The Penn State women’s soccer team may have lost seven seniors, but that will not keep them from remaining favorites to win yet another Big Ten title.

The 13th ranked Nittany Lions have won 12 straight titles and have made the NCAA Tournament 15 years in a row. Led by captains Megan Monroig and Emma Thomson, the team will attempt to play attractive, attacking soccer that would mean even more success this year.

“I’m pretty confident we’re going to have some good attacking power,” coach Erica Walsh said. She added, however, “We need to shore up in the back.”

The team’s attacking power has already been on display this season with a 5-2 exhibition win over Villanova on Saturday. Despite Walsh’s warning that “it’s hard to compare scores [in an exhibition],” the team would undoubtedly be happy to score five goals in their opening game. The Nittany Lions take on West Virginia on August 20th, marking the true beginning of the season.

West Virginia is part of a tough schedule that the Nittany Lions hope will help them earn a high seed in the NCAA tournament. Penn State will play nine teams this year that were in the tournament last year.

The Nittany Lions will be a force once again this season due to plenty of attacking power and some solid defending. With a 13th straight Big Ten title and a 16th straight tournament berth looming on the horizon, the team will look to take the next step and win a national title.

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