Lycoming News

The Penn College women's soccer team is set to host a United East playoff opener against Penn State Abington on Saturday. The Wildcats, with a record of 10-1-7, are seeded third in the Volt Division. They will face the sixth-seeded team at 2 p.m.

Penn State Berks secured the top seed after defeating Penn State Harrisburg, which holds the second seed. Lancaster Bible College and St. Mary's (Md.) College follow as third and fourth seeds respectively. Both Berks and Harrisburg have earned first-round byes and will host semifinal games next Tuesday.

Reflecting on last season's performance where they reached the Final Four but lost to Harrisburg, coach Ian Scheller commented on this year's achievements: "This season has been one of incredible excitement for our team and program as a whole," he said. He highlighted their single loss during the regular season as a significant accomplishment.

Scheller praised individual milestones achieved by players such as Cassie Johnson breaking the career assist record and Kaelynn Sheetz setting new records for career goals and goals in a season. He emphasized that every playoff contender has shown potential to win on any given day.

Discussing their strategy for playoffs, Scheller stated: "Although each team provides us with a very different challenge, we believe that on any day, we have the talent to compete." He also mentioned changes in NCAA overtime rules leading to more draws this season but saw them as learning opportunities.

The final standings show Penn State Berks leading with 13 points, followed closely by Harrisburg with an equal score but differing match outcomes determining their rankings. The schedule lists key upcoming matches including semifinals scheduled for October 31st and finals set for early November.

For more details about United East competitions or Wildcats Athletics updates, fans can visit respective websites dedicated to these entities.