For the 17th straight year, Penn State women’s soccer is on to round two of the NCAA tournament.

After a shaky regular season, the Nittany Lions started strong in the first round, dominating the Army Black Knights 3-0. In round two, the No. 8 seed Nittany Lions will face the No. 1 seed Virginia Cavaliers at 6 p.m. on Thursday, November 20, at Klöckner Stadium in Charlottesville.

Against Army, Penn State dominated both sides of the ball throughout the game. The offense scored two goals on 13 shots in the first half and added another score in the second. Meanwhile, the defense did not allow the Black Knights a single shot for the first 40 minutes of play and held steady to shut out the usually strong Army offense.

Penn State made it through a tough opponent in round one, but an even bigger test awaits in Charlottesville. Virginia is coming off a 5-0 win over High Point to open its NCAA playoff run. The Cavaliers had a 12-2-3 regular season and a second-round exit in the ACC Tournament.

Penn State has already faced Virginia once this season. In early September, the Nittany Lions fell to the Cavaliers 1-0. The only goal came in just the second minute of play. Despite the previous defeat, the players are confident in their team.

After the first-round win, graduate forward Kaitlyn MacBean, who scored Penn State’s first goal against Army, talked about the team’s approach to each game.

“I think we talk a lot about preparing for every team the same way. And so I think that’s exciting, because we’re playing really good soccer right now,” MacBean said. “We’re gonna come out and play Penn State soccer, and so we’re not necessarily focusing on who’s on the other side of the field, but we’re focusing on us.”

Senior forward Amelia White, who scored the second Nittany Lion goal against the Black Knights, commented on the team’s mentality heading into round two.

“I agree with what [MacBean] is saying. I also think there’s a different vibe coming into a game, kind of being looked at as the underdog, and I think that fuels us as a team. So, it’s really exciting to see,” White said.

The last time that a No. 8 seed took down a No. 1 seed was just last year, when Vanderbilt defeated Florida State. Vanderbilt would fall in the next round to the No. 4 seed Nittany Lions. Coach Erica Dambach knows what her team has to do to pull off the upset.

“I think the nice thing is, we’ve been to Charlottesville. We’ve played them this year. We know exactly what to expect,” Dambach said. “They know what to expect of us, but I think we were a little timid to start that game off. And I don’t think this team is going to be timid come this Thursday. Make the mentality that [MacBean and White] are gonna drive us. And I do think that that’s going to be a big shift from earlier in the season that will fuel us.”

There was nothing timid about how Penn State played against Army. They struck quickly and hit hard, scoring two goals against the Patriot League champions in the first 20 minutes. If they can repeat that fast start against Virginia, the Nittany Lions will be set up nicely to advance to the Sweet 16 for the ninth year in a row. If they make it, they may have a rematch with another familiar face, No. 4 seed Washington.

The path to a second NCAA title has been difficult for Penn State, and it will not get any easier. At No. 8, the program is seeded as low as it has been since 2016. In the history of women’s college soccer, a No. 8 seed has never won the NCAA Tournament. The Nittany Lions already faced a conference champion and will now have to pull off upset after upset on their way to the top. Even with all the obstacles in the way, Dambach is confident that her team has what it takes.

“I love being an underdog. I don’t care what- the two numbers? If you’re the higher one, look out. That’s a situation that I don’t mind our team in whatsoever, because they perform well in those scenarios.”