second in the Big Ten standings.

The shutout was the second of the weekend for Naeher, who only needed one save to blank Purdue on Friday.

"I feel that we look to her to save the day sometimes," team captain and senior midfielder Ali Krieger said. "[On Sunday], for example, this girl took a shot from right outside the [18-yard box] and when she struck it -- it was ridiculous -- and it was going in, but Alyssa just dove in mid air and punched it away. It was awesome."

In roughly five weeks, the freshman has answered those questions and transformed that question mark into an exclamation point.

"She is getting much more comfortable with the system and the defenders in front of her, so she is making the saves that she would expect herself to make. She is starting to look like the keeper that most people expected her to be," assistant coach Michael Coll said.

Coll notices that the biggest improvement with Naeher is her decision making in knowing "when to come off her line to snuff out chances and when to stay and make people beat her from further away."

After allowing at least one goal in each of her first five starts, Naeher has raised her game to a whole new level. In her last eight starts, she has recorded four shutouts (all on the road) and allowed only nine goals.

Naeher has become a force for Penn State and will be looked upon to be the last line of defense as the postseason quickly approaches.

"I am definitely excited about [the postseason]. I've got great players around me and I know that I don't have to do anything by myself," she said.

"I am really looking forward to trying to win a Big Ten championship and doing well in the NCAA Tournament."