MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – If she would so choose, Penn State Harrisburg women's soccer player Mackenzie Haladay would have plenty to boast about.

The junior is one of the Blue & White ironwomen, playing 90 minutes on defense for the Lions in nearly every game of her career. Her resilience is personified in the way she battled back from a knee injury that cost her the 2017 campaign. Despite not playing a meaningful game in nearly two years, Haladay performed at a high-level as one of the team's top defenders this fall and even added three goals from her spot on the back line, including one game-winner.

Even her pedigree is second to none, as her father Greg is a former standout for Penn State's wrestling program. The 1990 PSU alum is a two-time all-American grappler who finished as the NCAA National Runner-Up in the heavyweight division as a senior, falling to 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Hall-of-Famer Kurt Angle in a tightly-contested championship bout.

The Elysburg native with an infectious personality recently sat down to discuss her decision to further her education at Penn State Harrisburg, the work she put in to overcome her season-ending injury and the excitement surrounding the College's move back to the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) next fall.  

Haladay also shared several personal stories and preferences that have little to do with her academic or athletic career, including her go-to dessert at a certain hometown amusement park, the story behind her game-day hairstyle and that time she masqueraded as a "Belieber" for a friend.

Be sure to follow the Lions on Instagram (@pennstatehbgathletics), Twitter (@PSHbgAthletics), and Facebook (Penn State Harrisburg Athletics) for all the latest on Penn State Harrisburg athletics.