Penn State Altoona
Penn State Altoona
22/08/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 22/08/2024 17:58
Penn State Altoona women’s soccer voted fifth in AMCC preseason poll
A total of six student-athletes from the Penn State Altoona men's and women's soccer teams were recognized for their academic successes on Tuesday, Nov. 21, when the College Sports Communicators organization announced its Academic All-District soccer teams.
Credit: Penn State
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August 22, 2024
NORTH BOSTON, N.Y. - The Penn State Altoona women's soccer team was picked fifth in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference's 2024 Preseason Coaches' Poll, which was released by the conference office on Aug. 21.
Penn State Behrend was predicted by league coaches to win the AMCC title this season, as it was voted into first place. Defending conference champion Pitt-Greensburg took second place, and Mount Aloysius College rounded out the top three spots.
Penn State Altoona women's soccer placed sixth in the AMCC last fall, when the Lions went 5-11-2 overall with a 4-4-1 mark within the conference. The team grabbed the sixth and final seed in the AMCC Tournament, posting a first-round shutout victory on the road over Hilbert College before falling to eventual champion Pitt-Greensburg in the semifinal round.
This year, Lions head coach Pam Snyder Etters heads into her 14th season at the helm of the program. The team returns a solid core of players from last fall, including two 2023 All-AMCC selections - forward/midfielder Mallorie Smith, of Bellefonte, and defender Rachel Rutkowski, of Canonsburg - who were both tabbed as "Players to Watch" in this year's Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Smith was a first-team All-AMCC pick last season, when she started all 18 games for the Lions. She ranked first in the conference in shots on goal (52), second in goals scored (15) and shots attempted (76), and third in points (32). Smith was also a two-time AMCC Offensive Player of the Week selection last fall, and she set a new Lions single-game goals record when she found the back of the net six times during a home win over Wells College on Sept. 23.
Rutkowski played in and started 17 games for Penn State Altoona last season, helping to anchor a defensive unit that combined for three shutouts in AMCC play and four shutouts overall. Rutkowski was a second-team All-Conference selection at defender, and she also registered one assist during the season.
Penn State Altoona women's soccer opens its 2024 schedule at home on Friday, August 30, when the Lions host non-conference opponent Penn College at 6 p.m. at Spring Run Stadium.
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