No. 4-seeded Penn State women’s soccer (14-6-3, 5-4-2 Big Ten) outlasted No. 5-seeded TCU (17-3-3, 9-0-2 Big 12) 1-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday afternoon in Tallahassee.

The opening half was exactly as head coach Erica Dambach predicted, boring. Neither team had a shot on goal until the 27th minute when TCU found an opening. TCU struggled initially to break down the Nittany Lions formation, but as it found ways through the overload, the Horned Frogs’ wing play picked up.

At the halftime break, it was still 0-0, TCU had four shots on goal while Penn State had none.

In the second half, Penn State was on a mission and scored twice on similar chances in the first two minutes. The first goal was ruled offsides, but Kaitlyn MacBean’s second goal stood. The Nittany Lions, with the lead, played stellar defense for the remaining time and the match finished still 1-0.

How It Happened

From the start, it was clear that Penn State and TCU were high-quality teams. A very open game in the opening minutes resulted in chances for both teams. Both coaches preferred to see the majority of the ball as the battle for possession started from the opening kick-off.

MacBean started the chances when she got her head on an early cross but could not bring the ball on target. TCU found its success early down the left side of the attack. There weren’t great shots for either team, though, through the first 10 minutes.

As the half went on, the Nittany Lions looked the better side and saw more of the ball. TCU struggled to get the ball over the halfway line due to Penn State’s width. The Horned Frogs have made a living this season through its wing play but were not used to the 3-5-2 the Nittany Lions utilized.

This trend changed at the midway point of the first half. Between the 20th and the 30th minutes, TCU had a few chances. The first shot on goal, though, did not come until the 27th minute when the Horned Frogs had two in a minute. Mackenzie Gress controlled both easily.

The remainder of the half was more of the same. Penn State had moved to the long ball offensively, trying to play Aubrey Kulpa in behind. None of the balls found its target, and Penn State finished the half with just two shots, none on net.

Both sides went into the break without an opening goal.

With the first half behind them, Penn State came out of the gates flying in the second. MacBean found space just outside of the box. Bella Ayscue found her on a nice through ball and MacBean slotted it past the TCU keeper.

The goal went to a lengthy video review for offsides, though, and it was ruled no goal. Thirty seconds later, MacBean got another chance on a similar play and scored again. This time the assist was from Jordan Fusco.

This goal also went to review, but the goal stood, and Penn State took a 1-0 lead in the 46th minute.

Kaitlyn MacBean and @PennStateWSOC have come out on fire in the second half!

: @ESPNPlus x #B1GWSoccer pic.twitter.com/2RN3XojRD4

— Big Ten Soccer (@B1GSoccer) November 22, 2024

In the 52nd minute, Morgan Brown fouled Rowan Lapi, who went down. Lapi took a little bit to get up but was fine and stayed in the game. The subsequent freekick almost found Mieke Schiemann in the box. In the end, TCU held strong defensively and cleared the ball.

With 30 minutes remaining in the game, Caroline Kelly was on a breakaway on the right side of the field. Ginger Fontenot sprinted back into position and made a diving block resulting in a corner. What looked to be a sure goal was parried away in a huge effort play.

GINGER FONTENOT WITH AN UNREAL BLOCK.

2H | 58:51 | PSU 1, TCU 0
Watch Live on ESPN+#WeAre | #PSWS pic.twitter.com/p3pOy8zHQZ

— Penn State Women’s Soccer (@PennStateWSOC) November 22, 2024

As time started to run down, TCU started to apply the pressure. Penn State’s defense did a good job not giving the Horned Frogs any space. The Nittany Lions finally got a rest and took control of the ball due to the first yellow card of the game in the 68th minute.

TCU’s best chance of the match came with 19 minutes to play. Seven Castain found herself wide open in the six-yard box but missed the left wide. Gress made herself big and took away a lot of the easy angles.

Two minutes later, Gress went down with an apparent cramp. Trainers helped stretch her right leg out and she was back up to finish the game.

With a little over 10 minutes to go, the Nittany Lions started to waste time and utilize their depth to get through the game. Constant subs and taking the ball to the TCU corners wasted enough time to see out the 1-0 victory.

Takeaways

• Kaelyn Wolfe was the sub of the game. Her effort every time she is on the pitch is contagious and today was no different. Wolfe dominated the left side defensively to see the narrow lead out.
• MacBean continues to be one of the best finishers in the country. Penn State had just one shot on goal to TCU’s four, but MacBean took advantage of it.
• Lapi and Schiemann both deserve huge credit for the win. Lapi shut down the Big 12 Midfielder of the Year and helped create the Penn State goal. Schiemann shut down the Big 12 Player of the Year and was a rock on the back line.

What’s Next?

Penn State moves to the third round, where it will play the winner of the No. 1-seeded Florida State and No. 8-seeded Vanderbilt. The third round is set for 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 23, in Tallahassee.