There have been many great women athletes and coaches who led Penn State teams to successful seasons, earning conference and national honors in the fifty years since Title IX enactment. This section displays only a small sampling of images of athletes and coaches who were among the best during their collegiate careers at Penn State. The collection link below leads to the collection guide and inventory of more than 11,000 men’s and women’s athletes, coaches, and administrators dating back to the 1880s. Materials in each file may include photos, biographical material, newspaper clippings, and magazine articles for a specific athlete.
Ali Krieger
Ali Krieger was a member of the women’s soccer team from 2003 to 2006. She helped lead the team to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2003 and 2006. Krieger was a first Team All-Big Ten selection in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and first Team NSCAA All-America in 2005 and 2006. She is the only Penn State player to be honored as All-American at two positions, midfielder and defender. Krieger was number 62 on the list of Penn State Top 100 All-Time Athletes in 2020.
She competed with the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team at the 2011, 2015, and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cups and helped lead the US women’s soccer team to fifth place at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Alyssa Naeher
Alyssa Naeher was a member of the women’s soccer team from 2006 to 2009. She was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 and a first team Big Ten and All-American in 2007 and 2008. Naeher was number 94 on the list of Penn State Top 100 All-Time Athletes in 2020.
She played professionally in the U.S. and Germany and for the U.S. Women’s National Team and recorded four shutouts at the FIFA Women’s World Cup and helping lead the team to the championship in 2019. She was the back-up goalkeeper for the US women’s soccer team at the 2016 Rio Olympics and was the starting goalkeeper for the U.S. squad which won the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Christie Welsh
Christie Welsh was a member of the women’s soccer team from 1999 to 2002 and is one of the most decorated Penn State athletes of all time. She was an All-American, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, All Big Ten and Big Ten Player of the Year and helped lead the team to its first NCAA Final Four appearance in her freshman season in 1999. In 2001, she was the Penn State Athlete of the Year, a First Team All American, the Big Ten Player of the Year, a First Team All-Big Ten, and the runner-up for the Hermann Trophy for 2000-01. Welsh was Penn State’s first ever winner of the Hermann Trophy, in recognition as best soccer player in the nation, a first Team All American, a First Team All-Big Ten, and Honda Sports Award Nominee in 2001. She led the Big Ten in every offensive category and broke the conference career records for goals (69), assists (39), points (177) and game winning goals (22) in 2001. Welsh finished her career with 82 goals, 42 assists, 216 points, and 431 shots on goal. She was number 24 on the list of Penn State 100 Greatest Athletes in 2020.
She served as a volunteer assistance coach from 2004 to 2006 and played on the US Women’s National Team, scoring her first ten goals faster than any other player in American soccer history.
Welsh was named as an alternate to the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Emily Oleksiuk
Emily Oleksiuk was the starting goalie on the soccer team from 1998 to 2001. She finished her career with an 81-15-4 record, only giving up 0.74 goals per match. Oleksiuk was named an All-American in 1999, 2000, and 2001.
Erica Walsh-Dambach
Erica Walsh-Dambach is the current head coach of the women’s soccer team, compiling a record of 243-84-22 through the 2021 season. Her teams have participated in fifteen straight NCAA tournaments and won the 2015 title. She was named National Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2015. Walsh played collegiately at William & Mary from 1993 to 1997 and coached at Dartmouth, Florida State and Harvard before her tenure at Penn State. She has extensive national and international coaching experience, as she helped coach the U.S. National team to win gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Erin McLeod
Erin McLeod was a member of the women’s soccer team in 2004 and 2005 after transferring from Southern Methodist. She was Penn State’s second goalkeeper to earn All-American honors finishing second in the nation with 0.43 goals against average in her junior year, and was a first team All-Big Ten selection. McLeod posted a 17-2-1 record with 11 shutouts and set a school record with 857.24 consecutive shutout minutes over eight matches that stretched from October 1 to November 5 in 2004. She had a record of 22-0-2 record with 9 shutouts in her senior year and set new school mark with a .957 winning percentage.
McLeod competed for the Canadian women’s soccer team as the starting goalkeeper in the 2008 Beijing Games, won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, and was selected as an alternate for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Joanna Lohman
Joanna Lohman competed on the soccer team from 2000 to 2003. She had 41 goals and 37 assists during her collegiate career. Lohman was named the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year and was a three-time first team All-American.
Maya Hayes
Maya Hayes played on the soccer team from 2010 to 2013. She was named an All-American in 2011 when she led the nation with 31 goals and 70 points, and honored again in 2012 and 2013. Hayes was the runner up for the Herman Trophy for best collegiate player in 2011 and was a semi-finalist for the award in 2012 and 2013. She finished her career with 71 goals and 21 assists.
Patrick Farmer
Patrick Farmer was the first coach of the women’s soccer team from 1994 to 2000. His teams participated in the NCAA tournament in six of the seven years of his coaching tenure. He led the team to the quarterfinals in 1998, 1999, and 2000. Farmer was the NSCAA/adidas Division I National Coach of the Year in 2000 and finished his Penn State career with a 123-34-8 record.
Paula Wilkins
Paula Wilkins was the head coach of the women’s soccer team from 2001 to 2006 and compiled a record of 95-15-10. She led the team to five straight Big Ten regular season titles.
Tiffany Weimer
Tiffany Weimer competed on the soccer team from 2002 to 2005. She scored 91 goals in her career and was an All-American in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Weimer was also a runner up for the Herman Trophy as best soccer player in 2004 and 2005. She was number 30 on the list of Penn State 100 Greatest Athletes in 2020.
Here is the link to the athlete’s and coaches’ files collection: Pennsylvania State University, Intercollegiate Athletics public relations files