It's not supposed to be this easy.
On August 20th, in her first collegiate game, Allison Ludwig netted three goals to become just the eighth player in Youngstown State history to collect a hat trick. The first Penguin to ever accomplish the feat in their first game.
Easy right?
"Not easy at all. I wouldn't say easy. It's a lot of really hard work," says Ludwig.
"I came in with the mindset that it was going to be really tough and I wasn't going have anything just given to me."
Described by her coaches as 'scrappy', the 5-8 forward has burst on the scene leading all Horizon League players in goals with seven. Even more impressive when you consider Sarah Hagen, who has led the league in goals scored the past two seasons, is still just a junior at Milwaukee.
The damage Ludwig is doing to the Horizon League leaderboard is nothing compared to the assault she is putting on the Youngstown State record book in just seven games as a Penguin. The single-season goal record is 13 by Alicia Metz in 1997. That would mean Ludwig would need six goals in her last eight regular season games to set a new mark.
The freshman scoring mark at YSU is eight, set by current teammate Lauren Brenna in 2007. So has Ludwig let her teammate know she's coming for that record?
"I actually didn't even know that that record was set by her. I'll have to talk to her about it tonight. When I came up for my recruiting visit she was the upperclassman I was paired with. We clicked right away and now we're really good friends"
Now that Ludwig has become the Penguins most potent goal scorer the team is already relying heavily on the freshman.
"I guess there is a little bit of pressure to score goals now. But I kind of just go into thinking I need to play well and the goals will come."
They've come early and often so far. It may not be easy but Allison Ludwig is making it look easy.
