End-of the-season pressures seem to have struck the Penn State Lady Ruggers a bit early this year.
Confusion is swirling about as Penn State and James Madison University scramble to find a pitch suitable to hold their game, which has been moved from tomorrow to Sunday.
The mad scramble is because of the winter storm that rolled through the region over spring break and dumped sizable amounts of snow across the Penn State campus. This, combined with the recent warm temperatures have made the pitch at East Fields somewhat unsuitable for play.
The original plan was to move the game to James Madison, but its pitch is not regulation size, which presents some problems that may or may not result in the game being played there. There is also a chance the game may still be held at the Lady Ruggers' home pitch, but no one knows for sure.
The storm also left the team with little time to practice, causing it to squeeze in time indoors, which made preparation for the game this weekend more difficult.
However, the Lady Ruggers' annual trip to Europe during spring break, in which the team went 2-2-1, was seen as a major step forward.
"The spring break trip was important. It prepared us for any game, at any location in any condition," Penn State coach Pete Steinberg said.
Even with the season winding down, the coaching staff is still looking to improve the team, while at the same time exuding confidence in the squad.
"I think we need to continue to work on our game and work on a couple of things. We need to contest the ball and be aggressive and hit holes. We expect JMU to be good, but we should win," Steinberg said.
Steinberg also feels that it is no longer in the staff's hands to determine if the team will be successful. He believes it is up to the players and whether or not they are willing to sacrifice what is necessary to win late in the season. He sees the tour of Europe as a big stepping stone but sees the team's future up in the air.
While that may be the question as it pertains to the future, the real question for the Lady Ruggers right now is whether or not they have a place to play this weekend.
