KAARINA, Finland, July 23, 2002 - Penn State women's soccer player Joanna Lohman (Silver Spring, Md./Springbrook) led the Under-21 U.S. National Team to victory over host Finland, scoring the only goal of the game to open group play at the Nordic Cup on Monday, July 22.

The game was tightly contested as the team's combined for nine shots in the game, with the U.S. taking a 6-3 edge. An All-American in 2001 and playing in her first Nordic Cup, Lohman's game winner came in the 55th minute off a pass from Nandi Pryce. "After not making the Nordic Cup team last year, I really wanted to make it and contribute this summer," said Lohman, who will be a junior for the Nittany Lions in the fall. "It was a great team effort, but we know it's just the first game. We have to win two more to get to the championship game, which is where we want to be."

Penn State teammate Christie Welsh (Massapequa Park, Pa./Massapequa) was also a starter in the game. The Nordic Cup serves as the top competition in the world for this age group. The U.S. has won four out of the last five titles since 1997, including the last three in a row.

The U.S. will face Denmark on Wednesday, July 24, in Kaarina, Finland. Denmark defeated the full Greek Women's National Team 4-1 on Monday. The U.S. will play Greece on Friday to close out group play. The top team in the group moves on to the championship game on Sunday, July 28.