No. 4 seed Penn State women’s soccer (15-6-1) will face Stony Brook (14-5-1) in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday, November 15 at 6 p.m. on Jeffrey Field.

Penn State’s Big Ten Tournament title win, which was sealed with an overtime victory over Michigan Sunday, secured its automatic selection for the tournament.

Ranked No. 6 in preseason and at the top of conference projections, the Nittany Lions fell out of the United Soccer Coaches Poll after a disappointing string of midseason losses. They received thirteen votes after a long absence last week. A nine-game winning streak that continued through Sunday’s final propelled them to a Big Ten title and a comfortable seed in its bracket in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Penn State’s path to the College Cup is full of capable opponents. The Nittany Lions find themselves in the same corner as Stanford, who closed the regular season at No. 2 in the coaches poll and defeated Penn State at Jeffrey Field in August. A potential run-in with No. 6 Arkansas in the latter rounds could also prove a difficult test.

But since an overtime loss to Rutgers in October, the Nittany Lions seem to have found their identity and rhythm as a team. The attacking emergence of Payton Linnehan, combined with a steady backline lead by veteran defender Kaleigh Riehl that has allowed two goals in its last five games, have made a memorable tournament run possible once again.