Several red-white-and-blue soccer balls lie at the feet of Penn State women's soccer assistant coach Tim Rosenfeld. No more than 15 yards away, a girl sporting a yellow jersey is surrounded by four neon-orange cones, strategically positioned in front of the net.

The two are the only ones on the practice fields behind East Halls, as a steady rain falls and temperatures slowly dip below 40 degrees.

One at a time, Rosenfeld fires countless balls at the goal, only to have each politely rolled back to him.

For Kate Milstead, it is just another Tuesday as the back-up goalkeeper for the Nittany Lions.

Since joining Penn State two seasons ago, the redshirt-freshman has seen little playing time -- starting only two games and playing a combined total of 225 minutes -- due, in-large part, to the performances of then-senior Erin McLeod and this season's freshman sensation, Alyssa Naeher.

But what she has lacked in game time, she has made up in practice.

That is why you can find Milstead and Rosenfeld working at the field on most Tuesday afternoons, sometimes as early as 30 minutes before practice begins. They run through different drills, toiling with the mechanics and nuances of goalkeeping.

"It's something that we really started last year with Erin, and Kate decided to get involved with it," Rosenfeld said. "It was just showing up early on certain days to try to get some kicking in.

"It's not something that we've only been doing for the last two months. It's something we've been doing all year."

Sometimes the duo utilizes the racquetball courts in Rec Hall, too. There, Rosenfeld looks to strengthen many of Milstead's skills, like quickness and hand-eye coordination, by throwing tennis balls in her direction.

"I've been training pretty hard in practice and working to be ready and stay as sharp as I can," Milstead said.

The practice paid off.

Although Milstead was second behind Naeher during the entire regular season and Big Ten Tournament, and expected nothing to change during the NCAA Tournament, she continued to prepare as if she was No. 1.

At halftime of Penn State's 3-1 victory against Niagara in the first round of the tournament, the moment she has been readying for finally came.

"Basically, [team physician] Dr. [Roberta] Millard tapped me on the knee and was like, 'You're going in,'" she said. "I was like, 'Oh, alright.' It was a great feeling to get out there. I was obviously nervous, but as time goes on, the nerves go away and you just want to get out there and play your best."

Although Milstead may not admit that she played her best in Naeher's absence, she did perform well by making two saves and allowing only one goal in just the second showing of her career.

In Sunday's 2-0 win against Villanova in the second round, she looked poised and made two saves en route to the shutout.

While Milstead's showing may have come as a surprise to those watching at Jeffrey Field, it did not surprise those on the field.

Now, with Naeher sidelined indefinitely with a leg injury, Milstead will be the starter for most likely the remainder of the season. And while she may not know what to expect, Rosenfeld does.

"She's a good, solid goalkeeper that limits her mistakes," he said. "You know what you're going to get from Kate."