The Golden Gophers' explosive third period handed the Nittany Lions a crucial loss.
The Lady Lions' postseason future will be left to the NCAA Tournament committee.
"When we came here, we wanted to put the jersey back in a better place and put it back where Penn State belongs, which is back playing deep into March."
Penn State stayed in the NCAA Tournament conversation with the win.
Naeher tallied three penalty kick saves and a penalty kick conversion of her own to send the USWNT to the Gold Cup Championship.
John Kerr's match-high 21 kills were not enough to beat the Trojans in Los Angeles.