The players on the Penn State women's soccer team stand listlessly, hunched under their hoods in the cold rain, waiting for practice to begin. And then, suddenly, one player burst out of the group, running toward former forward Tiffany Weimer, Penn State's all-time leading scorer, just arriving on the field.

The player, Heather Tomko, has her arms open wide and sports a beaming smile. She wraps the new arrival with a giant bear hug.

The way Tomko greets Weimer is comparable on many levels, similar to the way she brings that same passion onto the field with her routinely.

As an outside back, Tomko is partly responsible for the Nittany Lions defensive turnaround in the second half of the season. The defense has posted four consecutive shutouts going into the final weekend of Big Ten play, and Tomko's aggressiveness has set the tone for the back line.

"Her work rate's incredible on the flank," head coach Paula Wilkins said. "Basically, she's just a good one v. one defender. Her being desperate and trying to clear balls out and tracking people down really hard all sets an example for the younger players, especially in the back."

As a senior, Tomko recognizes that this is her chance to make a mark on Penn State soccer. It is the first year where she has started every game to this point in a regular season, although she started 21 of 25 games last year for the Final Four squad that lost to Portland. As a sophomore, she saw action in 16 games, and as a freshman, she played in all but two, scoring two goals.

Even though this season is not her first opportunity to take the field, she recognizes that this will be her last chance to play in Blue and White. This sense of urgency fuels her enthusiasm on the field.

"[For] me and [senior Ali] Krieger in the back, every game could be the last time we play that team," Tomko said. "Every time we step on Jeffrey [Field] this could be one of the last times we get to play here. We're kind of laying it on the line, leaving it on the field every single time we play."

Her work ethic has also inspired her teammates. As one of only five seniors, she has embraced the leadership role that accompanies seniority. Leading by example and upbeat encouragement, Tomko has helped the younger players feel confident as well.

"She's definitely one of the reasons I feel very comfortable," freshman goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher said. "She's helped me along from the very beginning, always with a word of encouragement, just 'C'mon, let's keep going.' [She's] just a very good leader, definitely someone I look up to."

Not only are her teammates confident in her work ethic, but also in her natural ability to play the game. Naeher described Tomko as a "very solid defender," and she received praise from Wilkins for her ability to recover after a mistake. She also has made an impact on offense, notching her second assist of the 2006 season against Minnesota last Friday.

Just as Tomko has inspired a new class of Lions, so did the upperclassmen, like Weimer, who mentored her.

"The players that came before me at Penn State instilled in me that it's a given that you come and you work hard every single day at practice and then you take that onto the field," Tomko said. "When you love something like soccer and really care about something, it kinda comes natural to work hard at it."