UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 14 Penn State women's soccer team (16-5-1) takes on the No. 18, and third-seeded, South Carolina Gamecocks (14-5-1) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, Nov. 16, at 3 p.m. The match is hosted by West Virginia at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
FOLLOW ALONG
A free live stream and live stats will be provided by wvusports.com.
ATTENDING THE MATCH
Fans can purchase tickets at WVUGAME.com. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for students and youth and $3 for groups of 10 or more.
To provide a safer environment for Mountaineer fans and to expedite entry into all ticket WVU athletic events, the West Virginia Department of Intercollegiate Athletics enforces the NFL's Clear Bag Policy. The athletic department invites and encourages fans to visit WVUsports.com/clearbag for more information, to view pictures of permissible and non-permissible items and to obtain answers to frequently asked questions about the clear bag policy.
LOOKING AT SOUTH CAROLINA
The No. 18, and third-seeded, South Carolina Gamecocks enter the second round of the NCAA Tournament following a 3-1 win over UNC Greensboro.
On the year, the Gamecocks sport an overall record of 14-5-1 and in SEC play they went 6-3-1.
The Gamecocks and Nittany Lions have one common opponent in Wake Forest. On Sept. 6, then-No. 19 South Carolina topped Wake Forest, 2-0, at home.
Offensively for South Carolina, Lauren Chang leads the team in goals (eight) and points (18). Along with Chang, two other Gamecocks have tallied at least 11 points.
In net, Mikayla Krzeczowski has played all but 109:28 on the year. In 2018, Krzeczowski has a record of 14-5-1, made 43 saves, has a save percentage of .796, has a goals-against average of 0.57, and has posted nine solo shutouts.
PENN STATE VS. SOUTH CAROLINA
Friday's match marks the first meeting between the two programs.
BREAKOUT SEASONS
Heading into the 2018 season, the trio of Kerry Abello, Shea Moyer, and Kristin Schnurr had a combined one point. In 2018, the trio have tallied 48 points.
Prior to the South Carolina match, Abello has 19 points, Schnurr has 17 points, and Moyer has 12 points.
STRIKE FIRST
Penn State has been very successful when scoring the first goal over the past few seasons. When scoring first, Penn State is 109-3-5 since the start of the 2012 season.
SECOND HALF TEAM
Halftime adjustments have paid dividends for the Nittany Lions in 2018.
Offensively, Penn State has scored 26 goals in the second half of regulation compared to 14 goals in the first half. Additionally, Penn State has recorded 173 shots in the final 45 minutes of regulation compared to 170 shots in the first 45 minutes.
Defensively, Penn State has allowed 11 goals during the first half of play, while it has allowed only one goal in the second half of regulation.
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The 2018 NCAA Tournament marks the 24th consecutive appearance for the Nittany Lions.
Overall, Penn State owns a record of 51-21-2 in the NCAA Tournament. Heading into 2018, Penn State has advanced to the quarterfinals in three of the past four seasons (2014, '15 & '17).
PROTECTING THE NET
Since the start of the 2014 season, Penn State goalkeepers have combined for 58 shutouts.
TOP OFFENSE
The Nittany Lions boast one of the top offenses in the nation over the past few seasons.
Heading into the South Carolina match, Penn State has scored 447 goals since the start of the 2011 season, which ranks third in the nation. Virginia leads the nation in goals scored since the start of 2011 with 503 followed by Stanford with 464 (Stats courtesy of the Virginia Sports Information Office).
CLOSE CONTESTS
Penn State has played 13 one-goal games in 2018. The Nittany Lions have gone 8-5 in those matches, which includes a pair of 2-1 overtime wins.
UP NEXT
The winner of Penn State/South Carolina will play the winner of Wake Forest/West Virginia on Sunday, Nov. 18, at 3 p.m. at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.