UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State Nittany Lions women's soccer program kicks off the 2019 season with a pair of tough home contests. A top-10 matchup against the No. 3 Stanford Cardinal at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, August 23, at Jeffrey Field begins the 2019 campaign. The opening weekend is capped with a meeting against the Hofstra Pride at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 25, at Jeffrey Field.
The 2019 season marks the fourth consecutive year the Nittany Lions begin the season against a top-10 opponent. The Stanford Cardinal have been one of the perennial powers in women's soccer over the past two decades. In 2018, the Cardinal finished the season with a 21-1-2 overall record and earned a spot in the Women's College Cup. The Cardinal fell to eventual national champion Florida State.
The matchup with the Cardinal marks the fifth meeting between two of the top teams in women's college soccer. The Cardinal hold a 3-1 advantage over Penn State with the last matchup coming in the 2017 NCAA quarterfinals. The Nittany Lions knocked off the Cardinal in 2015 during regular-season play.
Completing the weekend, the Nittany Lions battle the Hofstra Pride on Sunday afternoon. The Nittany Lions own a perfect 6-0 record against the Pride dating back to 2007. In the last match against the Pride in 2017, the Nittany Lions won 3-0 at Jeffrey Field. Penn State scored all three goals in the second half.
FOLLOW ALONG
You can follow along all weekend by using the following links to watch the game or follow live stats.
Stanford
Friday, August 23
7:00 PM ET
Jeffrey Field
Live Stats
BTN+
Hofstra
Sunday, August 25
2:30 PM ET
Jeffrey Field
Live Stats
BTN+
MEETING OF THE MINDS
Erica Dambach enters her 13th season as the head coach for Penn State and has 202 wins in her tenure in Happy Valley. She has led Penn State to 12 NCAA tournaments and 10 Big Ten regular-season titles. In her career, coach Dambach has 242 wins as a head coach and a .707 winning percentage. Penn State has made an appearance in six NCAA quarterfinals, two College Cup finals and won its first national championship in 2015.
Paul Ratcliffe enters his 17th season as the head coach for the Stanford Cardinal and Simon Riddiough begins his 14th year leading the Hofstra Pride.
MAC HERMANN AWARD
The matchup between the Nittany Lions and the Cardinal showcases five players on the preseason watch list for the award (3-PSU, 2-Stanford). Redshirt senior Kaleigh Riehl and junior Sam Coffey were semifinalist for the award last season. After an outstanding sophomore season, junior Frankie Tagliaferri has also been named to the preseason watch list for the MAC Hermann award.
CUP OF COFFEY
Junior transfer Sam Coffey looks to make an immediate impact for the Nittany Lions after being named a first-team All-American at Boston College last year. Coffey scored 12 goals and added 14 assists and was named the ACC Midfielder of the Year. She comes to Happy Valley after starting every game for the Eagles in 2017 and 2018.
BATTLE TESTED
The Nittany Lions play four teams ranked in the top 25 of the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll. These ranked teams include: No. 3 Stanford, No. 9 Virginia, No. 11 West Virginia and No. 16 Wisconsin. Three of these opponents appear in the Nittany Lions' first eight games.
DRIVE FOR 20
In 2019, Penn State looks for its 20th Big Ten Championship in 26 years as a varsity program. Penn State has claimed 14 more Big Ten titles than the next closest conference institution. The Nittany Lions have won seven Big Ten Tournament titles, four more than the next closest league foe. For the 16th consecutive year, Penn State was selected by the Big Ten coaches as the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten.
