STANFORD, Calif. - On a brisk California evening, the Nittany Lions came from behind to defeat the Arizona Wildcats 4-3 in overtime to move on to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Penn State scored three second-half goals to send the game into overtime. Junior Frankie Tagliaferri scored the game-winning goal in overtime to send the Nittany Lions to the next round of the tournament.
In overtime, Frankie Tagliaferri ran down a fantastic through ball sent into the box by Ally Schlegel. Tagliaferri buried her left-footed shot into the back of the net to give the Nittany Lions a 4-3 win. Not to be overlooked in the overtime period was a great save by Amanda Dennis to keep the Nittany Lions in the match.
Arizona scored a pair of goals in the 39th and 50th minutes to take a 2-0 lead. Penn State responded with a goal in the 58th minute to cut the lead in half. Sam Coffey sent a long pass into the box and Ally Schlegel took the pass out of the air and redirected the cross into the net for her 13th goal of the season.
Just four minutes later, Sam Coffey made a long run into the 18-yard box. Coffey sent a screaming shot that curved around the outstretched hands of the goalkeeper and tied the match at 2-2.
A resilient Wildcats offense put another goal on the scoreboard in the 68th minute to take a 3-2 lead over the Nittany Lions.
The Nittany Lions showed there own offensive prowess as they recorded 14 shots in the second half. Six of those shots came over the next 19 minutes of game action in an attempt to tie the match. Penn State finally found its mark in the 88th minute. Sam Coffey beat the Wildcats defense and sent another shot on goal.
Coffey's shot rolled inside the far post and tied the match at 3-3. Penn State nearly won the match in regulation as Devon Olive sent a shot that went just over the crossbar with 50 seconds to play in regulation.
Immediately in the overtime period, junior Kerry Abello got behind the Wildcats defense in the 92nd minute. Abello attempted to chip the goalkeeper who made a leaping save to tip the ball over the goal and continue the match.
Amanda Dennis made a great save in the 94th minute on a strong shot by Madison Goerlinger of Arizona.
Three minutes later, Ally Schlegel found Tagliaferri for her sixth goal of the season and the game-winner.
Penn State improved to 17-6-1 on the season and will face the winner of Hofstra and Stanford on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.
