Sixth-seeded Penn State women’s soccer (11-6-0) had a disappointing day in Ann Arbor, losing 3-1 to No. 3 seeded Michigan (12-4-3) Sunday afternoon in the Big Ten quarterfinals.

Michigan held a strong offensive presence through the match, earning both its goals in the first half and continuing through with over 20 shots.

After a late goal for the Nittany Lions and a shot at the equalizer, Michigan squashed Penn State’s ticket to the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament and ended its season with a third goal in the last minute of the match.

How It Happened

The Wolverines got an early start with multiple corner kicks and high hopes for a goal. In the ninth minute off a corner from Raleigh Loughman, Michigan’s Nicki Hernandez scored with a header into the back of the net, putting Michigan in the lead 1-0.

After the Michigan goal, the pace of the game slowed as Penn State tried to assess its strategy. The Nittany Lions held their line defensively but were not able to grab any good chances at moving the ball toward Michigan’s goal.

In the 20th minute, Michigan hit again as the ball was rushed from midfield by Hernandez. Loughman hit a rocket from the left side of the 18 with her left foot and scored. Kat Asman could not dive far enough to make the save, putting the Wolverines up 2-0.

Just after Loughman’s goal, Danielle Wolfe almost knocked another in for Michigan, but Penn State’s defense forced her shot out left.

22': Oh boy, it was nearly three.

Penn State needs to grab ahold of this game soon, or else it will go from bad to worse.

— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) October 31, 2021

Penn State lagged behind in the first half with four shots to Michigan’s twelve. Moving into the second half, the Nittany Lions were looking for matching goals to stay in the Big Ten tournament. However, Michigan stayed on the Nittany Lions’ half and played the offensive game.

In the 61st minute, Penn State had one of its better shots at a goal coming from Sam Coffey. Her shot was just shy of the goal as it skimmed right over the crossbar, leaving the Nittany Lions down 2-0.

With less than five minutes left in the match, the Nittany Lions earned a corner which was taken by Coffey. Off of Coffey’s pitch, Ally Schlegel bumped the ball past Michigan’s Hillary Beall.

Penn State was pressed for time to find an equalizer and was trying to get back, but its rush for a goal was met with the opposite of what the Nittany Lions wanted. With just 31 seconds left in the match, Michigan’s Kacey Lawrence found an empty box and tapped the ball into Penn State’s goal, winning the match 3-1 and advancing to the Big Ten semifinals.

Player Of The Match

Sam Coffey | Midfield

Coffey was the light of Penn State’s offensive line and was the player that pushed forward for the Nittany Lions. With four shots and one assist, Coffey’s attempts to make a comeback shouldn’t go unnoticed.

What’s Next

The Nittany Lions’ loss means Penn State will not advance to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament. There’s a slim chance Penn State makes the NCAA Tournament at this point.