Bloomsburg University junior Chrissy Hollan spent her first two seasons as a defensive midfielder on the Huskies womens soccer team.

But as this past season got underway, Hollan was moved to the center back spot, a role she was familiar with from her days as a Trojan. With that position switch came an increase in responsibility and leadership.

The former Parkland High School graduate thrived in that leadership role to produce her best collegiate season yet.

As a member of a defensive unit that included two juniors that were new to their positions, as well as a freshman, Hollan was the unquestioned leader. In starting all 18 games, she guided the Huskies' defense that allowed just 19 goals, including seven shutouts in 2014.

"This was the first season that I was really stepping into this role," Hollan said. "It was definitely a transition year for me, and it was a lot of learning. I played the position in high school before, but obviously this is completely different being at the college level.

"I had played two seasons at a different position, so I was kind of out of that mindset a little bit, but obviously you don't really forget how to do things. It's just a lot faster pace at this level, and it requires you to make decisions a lot faster and those sort of things."

The defense, which allowed 1.06 goals per game and 11.6 shots per contest, ranked near the top of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in a number of categories.

Looking ahead to next year, all four of those players that anchored the defense in 2014 figure to be back.

"We had a little bit of trouble in the beginning, but over the course of the season we definitely came together," Hollan said. "We did relatively well as a back line this year."

Hollan's play on the field wasn't just recognized by her teammates and coaching staff, it was noticed around the league and area as well. She earned an All-PSAC Second-Team selection and a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Atlantic Region Third-Team choice.

Hollan also finished the season with three goals (tied for a team-high) and one assist.

"It's always great to get recognized as an individual," Hollan said. "But that's not really what I'm working toward during the season. The work that I'm putting in is for the team in hopes of making us better as a collective group, so that we can be more successful as a team."

Hollan's excellence didn't stop on the field. She also earned an honorable mention selection on the NSCAA Scholar All-East Region team after finishing with a 3.88 GPA in Speech Pathology and Audiology.

The Huskies finished the season 7-8-3 overall (5-8-3 in PSAC) and found themselves on the outskirts of the conference tournament.

But despite that record, the Huskies were recognized as one of the top up-and-coming teams in the league. Six of their eight losses were by one goal.

"There was communication between our coach and other coaches saying that we were among one of the top teams in the conference," Hollan said, "But our record didn't really show it. It was a little frustrating, but I definitely think that we have the potential to be better."

Hollan plays club soccer in the summer for the Lady Sonic.