Penn State women’s soccer (8-1-1, 2-0 Big Ten) topped Northwestern (5-3-1, 0-2-0 Big Ten) 1-0 in Big Ten play Thursday night.

In a tight match, the Nittany Lions were able to play the majority of the 90 minutes on offense. They struggled to get shots on goal though, sending balls in the air that the Wildcats knocked down time and time again. Kaitlyn MacBean was the savior once more for the Nittany Lions, scoring the lone goal of the night coming right back from halftime.

How It Happened

The opening five minutes were all Penn State. Midfielder Jordan Fusco received the ball near goal, cutting back around her defender and sending a cross into the box which was hit out for a corner kick. Fusco won the ball from the corner with her shot streaking across the net but goalkeeper Reiley Fitzpatrick was able to hit it away.

The Nittany Lions won another corner kick in the 12th minute as Fusco sent a floater into the box but Northwestern cleared it back to Penn State’s half. Penn State came right back down to win back-to-back corners to reach four on the night. The ball fell right to Molly Martin outside the box who shot it at the goal but lacked the pace needed to score.

Northwestern got its first share of possession for the night after winning a free kick on its 28 and taking off downfield, breaking into Penn State’s box. Penn State intercepted and won the ball back but struggled to quickly get out of its half due to high Northwestern pressure.

Penn State sent off a slew of shots, attempting time and time again to send the ball high into the box but the Wildcats kept it filled, stopping any shots on goals from getting off.

In the 22nd minute, Fusco sent the ball to Natalie Wilson as she made her run into the box. Wilson had lots of space to work with and got off a strong shot from the right corner of the box but it was hit to the near side right at Fitzpatrick who was able to grab the shot.

The Wildcats got a breakaway in the 30th but were no match for Kayleigh Herr, who slide-tackled the attacker, giving away a throw-in but clearing the threat. Northwestern sent a ball high into the box but it fell right to goalie Amanda Poorbaugh. Poorbaugh sent it out but Northwestern stepped in front, getting off another shot through Penn State’s tight defense but it was denied once more.

The Nittany Lions continued to search for their breakthrough, dominating possession but not finding that final piece in the puzzle. The Wildcats had another threatening chance but Herr was able to block out the attacker, narrowly getting enough of the ball to pass back to Poorbaugh who kicked it out of bounds near Penn State’s 40 to reset.

With under five minutes to play, Penn State won the ball back in its half and sent it down to Olivia Borgen who was sprinting towards the 18. Borgen won the ball and got around her first defender but stumbled and the ball was just far enough away for Fitzpatrick to slide in and steal it before the shot got off.

The Wildcats went on offense to close the half, winning their second corner of the night. The header went over the crossbar and Penn State took its time to run down the minute left on the clock and go into halftime tied 0-0.

It didn’t take long into the second half for the Nittany Lions to finally find their breakthrough. Fusco sent a through ball for Kaitlyn MacBean who only needed one touch to get around her defender and smash the ball into the bottom center of the goal to put Penn State up 1-0 in the 49th minute.

Goal No. on the season for Kaitlyn MacBean

She gives @PennStateWSOC the lead #B1GWSoccer on @BigTenPlus pic.twitter.com/ovaBROVier

— Big Ten Soccer (@B1GSoccer) September 20, 2024

Penn State was close to making it 2-0 in the 57th as Amelia White sent another ball onto MacBean’s run but her shot was just inches wide of the goal.

Northwestern had its first chance of the second half as an attacker split through Penn State’s defense and Poorbaugh rushed to the top of the box, leaving an open net. The goalie got there first, sliding to clear the ball before rushing back to her spot on the line as another shot came in but was off target.

The chance didn’t throw off the Nittany Lions as they went right back on the attack. Julia Raich found room at the very top of the box and hit an absolute rocket at goal but was denied by the post.

Penn State won a corner kick in the 73rd minute after Raich squared the ball near the penalty box for MacBean whose shot was hit out by Fitzpatrick. It sent the ball back into the box through the corner kick but the high ball couldn’t cut through.

MacBean was so close again to a brace for the night as her strong shot in the 79th hit off the crossbar. Wilson was able to grab the rebound and hit the back of the net but it was waived for offsides.

Northwestern did all it could in the final ten minutes to search for an equalizer. It brought down Olivia Damico during a potential fast break, picking up a yellow card and giving a free kick to Penn State.

The Wildcat won a last-minute corner kick after Herr had a risky dive to intercept a shot and send it flying over the crossbar instead. Defender Mieke Schiemann was there for Penn State to head the ball out but a fight for possession continued.

The Wildcats won a free kick near half with under 90 seconds to play, sending it towards the box but Penn State dropped deep and continued to clear the ball upfield, not allowing a breakthrough.

The Nittany Lions never wavered and were able to maintain the lead and come out on top, 1-0.

Takeaways

• Penn State had a good first half, not really giving anything away. But it wasn’t necessarily winning anything either. While it dominated possession and tempo, it only managed one shot on goal in the opening 45 compared to Northwestern’s two.
• Kaitlyn MacBean has been a monumental player so far this season for the Nittany Lions. She recorded her 10th game of the year tonight, totaling 10 goals and one assist.
• Penn State tried time and time again to send the ball high into the box and score but Northwestern’s defense was staying strong and marked aggressively. It took the Nittany Lions a while to change their system, as the only goal of the game came right after half through a leading pass for MacBean. It focused on these crosses for the majority of the game and it shows as it only managed four shots on goal throughout the 90 minutes.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will stay in Happy Valley to take on Michigan State in a White Out game. The game will take place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 22, at Jeffrey Field.