Missy Doherty’s Nittany Lions cruised to a 19-8 win over Duquesne Wednesday on an unseasonably warm afternoon at Panzer Stadium.

In the team’s home opener, No. 15 Penn State made easy work of the Dukes thanks in part to freshman midfielder Sophia Triandafils’ four-goal performance.

How It Happened

Senior captain Katie O’Donnell started the scoring with two straight goals in the early going, followed by a trio from Triandafils, who came off the bench and immediately provided a boost. The Wading River, N.Y., native already had her first hat trick less than nine minutes into the contest.

Sophomore attacker Maria Auth increased Penn State’s cushion to 6-0, but the Dukes soon went on their first run to cut the deficit to 7-3 with two consecutive goals after Quinn Nicolai scored her fourth of the season.

Kristin Roberto found the back of the net to stop the Duquesne rally before star junior Madison Carter notched her team-leading 10th goal of the year to make it 9-3 Nittany Lions. Shannon Moore and Katie Schluederberg chipped in goals of their own, with the latter’s being her first in a Penn State uniform.

Bridget Chakey and Schluederberg closed out the first half with goals for the Nittany Lions, who led Duquesne 13-5 at the intermission. Senior captain Maggie Gallagher re-started the scoring in the first minute of the second half, then Moore made it 15-5 moments later.

O’Donnell and Gallagher soon connected for a spectacular goal before Triandafils and Auth scored again. The Nittany Lion defense held strong and Doherty’s squad celebrated a dominant non-conference win as storm clouds converged over the field.

Player of the Game

Sophia Triandafils | Freshman | Midfielder

Triandafils set a new career high with four goals in the victory.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions (2-1) return to Panzer Stadium Saturday at 3 p.m. when they host No. 18 Cornell.