With an impressive 6-2 overall record so far this season, No. 25 Penn State prepares to take on No. 14 Princeton.

After a surprisingly successful start to their season, the Nittany Lions' winning streak was finally broken when they fell to No. 8 Loyola last Saturday and again to Vanderbilt last Wednesday.

While these were disappointing losses for the team, they do not diminish the fact that Penn State was the last undefeated team in the Big Ten and one of only 13 unbeaten teams left in the nation.

Although the team fell behind in scoring, Penn State still managed to win the majority of draw-control battles in both games and even outshot Vanderbilt 33-22.

The Nittany Lions did not dwell on this minor setback long, as they immediately went on to take down No. 17 Rutgers in their first Big 10 matchup of the season.

Kristin O’Neill single-handedly contributed five goals to this 9-7 victory, earning her fifth hat trick of the season and upping her scoring streak to 11 games.

The Lions also caused 16 Rutgers turnovers and outshot the Scarlet Knights 29-10. Penn State’s conference record now sits at 1-0 while Rutgers falls to 0-1.

The Nittany Lions earned another exciting win on Tuesday when they defeated Towson 13-12. The winning goal came with just 45 seconds left on the clock and was the product of two Nealon sisters, Regan and Kara, connecting to put the ball in the back of the net.

This type of determination and offensive play is exactly what the team will need to be successful against Princeton this Saturday.

The Princeton Tigers are currently sitting at an overall record of 3-2 and a conference record of 0-1. They fell to Virginia 11-20 in their season opener after they were unable to hold their early lead, but found success in their following two games against Temple and Rutgers.

The Tigers lost to No. 22 Yale 10-15 in their first conference matchup of the season, but made a quick turnaround and defeated No. 20 USC 11-8.

Sophomore Mckenzie Blake has been a key component of the Tigers’ offense. She has scored in every game so far and currently leads the team with 16 goals.

Trailing right behind her are Jami MacDonald and Kari Buonanno, who also have goal tallies in the double digits along with five assists apiece.

All three of these players have proven themselves in the offensive zone and should be kept under close watch by the Nittany Lions' defense.

The last time these two teams went head-to-head, Princeton escaped with a narrow 11-12 victory. Considering the talent of both teams this season, players, coaches, and fans should prepare for another intense, well-fought game.

The game will take place at Noon this Saturday in Princeton, New Jersey.

Anna Licastro is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email arl5942@psu.edu.