Penn State Women’s Soccer Takes On Nebraska and Iowa For Their Final Games of The Regular Season
Penn State women’s soccer is back on a hot streak with three Big Ten shutout victories in a row. The Nittany Lions took down Maryland, Wisconsin and Michigan, improving their overall record to 10-3-2 and putting the team at No. 24 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll rankings.
The blue and white defense, and of course goalkeeper Katherine Asman, have done a stellar job of keeping the ball out of the net. With eight shutouts under their belt this season, the oftentimes overlooked defensive line has been absolutely crucial to the success of the team. It will be necessary for them to stay consistent and keep up the fight heading into these last two regular season games.
In addition, Penn State’s offense seems to have gotten its groove back. After a mid-season lull of low-scoring games and two tough Big Ten losses, the Nittany Lions have managed to put away eight goals in their last three games and are looking to finish an even larger percent of their scoring chances this week.
This Thursday, the Nittany Lions travel to Nebraska to take on the Huskers, who currently sit at 6-5-5 overall and 4-2-2 in the conference. After a tough 0-4 loss against Iowa, they’ll no doubt want to earn some points and improve their record.
Although the Cornhuskers have had a less consistent season than the Nittany Lions, they should not be underestimated. On the attacking end, sophomore midfielder Sarah Webber is leading the team with eight goals and three assists. The Nittany Lions defense will need to maintain an organized back line in order to keep her at bay.
On the defensive end, although they haven’t been perfect this season, Nebraska’s back line as well as goalkeeper Aubrei Corder have had their shining moments, managing to shut out Tulsa, Minnesota, Michigan and Indiana. That being said, they will likely need an outstanding performance against Penn State forwards Allie Schlegel and Penelope Hocking, who have a combined total of 12 goals this season, as well as the rest of their offensive line. Penn State currently leads the all-time series against Nebraska 6-2-2.
The Nittany Lions face off against the Huskers in Nebraska this Thursday at 8 p.m.
Looking ahead to Sunday, the Nittany Lions take on the Iowa Hawkeyes for their last game of the regular season. The Hawkeyes have had a less-successful record this season, currently sitting at 4-6-6 overall and 1-3-4 in the conference.
Despite the majority of their games ending in losses or ties, when the Hawkeyes do win, they win big. Just last Sunday, they captured a 4-0 victory over Penn State’s upcoming opponent, Nebraska. So far this season, they’ve scored 23 goals and have a variety of high scoring players scattered throughout their midfield and offense.
That being said, based on their performance in their last three games, the Nittany Lions should have no problem handling the Hawkeyes defensively. If they can keep up the excellent passing and communication that they’ve shown, they could be looking at yet another shutout. Penn State currently leads the all-time series against Iowa 26-3-0.
The Nittany Lions face off against the Hawkeyes in Iowa this Sunday at 1 p.m.
Anna Licastro is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email arl5942@psu.edu.
