Penn State Women’s Soccer Routs Hofstra 6-0
No. 6 Penn State Women’s soccer (1-1-0) capped a two-match weekend off with a resounding win over Hofstra (1-1-0) Sunday afternoon. Goals from Frankie Tagliaferri, Sam Coffey, Ellie Jean, Casey Ballow, and Kerry Abello lead Penn State to a victory that saw many Nittany Lions make their season debuts.
How It Happened
Ally Schlegel replaced Frankie Tagliaferri in Erica Dambach’s starting lineup, which otherwise remained unchanged from Friday’s match against Stanford. The Nittany Lions ran riot in the opening stages of Sunday’s match, scoring two goals in the opening ten minutes.
The first came from senior captain Ellie Jean, who made a hard overlapping run to latch onto a Shea Moyer through ball and placed a cool finish under Hofstra goalkeeper Skylar Kuzmich.
Sam Coffey doubled the Nittany Lions’ lead three minutes later, bursting through the Hofstra defense and slotting a curled shot into the bottom corner.
The game was all but over after Coffey’s strike. When the Nittany Lions weren’t attacking, they were keeping possession, and despite a few Penn State giveaways, Hofstra failed to generate any offensive traction. Kerry Abello made it three for Penn State by capitalizing on a lackluster Hofstra clearance and winning a one-on-one with Kuzmich.
Dambach then began a series of substitutions that saw several players make their season debuts, including freshmen Shelby Croft, goalkeeper Sarafina Valenti, and Casey Ballow.
Penn State led 3-0 at the break and picked up where it left off when Tagliaferri notched a double within fifteen minutes of the starting whistle. Both were calm finishes — typical of the experienced striker — that left Kuzmich without a chance of making a save. Ballow’s deflected shot made it six in the 64th minute. Hofstra managed only three shots on goal to the Nittany Lions’ 10.
The Nittany Lions settled into a lull of possession and containment for the final twenty minutes of the match, retaining defensive focus and cruising to a comfortable and resounding victory over the Pride.
Player of the Match
Shea Moyer| Junior|Defensive Midfielder
Moyer’s hard-running style of play combines with a technical efficiency at the heart of Penn State’s midfield. She fearlessly won tackles against a physically tough Hofstra side and supported the Nittany Lions’ attack with two classy assists.
What’s Next?
Penn State faces Long Beach State away Friday, August 30 at 10:00 p.m.
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