Allie Daus pulled a green pinny over her practice jersey and jogged onto the field to join a scrimmage at practice Wednesday.

Already on the field, her sister, Kristie Daus, was getting a taste of action that she couldn't get as a true freshman.

When Kristie joined the Penn State women's soccer team, she thought she'd have two years to play alongside her older sister. But early in the 2007 preseason, she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and was forced to sit out the entire season.

"Knowing that we only have one year left with each other, we just need to make the most of it," Allie, a senior midfielder, said. "And have fun on the field and off the field, and even at practices, because you only have a certain amount of games and you have a million practices."

This year, the preseason injury bug hit Allie. On the third day of practice, she broke her wrist and has worn a cast ever since, although it hasn't held her out of action.

Despite the injuries, the sisters remain two of the most spirited players on the team.

"Those two are the most selfless student-athletes I've come across in a long time," Penn State coach Erica Walsh said. "Obviously they have a special bond, but their passion for Penn State, honestly, is unparalleled."

One of Allie's biggest spirit contributions comes before every game, when she shares an inspirational quote or piece of writing with the team for motivation.

Both are actively involved in Penn State's Student-Athlete Advisory Board, allowing them to get involved with other student-athletes in fund-raising and events like THON.

"I love the team, and I love the spirit of the university," Allie said. "Being from Texas, we could have gone a million places between here and there. But we chose to come here, and we love it."

The Daus sisters came to Penn State after playing for one of the most successful high school soccer programs in the nation. Hailing from Plano, Texas, they attended Ursuline Academy, an all-girls Catholic school that has won 18 consecutive state girls soccer championships.

The decision to become Nittany Lions was partly because of family history. Their mother, Kathy, grew up in Pittsburgh, their father, Mark, is

originally from Altoona, and their grandmother still lives in Hollidaysburg.

With the family connections to Pennsylvania, Allie said Penn State was always on her college radar screen.

Two years after Allie came to Penn State in 2005, her sister followed suit, although that hadn't been the original plan.

"At first, because growing up I was always known as Allie's younger sister, I didn't even think of going to the same college as her," Kristie said. "And then, my junior year in high school, it was the first time we were apart. Reality set in, and then I came and visited here, and there was no question about it."

Despite the distance from home, at least one of their parents tries to make the trip to see them play every weekend, while their grandmother is also frequently in attendance.

But Allie said she's happy her sister chose to follow her to Penn State, as her sister brings a piece of home to State College -- more than 1,000 miles from Plano.

"It's definitely more of a big sister-little sister relationship," Walsh said. "Everybody knows that Allie's the heart and soul of this team, and I think Kristie has stepped in and has seen that. I think they're both really proud of each other. It's neat to see their relationship."