Kristen Mandler never pictured herself playing for a nationally-ranked college soccer team, when she enrolled at Penn State in the fall of 1999.
But four years later, the former Upper St. Clair standout is a key player off the bench for the Nittany Lions, who are ranked No. 11 in the country and in first place in the Big 10.
"I didn't think I'd be able to play soccer at Penn State," said Mandler, who has played organized soccer since she was 6.
After her senior season, in which she scored the only goal for the Panthers in their 1-0 victory over Mt. Lebanon in the 1998 WPIAL Class AAA championship game, Mandler realized that her competitive soccer career probably was over.
She chose to attend Penn State over Boston College, thanks in large part to her two brothers, Jeff and David, who are both Penn State graduates.
"They had a little influence on my decision," Mandler said.
Early in her freshman year, though, the Penn State coaches started to show a strong interest in Mandler, and she decided to walk onto the team.
"I was surprised that the (Penn State coaching staff) showed an interest in me," Mandler said. "I knew that, if I was going to play soccer at Penn State, I was just going to have to come in and play. That's what I did."
By the time Mandler stepped onto the field in a game for Penn State, she was more than just excited.
"It was a little more nerve-racking," Mandler said. "It really made me think a little bit more on the soccer field than I was used to. It was pretty intimidating for me."
Since that time, Mandler has settled into a regular reserve role in the Nittany Lions' midfield. And while she has yet to score a point in her senior season, she knows that she can contribute to the team in other ways.
"I know my role on this team," Mandler said. "Of course, I would like to score more, but we have some great scorers on this team in Christie Welsh and Tiffany Weimer. I would say that, overall, the season has gone very well for me. I am happy."
Penn State coach Paula Wilkins sees Mandler as a valuable player.
"Kristen brings a very high work rate to our team," Wilkins said. "She is a very intelligent player and brings a different element to the game. She can be dangerous as well."
Scoring goals has never been Mandler's trademark on the soccer field. In high school, she was primarily a defender. She played sweeper in her final season at Upper St. Clair.
"(Kristen) became more of a scoring threat when we started to involve her more in the midfield," Upper St. Clair coach Wayne Capra said. "Even as a midfielder, your primary job is not to score. Kristen was a very good overall player for us. I thought she had the potential to play at a school like Penn State. As a coach, I am very proud of what she has done."
With graduation approaching, Mandler is unsure of what she wants to do after college. She is content with soccer not being part of the bigger picture.
"I probably need a little break from soccer," Mandler said. "I've been playing for so long. We'll see what happens."
