Penn State Women’s Soccer Cruises To 3-0 Victory Over LMU
Penn State women’s soccer (3-1-0) notched a third consecutive win Sunday in Los Angeles with a 3-0 victory over Loyola Marymount (0-2-2).
Ally Schlegel’s second goal of the weekend and strikes from Sam Coffey and Frankie Tagliaferri propelled the Nittany Lions to a comfortable win away from home.
How It Happened
Penn State dominated possession from kickoff, putting LMU under a barrage of attacking pressure and denying the Lions a shot in the first 20 minutes of the match.
Sam Coffey, playing in a deeper-lying midfield role, scored her third goal of the season with a clever free kick. The junior’s shot from just outside the penalty area slid under the wall and past goalkeeper Lee Erickson in the 25th minute.
The Nittany Lions didn’t let up, racking up a whopping 13 corners and seven shots on goal in the first half. Frankie Tagliaferri, playing as an attacking midfielder behind Ally Schlegel, seemed especially dangerous, dribbling past players and almost winning a penalty in the middle of the half. Goalkeeper Sarafina Valenti and Penn State’s backline remained solid and only allowed two shots in the early stages of the match.
Kate Wiesner sent a curling long-distance shot towards the top left corner of Erickson’s net in the 30th minute, but the LMU ‘keeper turned the ball off the post and out. The Nittany Lions entered the break with a 1-0 lead — a surprising scoreline given their abundant chances to score.
It wouldn’t remain that way for long. Penn State continued this season’s trend of scoring shortly after the break when Schlegel latched onto a deflected pass from Tagliaferri, beat her defender, and slipped the ball past Erickson into the bottom right corner of the net.
Penn State retained its rhythm but was still frustrated by missed opportunities and some decent goalkeeping from Erickson. LMU’s defenders became noticeably fatigued as the half wore on under a blazing sun and 89-degree temperatures. Tagliaferri capitalized on the drop in pace and bagged her third goal of the season in the 71st minute.
Dambach rotated her squad as Penn State continued to control the match, introducing several players such as midfielder Maddie Myers and the composed sophomore centre back Caitlin Haislip.
The Nittany Lions remained solid at the back and maintained possession for the rest of the match, cruising to a comfortable 17-shot, 3-0 win and their second shutout of the season.
Player of the Match
Frankie Tagliaferri| Junior|Forward
Last year’s joint top scorer is finding the form that makes her one of head coach Erica Dambach’s most trusted attacking options. Her goal and assist against LMU should boost her confidence heading into this weekend’s tough test against No. 12 West Virginia.
What’s Next?
Penn State returns to the east coast to face No. 12 West Virginia (2-1-0) in Morgantown this Friday, September 6 at 7 p.m.
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