“I’ve been playing soccer since I was 4, so it’s always been ingrained in my life, and I was always good at it on the field and in goal,” said Whittenberger, who trains with Harrisburg City Islanders keeper Nick Noble. “Taking it out of my life wouldn’t be possible.”

At Saint Joseph’s, Whittenberger will join a strong program that last fall finished 18-2-2 overall, 9-0-1 in the Atlantic 10 Conference under head coach Jess Mannella, who took the Hawks’ reins in 2001. Their fall roster included a quartet of women hailing from District 3 schools, including Shannon Mulvey from Hershey.

“I’m still very happy with Saint Joe’s even though things didn’t work out (with Delaware),” said Whittenberger, who picked the Hawks over Bryant University this time around. “It has what I want to major in (political science) and possibly minor in (criminal justice), and it’s two train rides away from home.”

Whittenberger praised the work with Noble and club coaches Chris Fox and Keith Munshower, as well as the support from parents Riley and Irene, for the guidance to reach this point.

“Parents never get enough credit for all the driving they do for tournaments and all the financial aspects that come with club soccer,” she said. “They’ve supported and loved me all my life. All these people are the rocks to my success.”

Email Geoff Morrow at gmorrow@cumberlink.com or follow on Twitter at @RageAgainstGMo

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