A 73rd minute go-ahead goal from captain Peter Mangione was the difference as the Nittany Lions gave Northwestern its first loss.
Penn State placed in the top 6% globally among 1,900 universities.
The Nittany Lions open conference play on the road at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 15, against Ohio State.
"Kris is maturing into one of the truly outstanding goalkeepers in the country." Cook said.
An 89th-minute Syracuse equalizer broke the hearts of all Nittany Lion fans Friday night at Jeffrey Field.
Junior Van Danielson scored the first goal of the 2023 season in the Nittany Lions' surprise tie.