No. 12 Penn State women’s soccer (3-1-0) defeated West Virginia (2-2-0) 3-1 on a rainy Thursday afternoon in Happy Valley.  

West Virginia utilized a high line to start the game which kept the Nittany Lions from looking their confident selves to start. Penn State eventually found its footing, though, and Kaitlyn MacBean scored two goals in quick succession.

The MacBean domination continued in the second half as she scored just nine minutes in, completing the hat trick. This was more than enough to get the win despite a late West Virginia goal.

How It Happened

Mieke Schiemann was back in the starting lineup for the Nittany Lions after having a boot on in the last match on Sunday.  

Unlike the first three matches of the season, West Virginia looked like the more comfortable side early on. Penn State didn’t press as hard as it had during the season which gave the Mountaineers more time on the ball.  

The added time helped create the first chance of the game as the Mountaineer’s point leader, Taylor White, was left one-on-one with Amanda Poorbaugh. White couldn’t make solid contact with the ball, though, and it trickled wide.  

The Mountaineers had a multitude of chances to open the scoring in the first ten minutes, but a goal-line clearance from Schiemann kept the score locked at zero.  

In the 11th minute, the Nittany Lions had their first opportunity after a long Jordan Fusco run that ended with a pass to Natalie Wilson on the edge of the box. Wilson took a quick shot and just missed high, hitting the crossbar.  

Penn State seemed to wake up after the near miss and had a few more chances until it finally found the back of the net in the 15th minute. Fusco played a perfect ball and beat three Mountaineer defenders onto the foot of Kaitlyn MacBean who placed the ball into the bottom left corner.  

The referee went to the video board to check for offsides, but the goal stood and the Nittany Lions took a 1-0 lead.  

Eight minutes later, MacBean found another goal to give Penn State a two-goal lead. The forward found space in the box and showed off her weak foot this time as she found the bottom right corner. This was MacBean’s fifth goal in just four matches this season.  

With 15 minutes left in the first half, Erica Dambach made five substitutions including Rebecca Cooke, who left the first game of the season with an injury.  

As the first half ticked down, the Mountaineers had lost all the momentum they had at the start of the game and Penn State dominated possession of the ball.  

The first half ended with the Nittany Lions up 2-0.  

The dark clouds started to roll in during halftime, with the sky almost fully covered by the time the second half began.  

Despite the difference in weather, the half started much the same. The Mountaineers saw much of the ball in the first five minutes, creating multiple chances to cut the Penn State lead in half, but the Nittany Lions held strong.  

By the tenth minute, Penn State found its footing and controlled possession of the ball. This led to yet another MacBean goal, this one off the crossbar and in, which gave the Nittany Lions a three-goal lead.  

As the time wore down in the match, Penn State took over. The Nittany Lions took the sting out of the game and held onto the ball as much as they could.  

With 17 minutes remaining in the match, both sides made ample substitutions. West Virginia’s players were visibly frustrated with Penn State’s lead and started fouling at a much higher rate.  

The Nittany Lions, though, remained disciplined and saw the game out as West Virginia did not score until the last minute.

Takeaways

• MacBean has been exceptional for the Nittany Lions this year and continued her impressive play in this one. The forward became Penn State’s 25th player to score a hat trick on a night where she also tied the second-highest goal-scoring streak in Nittany Lion history at seven.
• Fusco once again proved that she is one of the nation’s top playmakers. Every time she picks the ball up in the midfield Fusco is looking to push the ball forward and send in through balls to the players in front of her. The Tennessee transfer’s assist on the match’s first goal was phenomenal.
• Poorbaugh may have had some question marks filling in for Mackenzie Gress, but she has more than answered them in the past few matches. The junior not only is a good shot-stopper, but her confidence on the ball has been a difference-maker.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will play their first away game of the 2024 season at No. 19 Saint Louis. The match is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 1, and will be streamed on ESPN+.