It’s no easy task to dominate an NCAA Tournament game from start to finish, but that’s exactly what Penn State women’s soccer did against Quinnipiac on Sunday afternoon.
After defeating the Bobcats 4-1 in the first-round contest, the Blue and White are set to host West Virginia in the second round at Jeffrey Field on Friday.
Penn State controlled the pace of the game early on, but was unable to connect passes consistently in the offensive zone over the first 15 minutes. But finally the Nittany Lions started breaking through and started to put some serious pressure on their opponents.
In the 21st minute, senior forward Peyton Linehan fired the first of three shots in a one-minute blistering run. Despite going empty, Linehan’s aggressiveness paid off for the unit when he collected an assist on senior midfielder Kate Weisner’s goal to give Penn State a 1–0 lead in the 23rd minute. rice field.
After choking the Bobcats for most of the first 45 games, redshirt senior goaltender Katherine Asman faced just one shot in the frame.
Head coach Erika Dambach praised the starting goaltender following her team’s victory on Sunday.
“She has a big voice. She rules the moment,” said Dambach. “She understands the flow of the game, which is a great characteristic of an experienced goalkeeper. They know when they are big and when they can play under them. will give you.”
But in a moment of weakness, a crack appeared in Penn State’s defense in front of Assman.
Moving the first-half kickoff into the attacking zone, Quinnipiac advanced the ball into the box before Mieke Seeman ricocheted it before dropping the slow-moving ball to Marcella Beirelli. .
Shortly after the start of the second half, the Bobcats returned to the game without any offensive success.
Minutes later, Penn State dismissed senior redshirt star Ally Schlegel. It’s not uncommon for a team’s top goalscorer to sub in and sub out from time to time, but Schlegel didn’t see the field for the rest of the match, which Dambach called a procedural move.
Without their go-to players on the pitch, the blue and white quickly reacted to the Bobcats’ goal, with a super-aggressive Linehan giving the team a 2–1 lead.
Arguably the game’s most commanding player, Linnehan’s 50-minute record opened the floodgates for a side that scored three goals in the second half.
“There was no question that Peyton would answer,” Dambach said.
After the second goal, Penn State returned to dominant fashion, beating the Bobcats 12-3 to make the game total 25-4. Veteran forward Penelope, who also recorded two assists for his hocking and defender Cori his Dyke goal, Nittany underscored that it was an easy win for the Lions.
In addition to their attacking dominance, Dambach’s team shut out the nation’s top goalscorer in Quinnipiac Jr. Rebecca Cook. Cook, who appeared in the match and scored a staggering 22 goals for her, in the entire match she scored only one shot and her most notable stat was her yellow card in the first half.
“We knew that if we gave her an inch, she was going to fill an inch,” says Dambach. “Her spirit, her drive to keep going, was amazing and inspiring.”
With Cook unable to make his usual big impact, the Bobcats stagnated on offense, scoring only three total corner kicks compared to Penn State’s nine and shooting a dismal four. There was no
For the Nittany Lions, the resulting 4-1 win not only serves as proof that they can win as the stakes climb, but it’s also a compelling win when things are clicking on all cylinders. in a way.
Penn State’s next game is another home match in the NCAA Tournament. This time, he will face a West Virginia unit that he won 2–0 early in the campaign. The game is scheduled for Friday at 4:30pm.
“This was the first step on my first journey to the national championships, so I feel really good,” said Rinnehan.
