Reunited

Penn State's Bonnie Young Teams Up with Farmer Again

Bonnie Young (right) was the Power's second draft pick and is looking forward to joining her former college coach in the WUSA.S.L.

By Dan Lauletta

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- On September 4, 1998, playing in just her second college game, Bonnie Young scored all three goals for Penn State in a 3-0 whitewashing of Maryland. It was the first hat trick in the history of the program. Three-and-a-half years later, Young’s offensive prowess is an added bonus for the New York Power, who drafted the 21-year old, hoping she will compete for a starting spot in the central of their defense.

“She’ll compete for that right away,” said Pat Farmer, who coached Young for three years at Penn State and will be reunited with her as head coach of the Power. “I like Bonnie. I recruited her at Penn State.”

“It is a big sort of relief for me to be going back with Farmer,” Young said. “He is one of my all-time favorite coaches. I’m so glad to be playing for him again.”

During her junior season at Penn State, Young found her way to the back, where she anchored the defense in front of all-American goalkeeper Emily Oleksiuk. In New York she will be given the opportunity to earn the starting position vacated by the retirement of Norwegian Gro Espeseth.

“I like her size,” Farmer said. “With some of those big forwards in the league, and with (Courage striker Birgit) Prinz and (Freedom forward Abby) Wambach coming in, and with players like (Atlanta’s) Charmaine Hooper, she’ll help there. We didn’t match up so well against those kinds of players last year.

“I like her size, I like her speed, her strength, and her attitude.”

Ironically, Young credits Farmer a great deal for her strong attitude, saying she enjoyed the coach’s motivational methods at Penn State.

“I’ve always been a fan of coaches that demand excellence,” she said. “He does that in sort of a loud way. That’s good for me, because sometimes I need some motivation.”

Asked to describe her own play, Young said, “I’m a pretty competent server. I like to serve long balls and whatnot. I’m pretty good in the air, and I’m a pretty physical player. Not too much finesse.”

Farmer went beyond competent when describing her service out of the back.

“She has one of the longest serves in the country,” he said. “She has a great, long throw too.”

Last year, Espeseth and Nel Fettig carried the bulk of the load at central defense, with a few appearances from Kristy Whelchel. The latter is expected to be a starter in 2002 with mostly likely Fettig and Young as her partners. Fettig could also end up in the midfield.

“It will depend what is the better fit,” said Farmer.

Young said she came into the draft hoping, but not expecting, to be drafted. To complicate matters, she viewed her play as substandard during the final day of the pre-draft combine.

“I definitely wasn’t expecting (to be drafted) this early,” she said.

Bonnie Young’s name was called in the second round, the 14th overall pick and the second player taken by the Power following their first pick, Finnish striker Minna Mustonen.

Young headed back to State College, Penn., after the draft and is anxiously awaiting the opportunity to train with her new team on Long Island.

Long Island will not be a new experience for Young. Born in Baltimore, but a self-proclaimed native of Texas, Young spent a good deal of time in Bay Shore, N.Y., last summer, visiting with Penn State teammates Megan Mills and Christie Welsh.

The 5-10 defender is also friendly with Power forward Rachel Hoffman. Hoffman’s senior year at Penn State preceded Young’s freshman year, but Hoffman has trained regularly with the team since graduating.

As for Power players she is not so familiar with, Young is most looking forward to playing with WUSA MVP Tiffeny Milbrett.

“She’s always been one of my favorite players,” she said. “I just love how she plays. I love her fiery attitude.”

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