UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 6 Penn State women's soccer gets set for the second leg of its five-match homestand this week, as the Nittany Lions play host to the UCF Knights in a 7:30 p.m. (ET) fixture Thursday night on Jeffrey Field. Streaming is available to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+.
MATCH INFORMATION
RV UCF at #6 PENN STATE
Thursday, August 31, 2023 | 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Jeffrey Field | University Park, Pa.
Watch Live: B1G+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
PROMOTIONS & PARKING
Penn State's weeknight test against UCF will serve as the program's annual Pride Match, in partnership with the Penn State Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity. PSU women's soccer shares in the organization's mission of creating and maintaining an open, safe and inclusive environment honoring gender and sexual diversity. Fans are encouraged to stop by the tables at the Jeffrey Field entrance to learn more about how to celebrate and support all members of the Penn State community.
Parking for all Penn State women's soccer matches will require a valid permit or payment of the applicable parking fee for campus lots. Fans with valid Penn State University parking permits will be permitted to park at women's soccer matches for free, following Transportation Services parking policies and access. For women's soccer matches, fans are asked to park in the Jordan East, Stadium West or Porter North lots. Fans without a permit are encouraged to prepay for event parking at a discounted rate of $5.50 through the ParkMobile app, or by clicking here. Prepayment is available through 11:59 p.m. the day before each event. Event day parking will be $10 per vehicle.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
For fans unable to attend in person, Penn State's Thursday night test against the Knights will be streamed live to a worldwide audience via B1G+. Authenticated subscribers are invited to click here and sign in to B1G+ on their mobile phones, computers, smart TVs and other connected devices to follow along. Mac Young will provide play-by-play commentary, while Juan Mendez will serve as the broadcast's analyst. Cailey Thalman will report from the sideline. Live stats provided by Penn State and StatBroadcast are available by clicking here.
KICKIN' IT
The Blue & White return to action following an impressive 1-0 victory over the then-No. 16 TCU Horned Frogs last weekend on Jeffrey Field. PSU utilized redshirt junior forward Kaitlyn MacBean's second-straight score in addition to her second consecutive match-winning goal to down the Horned Frogs in PSU's first nationally ranked victory since beating Michigan State in the 2022 B1G Tournament final. In recognition of her dominant week of clutch performances, highlighted by a pair of match-winning goals against West Virginia and TCU, MacBean hauled in the first TopDrawerSoccer National Team of the Week recognition for PSU in the 2023 campaign. Senior defender Ellie Wheeler landed honorable mention accolades a week ago.
LONE STAR STATE OF MIND
MacBean headed in her second match-winning goal of the week in the 77th minute, guiding PSU to a hard-fought 1-0 win over the No. 16 TCU Horned Frogs on Aug. 27. Penn State and TCU battled in a highly competitive environment Sunday afternoon, with the Nittany Lions logging a 12-8 advantage on the shot chart, while the Horned Frogs placed more shots on target, edging the Nittany Lions by a 5-4 margin. For the second straight match, Penn State tied its opponent in the corner kick battle, with both squads notching four corners apiece. Graduate goalkeeper Katherine Asman maintained her streak of dominance between the pipes, recording a five-save shutout in 90 minutes of work. Asman improved to 3-0-1 individually and notched her second complete-match clean sheet of the season, the 20th of her career.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
The Nittany Lions boast one of the most effective defensive units in the nation through the first two weeks of the season, tied for the top spot in the Big Ten and 33rd nationally in terms of goals-against average with a 0.25 mark. PSU's shutout percentage is tied for the league lead in the Big Ten and ranks 12th in Division I, with a 0.750 mark overall. The Nittany Lions have shut out three opponents and have yet to surrender a goal on Jeffrey Field, outscoring opponents by a 9-0 margin at home. Between the posts, Penn State goalkeepers have published a dominant season through the first four matches of the year, stopping 0.923 percent of opponent shots on target. PSU's save percentage leads the Big Ten Conference and ranks 23rd nationally.
UNDERLINING UCF
UCF arrives in Happy Valley boasting a 2-1 overall record through their first three contests of the year, defeating B1G rival Purdue and North Florida while dropping a 2-1 road contest to Georgia. Despite a second-half equalizer from the Ospreys in UCF's most recent match, the Knights managed to turn the tides in the 72nd minute and net the go-ahead goal to bring a winning record into University Park. Led by 11-year head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak, the Knights are receiving votes in the most recent United Soccer Coaches poll. UCF is led on the pitch by Xavier transfer and junior forward Chloe Netzel, who has netted a pair of goals in each of the past two matches.
STORY OF THE SERIES
The Nittany Lions and Knights prepare for their fourth all-time meeting in women's soccer this week, with UCF owning a narrow 2-1 edge in the series. Penn State and UCF first met in the 2007 season, with the Blue & White taking a 1-0 victory in a neutral site match hosted by the University of Tennessee. PSU's one-goal win in 2007 marked the first victory for the Nittany Lions of the Erica Dambach era after she assumed the top job earlier that year. UCF took each of the last two meetings, with the Knights taking a 2-1 win in double overtime in 2011 followed by a 2-1 regulation win in Orlando in 2021. Thursday's contest marks the first meeting of the two teams in University Park.
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Visit GoPSUSports.com for more information on Penn State women's soccer. Fans can keep up to date with the Nittany Lion women's soccer team on X and Instagram @PennStateWSOC, in addition to the team's Facebook page at /PSUWomensSoccer.
The 30th Season of Penn State women's soccer is presented by the Smeal College of Business.
