Lycoming News

Coming off an impressive unbeaten regular season, the Penn College women's soccer team is preparing for the United East Conference Championship. Under coach Ian Scheller's guidance, the team has been seeded second in the 12-team single-elimination tournament. They achieved a record of 7-0-1 in the UE and 14-0-4 overall. The Wildcats will face Wilson College in a quarterfinal match on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Reflecting on their performance, Scheller said, "Our regular season has been one that has offered many surprises for me and our team. The team has done a wonderful job, continuously working hard to keep the standard high from the first game all the way to now."

The playoffs see Penn State Harrisburg as the top seed with Penn College following closely behind. Other teams participating include St. Mary's (Md.) College, Penn State Berks, and Lancaster Bible College among others.

In previous matches, Penn College outscored opponents significantly, boasting an 80-6 advantage across all games this season. "Soccer is very simple," Scheller remarked. "You need to put the soccer ball in the net more times than your opponents."

Key players have emerged throughout the season including freshman Megan Kurian and senior Cassie Johnson who have made significant contributions to the team's success.

Wilson College enters Saturday's match as seventh seed after defeating Cedar Crest in double-overtime earlier this week. In their last encounter during regular season play, Penn College defeated Wilson 6-0.

Scheller acknowledged Wilson's capabilities saying, "Although we were able to put in a strong performance, we know Wilson is capable of causing us issues due to their ability to be stout defensively."

The Wildcats' journey through this remarkable season has been marked by standout performances from both young talents and experienced players alike. Coach Scheller expressed his pride stating, "This team is a perfect storm of great things and I am looking forward to the remainder of the season."

As they aim for championship glory, Scheller hopes for continued success: "Hopefully, we have a few weeks left to take our accomplishments even further."