Northwestern University Athletics
Thursday, September 23
University Park, Pa.
6 p.m. CT
Northwestern
at
#12 Penn State
'Cats Face Stern Test at No. 12 Penn State
9/22/2021 2:52:00 PM | Women's Soccer
| 2021 NORTHWESTERN WOMEN'S SOCCER | |||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME (CT) | LOCATION | WATCH | LIVE STATS |
| Thursday, Sept. 23 | #12 Penn State | 6 p.m. CT | Jeffrey Field University Park, Pa. |
B1G+ | Sidearm |
| Social: Twitter (@NUWSoccer) | Instagram (@NUWSoccer) | |||||
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern faces its second Top 25 opponent on the season on Thursday night when it takes on No. 12 Penn State in Happy Valley. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT form Jeffrey Field and will be streamed on B1G+.
The Wildcats are 4-4 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten after dropping the opener to Iowa, 2-1, on the road Sunday. Sophomore forward Ingrid Falls scored her second goal of the season to take the lead in the 61st minute on an assist from Rowan Lapi. Senior goalkeeper Mackenzie Wood saved a penalty kick in the 79th minute as well.
Penn State owns a 6-2 record, but also is 0-1 in Big Ten play after falling to a ranked Rutgers side in their conference opener. The Nittany Lions are 2-2 against ranked opponents with wins over then-No. 13 West Virginia and then-No. 3 Virgina.
The Nittany Lions are No. 1 in the country in RPI and have the toughest strength of schedule in the country.
With their contributions on Sunday, Falls and Lapi are the fifth and sixth Wildcats to register multiple goal contributions this season. The Wildcats are averaging 1.6 goals per game and the offense is led by Josie Aulicino, who has four goals and six assists.
Aulicino scored last year against Penn State in a 3-1 defeat at Ryan Fieldhouse. The first goal of her career came on a 30-yard thunderbolt to tie the match at 1-1 in the first half.
Multiple current Wildcats have made big contributions against the Nittany Lions in the past. Graduate midfielder Regan Steigleder scored on the road in 2019 in the second half to make it a 2-1 game and Wood made six saves in a 1-0 shutout at Martin Stadium in 2018. Graduate forward Nia Harris famously scored a first half goal in the 2017 Big Ten Tournament Championship to take a 1-0 lead, moments before the match was moved indoors on a stormy afternoon in Grand Park, Indiana.
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