Frannie Crouse led No. 5 Penn State women’s soccer to a 1-0 win over No. 6 North Carolina in the first showdown between these two programs Thursday night at Jeffrey Field.

How It Happened

Erica Dambach’s Nittany Lions have seven players on the current roster who saw action versus North Carolina the last time they met on Sept. 5, 2014. at the Duke Nike Classic. One of the returning starters from that 1-0 double overtime loss to the Tar Heels, Frannie Crouse, put Penn State on the board first.

In the seventh minute, she drove home her second goal of the season off an assist from junior midfielder Charlotte Williams. Crouse is currently in 11th on the program’s all-time scoring list. Next up is teammate Mallory Weber, who sits in 10th place with 36 career goals.

Penn State’s defense turned in an absolutely dominant showing, blanking a high-powered Tar Heel attack that had scored 14 goals heading into Thursday’s match. Redshirt sophomore outside back Maddie Elliston made a tremendous hustle play to keep the ball inbounds early that will go unnoticed on the stat sheet, but is indicative of the team’s blue-collar mentality this year.

Rose Chandler notched her second career shutout in the victory, only seeing one shot on goal. Sophomore Laura Freigang started for the first time this season, showcasing her outstanding touch and anticipation in the open field.

Player Of The Match

Frannie Crouse | Senior | Forward

The Greensburg, Pa., native’s first-half goal from 12 yards out proved to be the game-winner.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions (4-1) will face No. 8 Virginia at 2 p.m. Sunday in Charlottesville.