MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Coming off a 4-1 victory against Bowling Green, No. 14 Penn State will now travel to Morgantown, West Virginia, as it takes on No. 18, and third-seeded, South Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, Nov. 16, at 3 p.m.
Here is a breakdown of the Nittany Lions' next matchup and potential opponents this weekend.
No. 18 South Carolina (14-5-1) – Defeated UNC Greensboro 3-1 in the first round.
For Penn State, South Carolina and its stout defense is up next. However, beating the third-seeded Gamecocks, a team that finished 6-3-1 in a tough Southeastern Conference, will be no small task for the Nittany Lions.
"They are stingy defensively," Dambach said of her opponent. "That is a team that takes great pride in the ability to keep team's off the score sheet and are really committed to it all the way through their front 11. They'll be tough to break down."
"They do have a very stingy defense," senior midfielder Marissa Sheva reiterated. "We're just going to have to bring a lot of mobility. We're going to have to bring our best attack. It's going to be really important that we're on our A-game on Friday."
A big part of the Gamecocks' strong back line is junior defender Grace Fisk, a former Penn Stater and member of the 2016 Nittany Lions, who was this year's recipient of the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year award. Dambach raved about the star defender and MAC Hermann Trophy Award semifinalist nominee.
"Grace, as we saw out here on Jeffrey Field, is somebody who is consistent. She is somebody you can count on and I think she's as good as anybody in the country as a center-back," Dambach said. "We're all looking forward to seeing her and seeing how she's developed."
Penn State midfielder Emily Ogle offered a similar scouting report when it came to previewing their upcoming matchup with the Gamecocks.
"They have a really stout defense. They have a good goalie," Ogle said. "I think their mobility will be huge for us and that aggressive mentality. Taking people on, being aggressive in the final third will be huge to try and get one early."
Penn State has never played South Carolina, so the unfamiliarity between the two programs could play a role in the final outcome.
"I think the team is really fired up to learn about a really good squad that they haven't seen in the past and figure out how to break them down," Dambach said about facing opponents for the very first time during this environment.
"We know that nothing is guaranteed and you have to own every moment on the field," Ogle, a redshirt seinor, added. "There's going to be some nerves, but the nerves are a good thing as long as we can channel that and just play the way we've been playing. We're a great team and I believe that when we're at our best, we're hard to beat."
No. 8 West Virginia (15-4-3) – The Mountaineers were victorious over Radford by a score of 6-0 in the first round of the tournament.
Penn State met West Virginia on August 17th in the season opener for both teams, and it was the Nittany Lions who defended Jeffrey Field and won 1-0. A rematch would be in store if both teams win their round two matches.
However, a lot has changed since the first week of the season. The Mountaineers, following the early loss, went 7-2-0 in Big 12 play and have now won eight of their last nine games, sitting as the No. 8-ranked team in the country.
West Virginia is led offensively by senior forward Sh'Nia Gordon, who has registered eight goals and 18 total points this season. The former NCAA College Cup All-Tournament Team member will most certainly put pressure on Penn State's defense.
For Dambach, it will be crucial for her team to be able to channel their energy and just focus on their game when the lights are the brightest – no matter the opponent.
"You want to approach it like it's another game, but it's an NCAA Tournament game," Dambach said. "I think that's where you have to rely on your upperclassman to really kind of set the stage of this is how things are done and this is how prepared we are."
Wake Forest (9-8-1) – The Demon Deacons are coming off a 1-0 overtime victory over Ohio State in the first round and will play West Virginia in the second round of the tournament.
Following a good win against the Buckeyes, a team Penn State is no stranger to, Wake Forest is playing some of its best soccer of the year. They have won three of its last four games, all while only allowing a total of two goals in that span.
Looking back, Wake Forest defeated Penn State 1-0 on September 2nd. Senior midfielder Bayley Feist scored from the top of the box in the 12th minute and her team never looked back. The 2017 All-ACC Third Team member is the key to the Demon Deacons offensive attack.
If these two programs were to meet in the next round, a point of emphasis for Penn State would be stopping Feist, who leads the team with six goals and 16 total points on the year.
The winners of Penn State vs. South Carolina will play the winner of West Virginia vs. Wake Forest Sunday, Nov. 18, at 3 p.m.