ALTOONA, PA:  The Marietta College women's soccer team punched its ticket to the 2007 Penn State Altoona Challenge Cup championship game after blanking Albright College 3-0 Saturday morning in the tournament's opening contest.  Marietta, the three time defending champion, will meet host Penn State Altoona on Sunday afternoon at 2 PM. 

All three Lady Pioneer goals came in the first half as five different players earned points.  Marianne Siders found Allie Williams for a header that bounced over Albright goalkeeper Jess Schmura's head in the ninth minute.  Siders struck again less than two minutes later, this time hitting Colby Cardwell in front of the net for the score.  The Lady Pioneers' last tally came at the 28:17 mark when Vanessa Nicholls headed home a Kileen Lehman corner kick to give Marietta the 3-0 advantage.

The Lions from Albright actually out-shot the victors 15-14 on the morning but managed just three shots on goal.  Albright also attempted seven corner kicks compared to Marietta's three and were whistled for six fouls compared to Marietta's 16. 

Albright will meet Thiel, who dropped a 2-0 decision to Penn State Altoona, in Sunday's consolation game slated for 10:00 AM.   

GAME 2:       Penn State Altoona       2           Thiel College       0 

ALTOONA, PA:  Penn State Altoona out-shot the visiting Thiel Lady Tomcats by an astounding 39-0 Saturday evening en route to a 2-0 victory in the first round of the 2007 Penn State Altoona Challenge Cup Tournament.  The Lions will now meet three-time defending tournament champion Marietta College Sunday afternoon at 2:00 PM. 

Freshman Natalie Sheehan got Altoona on the board at the 24:42 mark after heading in a long cross from teammate Lisa Murphy.  Holding onto a 1-0 halftime advantage, the Lions got an insurance goal just three minutes into the second period as Whitney Hough fired a ball that hit the post and bounced in.  Danielle Ivancich got the assist for the hosts, who improved to 2-1 on the season. 

Thiel goalkeeper Jill Harry was busy all evening as the Lions attempted 15 shots on goal.  Harry had 13 saves for the Lady Tomcats, who will meet Albright in the 10:00 AM women's consolation game on Sunday.  For Penn State Altoona, freshman Alyssa Kanuch took seven shots, and Sheehan fired six.