Thomas Sieg became one of the top goaltenders in the history of Penn State Behrend men’s soccer. A true leader in every sense of the word, Sieg had a great career on the soccer pitch and led the Lions to the inaugural AMCC Championship in 1997 and then again in 1999.

Sieg arrived at Behrend in 1997, looking to make an impact in goal following a soccer career at Gateway High School in Pittsburgh. It did not take long for the newcomer to show his potential. He completed his freshman season with 51 saves in seven games played. The hard work carried over to his sophomore season, helping the Lions break the school record for most wins in a season with 13, the same number of games Sieg played in. He earned three shut outs and almost doubled his saves with 89.

Sieg waited for his time to shine, taking sole ownership of the starting goalie position as a junior and was named a co-captain his final two seasons. Playing in all 19 games as a junior, Sieg made 109 saves and posted four shutouts while also being named AMCC Athlete of the Week on Oct. 11, 2000. 

His senior year, Sieg recorded his best saves total with 135 and posted a 1.4 goals-against average. He also made 6.5 shutouts in 21 games played. Sieg led the Lions to their first-ever ECAC bid and tallied five saves in a 4-1 win over Western Maryland in the first round to give Behrend the postseason victory. He finished the season with his first All-Conference accolades as an honorable-mention selection. 

Sieg graduated first in career games played (60) and his 384 saves stands as the third best in program history, while ranking seventh in single season saves (135). Sieg’s legacy will always be instilled into the men’s soccer program with the Tommy Sieg Inspirational Award given to a player who has a positive effect on his teammates throughout their career.