No. 8 Penn State women’s soccer (5-2-1, 1-0 Big Ten) shut out Maryland (4-4), 4-0 on Thursday night at Jeffrey Field. This was the first Big Ten game of the season for the Nittany Lions.

How It Happened

Penn State started on possession with a shot from Julia Raich, which was blocked by Maryland’s goalie Faith Luckey. The attempted goal went under official review and was ruled as not completed. After a couple of minutes of play, the Nittany Lions had a slew of attacks.

The Nittany Lions found their groove in the 8th minute with a goal by Amelia White, assisted by Aubrey Kulpa, as White took her open shot and tapped the ball into the bottom right corner. Thirty seconds later, a goal from Kulpa, assisted by Hannah Jordan, kept the momentum going for the team.

In the next few minutes of play, Penn State had three shot attempts from Lilly Burger, Kulpa, and Riley Gleason, none of which hit the mark. Maryland struggled to keep possession, which allowed Penn State to be aggressive around the goal.

Jordan picked up a foul in the 24th minute, giving a free kick to Maryland’s McKinley Heaven. Heaven missed the kick, keeping Maryland scoreless up to that point.

In the 31st minute, a foul was given to Molly Martin, with Heaven getting another free kick, which she missed.

Riley Cross had an attempt for the Nittany Lions in the 32nd minute, but didn’t hit the target. Maryland then blocked a shot from Olivia Borgen in the 34th minute.

Late in the first half, the Terrapins had a few minutes of straight attack, including a shot attempt from Eva Mowery. The Nittany Lions bounced back with Jolie Farmer pushing the ball down the field in an aggressive score attempt.

The first half ended with the Nittany Lions in the lead, 2-0.

Penn State started the second half strong with a goal from Kaitlyn MacBean. MacBean took a strong shot and scored above Luckey’s head in the top left, with Kulpa adding another assist on the day. Two minutes later, Penn State hit the ball into the box, which fell towards the penalty spot. MacBean came out of the scramble with yet another goal, tallying a second point for the Nittany Lions in the half.

Maryland continued to struggle offensively, with Heaven getting past goalie Mackenzie Gress, but had a wide-open shot go off-target in the 58th minute. Four minutes later, Penn State’s Kennedy Ring had an off-target shot, as well.

Amanda Poorbaugh came in for Gress, catching an airborne shot from Maryland’s Ellie Egeland and keeping the energy up for the Nittany Lions in the 67th minute.

In the 75th minute, Cross attempted to put Penn State on the scoreboard again, but her shot was off-target.

Two fouls were called on Penn State’s Kieryn Jeter and Dikte Bang in the 84th minute, and free kicks were awarded.

The match ended with Penn State shutting out Maryland, 4-0.

Takeaways

• The Nittany Lions had a strong first half, taking 19 shots compared to Maryland’s three. This set the tone for the rest of the game, making Penn State’s offensive presence well-known. The Terrapins’ struggle against the dominant offense continued into the second half.
• Kaitlyn MacBean opened the second half with energy, scoring two goals within the first five minutes. This let the Nittany Lions keep the momentum going and not slow down in the last forty-five minutes of gameplay.
• Penn State’s speed wore down the Terrapins throughout the entire game, but especially in the second half. Maryland’s frustrations influenced several off-target shots and led to the team’s scoreless game.

What’s Next?

Penn State will face Nebraska at Jeffrey Field on Thursday, September 18, at 6 p.m. The game will be streamed on BTN+.