Penn State women’s soccer (3-2-2, 2-1-0 Big Ten) defeated Big Ten rivals Maryland (3-4-1, 0-2-0) in College Park, Maryland, to earn their second conference win in a row.

Penn State controlled the game from the opening whistle, setting the tempo early on and creating chances while keeping Maryland under pressure. The Nittany Lions broke through for the opening goal, giving them an early lead and rewarding their strong attacking play. Maryland struggled to find an answer as Penn State continued to control possession and create opportunities.

A second goal came after a beautiful string of passes and doubled the lead with a composed finish. Maryland made a late push, but Penn State’s defense stood strong and closed out a convincing 2-0 victory.

How It Happened

Coming out of the gates early, Penn State fired four shots in the opening four minutes. The Nittany Lions started with possession and took a chance early in the first minute, with Paige Kalal testing the keeper early. The Penn State midfield kept control of the game, setting the tempo and an organized attack.

Following a corner, Paige Pasinski had two attempts on goal following a spell of creative play by the offense. The Nittany Lions looked extremely fluid and coordinated in their attack, always choosing the right balls to play. Pasinski, the Penn State freshman from Arizona, found herself in the right place over and over again, forcing a safe after save from the Maryland keeper.

Following a set piece in the 7th minute, Molly Martin had a beautiful chance squandered by a great save. Maryland then played the ball quickly on the counter for their first real chance of the night. Mackenzie Gress stood firm between the sticks and got her first save of the night. One more shot followed, but Gress was able to save it.

The game slowed down halfway through the first half; tough and physical defense by both teams led to multiple fouls and throw-ins. This game was the first time former Penn State forward Jolie Farmer has played against the Nittany Lions. The redshirt sophomore has emerged as Maryland’s top option for their attacks.

In the 26th minute, Paige Kalal took the ball and ran at the halfway line. Gliding through the midfield, she evaded multiple tackle attempts, and she crashed in towards the box. Kalal tucked the ball perfectly into the bottom right corner, inches away from the keeper’s fully extended arms. The Minnesota transfer earns her third goal in blue and white, her second game in a row with a goal.

Penn State head coach Erica Dambach brought fresh legs into the match twenty-five minutes in. Ellie Kocher replaced Aubrey Kulpa, while Nicole Crane entered for Anna Babcock. Kennedy Ring also came on for Paige Pasinski, and Kaelyn Wolfe replaced Molly Martin. The substitutions came at a time when both teams were struggling to string together possession and shots.

The Nittany Lions benefited from the substitutions. The midfield took control of the game and seemed to be able to win the ball back at will. Kayleigh Herr, Bella Ayscue, and Brooklyn Antonucci led the blue and white back line for 45 minutes straight, keeping the Terrapins from registering a shot for more than thirty-five minutes.

Opportunities kept coming for Penn State in the meantime. Faith Luckey was in goal for the Terrapins, and Penn State put her hard at work. In the 40th minute, she made two incredible back-to-back saves to keep Maryland from going down another goal.

The Nittany Lions seemed comfortable with inviting the Maryland offense to attack. Every clearance and hard tackle was celebrated by all Penn State players on the pitch and on the bench. The passion, defensive ability, and the ability to launch a dangerous counterattack all made for a nightmare matchup for the Terrapins.

Penn State seemed to be just a step ahead of Maryland throughout the game. With no answers to Penn State’s intensity, the score remained 1-0 heading into halftime.

With tactics changed, Maryland came out of the second half looking threatening, earning their first corner of the evening a few minutes into the second half. Penn State stood strong and launched a counter following a good clearance. With no clear-cut chance, the Nittany Lions settled for a corner.

A foul on Jordan Hannah gave a free kick opportunity outside the Maryland box following the corner. Unable to get their head on the cross, the ball bounced around before another corner opportunity.

More corners came for Penn State, four of them in a six-minute span, but the Terrapins defended well and kept the game at 1-0. Maryland were able to launch counterattacks following these corners, registering three shots on these counters. One shot forced a good save out of MacKenzie Gress, her third of the night.

Following more possession from Maryland, Penn State won a throw-in. Kayleigh Herr played an excellent through ball down the right wing to Lily Burger, who found Paige Kalal darting through the Terrapin midfield. With defenders drawn towards Kalal, Paige Pasinski snuck behind the defense and received the ball in the box. After taking a touch, she calmly slid the ball in the bottom left corner, making it 2-0 in favor of the Nittany Lions in the 62nd minute.

The Nittany Lions kept their feet on the gas after the second goal. Minutes after scoring, Penn State found themselves threatening the Terrapin goal yet again. Maryland defender Dani Gichner brought down a Nittany Lion in the box, and Penn State appealed for a foul. After review, the referees deemed it illegal contact in the box, leading to a penalty opportunity for Penn State.

Junior Aubrey Kulpa stepped up to the penalty spot, looking for her fourth goal of the season. The ball was struck with pace and velocity, heading towards the top left before it hit Faith Luckey’s glove. The Maryland keeper’s hands stayed strong, pushing the ball away for an eventual goal kick.

With frustrations and struggles mounting for the Maryland team, two yellow cards were given out in the 71st and 73rd minutes, two in the span of three minutes. The Nittany Lions dominated possession all evening, and it was clear it was taking a toll on the Terrapins. Anyone watching could tell from the Maryland body language that they had no answer on how to stop this Penn State team on the night.

Penn State continued to search for one last goal to put the game to bed. Following a corner, Lilly Burger’s bullet header curled towards the top right corner, forcing Faith Luckey to make another impressive stop.

Penn State coasted through the last thirty minutes of the game with ease, until a hard challenge in the box left Maryland calling for a penalty check. A review in the 87th minute from the referee saw no foul being committed, and Penn State were able to avoid a scary opportunity with a few minutes left in the game. From there, Penn State were able to close out the game and win their second conference game of the season.

Takeaways

• Paige Kalal continues her impressive run of form, scoring two goals in the past two games and adding an assist on the day.
• The Nittany Lions improve to 19-4 all-time against Maryland, their 13th win in a row, and still have never lost to the Terrapins since they joined the Big Ten in 2014.
• 10 of 11 shots from Penn State were on target, with multiple coming from their 7 corners.
• Penn State’s defense allowed only four shots on target in their clean sheet, their second clean sheet in a row.

What’s Next

Penn State will return home to host Iowa at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, at Jeffrey Field. The match will be “White Out” themed, and fans who can’t make it can follow the action on Big Ten Plus.