Box Score Radnor, Pa. - If there is one trait that coaches of athletic teams are constantly encouraging their players to adopt, it is the ability to fight through tough circumstances and press on towards the victory. The Lady Lions of Penn State Abington displayed this character in spades during their match today against Cabrini College, but still came up short, losing 1-0 on a goal deep in the second half.
 
First, there was the major delay to the start of the match. What was supposed to be a mid-afternoon game starting at 4:00 p.m. did not actually get off the ground until 4:45, due to a delay caused by bad weather in the surrounding area. As any former athlete knows, the stress this places on the players is unnerving to say the least.
 
Then, there was the stats discrepancy. Cabrini dominated possession and ball control for large parts of the game, as the stats bear out. They outshot the Lady Lions 11-4, and 5 of those were on goal, compared to a single shot on goal for Penn State Abington. The Cavaliers even had more free kick opportunities, although Penn State Abington did out-corner their opponent by a 4-2 mark.
 
Finally, the Lady Lions even went through the drama of facing a penalty kick, and the foul trouble that went with it. After a relatively uneventful first half, where each team combined to only get a single shot on goal, the second half proved to be much more exciting. It all started exactly 14 minutes into the period. Junior defender Alyssa Kaye was awarded a yellow card after a foul in the box, which also gave the Cavaliers a chance to open the scoring for the game. However, sophomore goalkeeper Gabrielle Benedict was more than up to the challenge, coming up with a strong save to keep the game scoreless. Later in the half, freshman Shannon Brady also garnered a free kick for a foul of her own. These two cards placed additional stress on the team beyond what it normally would, as with a squad as small as Penn State Abington's, the team cannot afford to substitute players in or out as often.
 
Even through all of these difficulties and opportunities to throw in the towel, Penn State Abington came out after the huge save from Benedict and looked like they would seize the momentum. In fact, they came back and earned the next two corners and two shots, forcing Cabrini keeper Maddy Edwards into her only save of the game. Finally, the Nittany Lions were operating more in the offensive half, and looked poised to seal the deal.
 
Unfortunately for Penn State Abington, it was not to be. At exactly the 72^nd minute of the game, the Cavaliers got on the scoreboard with what would be the deciding goal of the evening. Freshman midfielder Nicole Hallinan slotted a pass to fellow freshman Megan Martin, who had just come into the game less than two minutes earlier. Martin took a few dribbles and then unleashed a shot from 20 yards out which just cleared Benedict's head and nestled into the corner of the netting.
 
Try as they might, the Lady Lions were unable to register another shot on the night, only managing to earn themselves a final corner kick in the dying minutes of the game. Goalkeeper Gabrielle Benedict finished with four saves on the night, none bigger than her save of the penalty kick. Senior Kaitlin Kozole registered the only shot on goal for Penn State Abington, who move to 2-1-0 with the loss. The Lady Lions continue their road trip this weekend, travelling to New York to open the NEAC Conference slate with games against Keuka and Wells. Fans can check abingtonsports.com for the times and stats of all Nittany Lions athletic events this season.