Penn State women’s soccer (6-3-4, 4-2-2 Big Ten) fell to Washington (11-1-2, 6-1-1 Big Ten) 1-0 on a windy Sunday afternoon.

Washington’s offense was unstoppable. The Huskies never turned off their jets. Penn State attempted to fight back, but it wasn’t enough.

Both teams put up a physical battle to keep their respective unbeaten streaks alive, but only Washington kept it.

How It Happened

Washington got an early corner kick to start the game off, which allowed Mackenzie Gress to get her hands on the ball early.

Penn State countered and earned a corner kick just minutes into the game. Its offense battled to get a goal, but Washington’s defense stopped the Nittany Lions’ momentum and took the ball the other way.

The game started to get physical in the 22nd minute. Aubrey Kulpa and Anna Menti were talked to by the official due to some shoving while the Nittany Lions set up for a free kick.

Kulpa got a breakaway in the 26th minute, but Menti stopped her from getting a one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper.

Washington took the ball the other way to pressure Penn State’s back line. Gress made two saves to keep the Huskies off the board.

Ellie Kocher took off down the left side of the field to give Penn State an opportunity to put the ball in the back of the net. She crossed the ball into the box for Kaelyn Wolfe to get behind, but Tanner Ijams made the save.

Washington got the last possession of the first half. Taylor Thomas rifled a blistering shot on net that forced Gress to get high and redirect it over the crossbar.

The game was tied 0-0 at halftime.

Just two minutes into the second half, Lucy Newlin of Washington and Emma Johnson of Penn State received yellow cards. Newlin was fired up, getting into the faces of Penn State players after the foul that was called.

The Huskies came out with an offensive mind coming out of halftime. Jadyn Holdenried took a hard shot on net, but Gress made the save.

Wind gusts were up to 22 mph in the second half, creating a difficult atmosphere for Ijams to play against.

In the 55th minute, Washington’s hard work finally paid off. Alex Buck released a tough shot into the bottom left corner to get past Gress. She was assisted by Newlin.

Buck was hungry for another one. She took off, beat multiple Penn State defenders, and took another shot that soared just over the net.

Thomas was issued a yellow card in the 56th minute after a hard tackle.

Penn State’s Lily Boyden followed up with a shot of her own. She made it past Ijams, but was called offside.

Kayleigh Herr took down Buck in a rigorous one-on-one that sent the official to review the play. There was no foul called.

Washington came out on top with a 1-0 win.

Takeaways

• As the minutes went up, so did the aggression. Penn State and Washington put up a physical battle with their unbeaten streaks on the line.
• Washington’s Maya Loudd had a stand-out performance in the game. She read Penn State’s offense like a book and stopped many exciting chances. Loudd showcased her strength by winning countless balls back to change the possession of the game.
• Nittany Lion Lily Boyden was all over the field throughout the match.
• Alex Buck was Washington’s main threat who created chaos for Penn State’s defense. She battled and did not give up until the final whistle was blown.

What’s Next?

Penn State returns home to face Rutgers at 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 17. Folks can tune in on Big Ten Plus.