Since middle school, Samantha Brown was groomed to be a goalkeeper.

The work paid off for the Knoch senior recently when she accepted a scholarship offer to play women's soccer at Malone (Ohio) College.

The NAIA school has been ranked nationally in recent years and has endured only one losing season in its eight years of existence.

"They have a top-level program and for Sam to step right in there. … It shows how dedicated she's been to the sport," Knoch girls soccer coach Amy Travis said.

Brown has been a goalkeeper in the Knoch system every year since middle school but one. She played forward as a freshman - scoring two goals - at Knoch because the team had a senior goalkeeper.

"I've been playing soccer since I was 8 and have been a goalie pretty much the entire time," Brown said. "I was a big girl for my age, so they threw me in there."

She's hardly a big girl now, standing only 5-feet-5, but Brown has worked at her craft. She's a quick, daring goalkeeper who leaves her line often to smother the ball, challenge shooters and deny potential breakaways.

That style resulted in her being named Knoch girls soccer MVP and team captain her senior year, when she recorded seven shutouts and a 1.49 goals-against average.

Brown also led the Knights to the WPIAL playoffs for the first time since 1996.

"Absolutely, she was our backbone. She kept us in a lot of games," Travis said.

Brown made more than 30 saves in Knoch's playoff loss against Norwin.

Her aggressive style of play attracted the interest of Malone coach Todd Clark.

"I don't care about numbers or statistics in high school," Clark said. "That stuff means nothing to me. I recruit by what I see.

"I travel around and watch players play. Samantha's style of play fits our style of play. She is an impact-type in goal and she doesn't shy away from contact."

Malone is 26-1-3 in American Mideast Conference play over the past three years and has benefited from having NAIA All-Americans in goal each of the past six seasons.

Graduating goalkeeper Laurie Franklin owns all of Malone's goalkeeping records, including a 0.96 goals-against average last season and 35 career shutouts.

Franklin was a four-year All-American. Before her, Aubby Rosado was a two-year All-American goalkeeper for the Pioneers.

Seneca Valley graduate Megan Gasparin was Malone's leading scorer last year with 10 goals and six assists - including five game-winning goals - before a broken shoulder curtailed her season. She has since recovered and is throwing the javelin for Malone's track and field team this spring. She will be a senior next fall.

Crystal Russell, a returning senior next year, is the goalkeeper Brown will be competing with for playing time.

"I believe Samantha's capable of beating her out and starting four years here," Clark said. "I wouldn't have recruited her otherwise."

Brown's goal is to step in and win the starting job right away.

"My recruiting visit was an overnight stay and I got to know the girls and play with them on the field," she said. "The chemistry is definitely there. I feel like I'll fit right in."

Clark is counting on it.

"She's a physically strong kid and I love her attitude," the coach said. "She throws her body into shots and does what she has to do to stop a shot or prevent a shot."

Brown also considered West Virginia Wesleyan, Slippery Rock and Frostburg (Md.) before settling on Malone.

She is majoring in physical education and hopes to get into coaching soccer at some point.

"Since I've been a goalie my whole life, I doubt I'll want to be a head coach," she said. "But I'd love to be a goalie coach."