Penn State women’s soccer (2-1-1) defeated Brown (2-1-0) 6-0 at Jeffrey Field on Sunday afternoon thanks to Nicole Crane’s hat trick. The redshirt freshman recorded the 26th hat trick in Penn State women’s soccer history.

The Nittany Lions dominated offensively against the Bears, scoring five or more goals for the second consecutive game. Erica Dambach’s team continued to catch momentum as Big Ten play creeps closer by the day.

Before kickoff, the program honored six seniors prior to the match. Lily Boyden, Mackenzie Gress, Kayleigh Herr, Paige Kalal, Molly Martin, and Kaelyn Wolfe were all recognized.

How It Happened

The game was very physical from very early on as both teams tried to get a feel for the game, with multiple fouls committed on both sides.

After a few balls that split through the Brown high line, a Penn State attacker was dragged down in the box. Upon further review, the call was made for a Penn State penalty kick. Bella Ayscue stepped up to the spot and struck home a composed shot under the outstretched arm of the keeper. The bottom left bullet put Penn State up 1-0 in the 27th minute.

Brown tried to inch back into the game over the following 15 minutes. The Nittany Lion defense seemed content with having everyone in their own half, inviting the pressure and seizing any opportunity to mount a counter attack.

In the 33rd minute, Dambach brought on redshirt freshman Nicole “Nikki” Crane. Olivia Robinson also joined her as a sub as Penn State looked for a second goal on the evening.

In the 38th minute, that opportunity arrived when Robinson found Crane waiting in the box. Crane positioned herself perfectly to receive the pass and took her opportunity well, notching in the second goal for the Nittany Lions.

The Nittany Lions continued to win every 50/50 ball and didn’t take their feet of the breaks. The match’s intensity was on full display as multiple players collided again and again on the pitch.

A lack of awareness from Brown led to dangerous set piece opportunities for Penn State, which it took advantage of right on the brink of halftime.

Following an erred foul from a Brown player, Penn State had a set piece from right in front of the dug out and touchline. Ayscue wrapped her right foot around the ball and sent into the Brown box.

Crane was the first to get her head to it, and her towering leap saw the ball float right over the goal keeper for her second goal on the night. The Nittany Lions would then take their 3-0 lead into halftime, with Crane having scored twice.

Early in the second half, the Nittany Lions won a corner kick and sent the ball to Ellie Kocher. A well-struck shot forced an impressive save out of the Brown keeper, but it was just an early glimpse of what was going to come later in the second half.

In the 54th minute, Aubrey Kulpa played Kocher a ball on the right wing after bouncing around the box. Kocher took it in stride and fired home a solid finish in the bottom left corner. Her first collegiate goal put the Nittany Lions up 4-0.

For around the next 30 minutes, Penn State played much more conservatively. Brown were able to get a feel for the game and looked composed in the midfield for the first time all game.

Over the span of the game, Brown was able to get off 11 shots on Penn State. The back line for the Nittany Lions limited clear chances, which made it hard for the Bears to find quality shots. Out of the 11 shots attempted, only five were on target.

Penn State’s keepers stepped up when required. Both freshman Lily Selvy and Senior Mackenzie Gress were called upon in between the sticks today for the Nittany Lions. After two saves and a clean sheet for 75 minutes, Gress was taken off for Selvy. Selvy saw out the rest of the game and added two saves to her box score on the afternoon.

In the 75th minute, Penn State’s offense caught fire. Sophomore defender Lilly Burger connected on Paige Pasinski’s corner and headed home the fifth goal of the afternoon for Penn State.

Marthe Hens fired a lofted through ball above the Brown back line after collecting it in midfield. A full-sprint Kaelyn Wolfe kept the ball from going out for a Brown goal kick.

Her efforts paid off, as she was able to turn and fire in a pass right into Crane’s path. The true freshman slotted her home her third goal of the night, giving her a hat trick on the day.

Crane’s hat trick-sealing goal was the final score for Penn State as it walked away with a 6-0 victory over Brown.

Takeaways

• The Nittany Lions outshot Brown 15-11.
• The Penn State defensive unit put on a show. The shutout victory was the second clean sheet in a row for the Nittany Lions. The blue and white back line made multiple key stops to hold on.
• The Penn State offense has outscored its opponents 11-0 in the past 180 minutes of play. The 6-0 victory today was the second game in a row with 3+ different goal scorers for Penn State.
• The Nittany Lions improved to an all-time record of 18-4-0 against Ivy League opponents.

What’s Next?

Penn State stays home to face Virginia Tech at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 3, at Jeffrey Field. Folks can tune in on Big Ten Plus.