After a two-hour lightning delay, Penn State women’s soccer (1-0-1) shut out Duquesne (1-1-0) 3-0 Sunday afternoon at Jeffrey Field.

Penn State had an incredible showing offensively with a total of 20 shots to the five made by the Dukes. Eleven corners set up the Nittany Lions to make killer shots, one of which ended up as a goal from Ally Schlegel.

Other goals by Payton Linnehan and Elle Kershner gave the Nittany Lions the 3-0 win.

How It Happened

The Nittany Lions yet again started with a lineup stacked with talent. Head coach Erica Dambach kept the powerhouses Kate Wiesner and Mieke Schiemann on her defensive line.

Our Starting XI vs. Duquesne!#WeAre pic.twitter.com/GPZMXwyqIA

— Penn State Women’s Soccer (@PennStateWSOC) August 21, 2022

Payton Linnehan landed Penn State’s first goal of the match in minute 11 of the match. Wiesner brought the ball up to the left post and chipped it over Duquesne’s defense to a wide-open Linnehan.

Penn State had a strong offensive showing and continuously overwhelmed Duquesne’s goal with shots and heavy pressure.

True freshman Amelia White was subbed in for Wiesner in the 22nd minute of the match. White proved to be an incredible asset to the Nittany Lions in their match earlier in the week against Georgetown with one of two goals scored in that one.

A corner kick for Penn State in the 27th minute eventually found Maddie Myers inside the 18. Myers took a shot but it went to Duquesne keeper Maddy Neundorfer’s hands.

In the 40th minute, White found Elle Kershner just left of goal with a rocket cross from the right sideline. Kershner’s shot found the back right of the net and landed the Nittany Lions a second goal, bringing the score to 2-0.

A few minutes later, Kershner had another shot on goal that Neundorfer saved off the tips of her fingers. Penn State pressure on the Dukes was building and was something Duquesne had to address as the first half concluded.

Just a few seconds into the second half, Wiesner took a corner kick that Cassie Hiatt was able to get a head off of. Ally Schlegel received the ball and bounced it into the goal off her chest, scoring a third goal for the Nittany Lions.

Riding the high of its three-goal lead, Penn State took advantage of its subs and gave the Nittany Lions an opportunity to test out the chemistry between different players and give Morgan Messner some time in goal.

Riding the high of its three-goal lead, Penn State used its subs to explore its chemistry in the offense. These substitutions led to several great shots on goal, however, none landed the point.

Duquesne swapped Neundorfer in goal for Savanna Keppy in the 73rd minute, and Keppy held up well against the Nittany Lions. She had four saves by the end of the match and denied Penn State several shots.

Takeaways:

• Payton Linnehan was an ever-threatening presence for Duquesne’s back line. Not only were her shots dangerous for the Dukes, she consistently fed balls to her teammates who had openings for potential goals.
• Dambach’s offensive players had an incredible game. They had chemistry that allowed them to build beautiful plays and keep constant pressure on the goal.
• Amelia White seems to be on the path to being the foundation of Penn State’s offense. The power behind her shots is a huge asset for the Nittany Lions and works well with their aggressive style of play.

What’s Next

The Nittany Lions will face West Virginia at home in Happy Valley on August 25. Kickoff is at 6 p.m., and the match will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.