UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 4 Penn State women's soccer returns home to Jeffrey Field on Sunday, as the Nittany Lions continue Big Ten Conference competition against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a 1 p.m. fixture. Streaming is available to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+.
MATCH INFORMATION
NEBRASKA at #6 PENN STATE
Alumnae Day
Sunday, September 24, 2023 | 1 p.m. (ET)
Jeffrey Field | University Park, Pa.
Watch Live: B1G+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
PARKING & PROMOTIONS
Penn State's weekend clash with Nebraska will serve as the program's annual alumnae match in conjunction with White Out Weekend. The Nittany Lions will welcome back dozens of program alumnae for a halftime ceremony in addition to a wide array of weekend festivities on the Penn State campus. The Blue & White host former athletes from the program's days as a club program through its foundational years in the mid 1990s, as well as recent graduates and current NWSL stars.
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 alumnae day and second B1G home contest of the season 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. Juan Mendez will provide play-by-play commentary, while Mac Young will serve as the broadcast's analyst. Kendall Skalicky will serve as Sunday afternoon's sideline reporter. Live stats provided by Penn State and StatBroadcast are available by clicking here.
KICKIN' IT
PSU's win streak extended to eight consecutive matches on Sept. 21, as the Nittany Lions downed the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a true road contest for the first time since 2008. Penn State notched a 2-1 victory, highlighted by a goal each from senior+ forward Payton Linnehan and sophomore forward Amelia White. Penn State saw senior+ defender Kate Wiesner garner national acclaim as the NCAA Women's Soccer Player of the Week, the organization announced prior to Thursday's match at Rutgers. Wiesner was commended for her match-winning banger against the Maryland Terrapins in addition to her dominant defensive performances this season. The Blue & White stand as one of just four women's soccer programs nationally that has yet to trail in a match, joining B1G foe Indiana, as well as Dartmouth and Texas Tech. Among teams that have yet to trail this season, PSU has allowed the fewest total goals, surrendering just three opponent scores in the 2023 campaign.
LAST TIME OUT: RUTGERS
No. 4 Penn State women's soccer picked up its eighth-straight victory, defeating the Rutgers Scarlet Knights by a 2-1 margin to pick up the program's first win at Yurcak Field since 2008. Penn State was dominant in the run of play for the vast majority of the match, with the final lines in the box score corroborating the Nittany Lions' appearance on the pitch. The Blue & White doubled Rutgers up on the shot chart by a 16-8 tally, with PSU managing a slimmer 5-3 victory in the battle for shots on goal. The Nittany Lion offense managed to apply enough pressure to double Rutgers in an additional statistical category, mustering a 4-2 win in the corner kick contest.
BALLIN' WITH BALANCE
Penn State women's soccer boasts one of the most balanced attacks in the nation, with 16 different student-athletes logging at least one point through the first nine matches of the season. In total, 26 members of the Nittany Lions' 30-woman roster have appeared in at least one match, with 14 earning starts. On the offensive end, 13 different Nittany Lions have amassed a total of 25 goals on the season, the fourth-highest scoring total in the Big Ten Conference. PSU's balanced offensive front has allowed eight student-athletes to score at least twice, with sophomore midfielder Olivia Borgen leading the team with four. Nine different Penn State performers have found their way onto the assist leaderboard at PSU this year, with Eva Alonso notching five while three other players have booked three.
HOSTING THE HUSKERS
Under the direction of 30-year head coaching veteran John Walker, Nebraska prepares for its second B1G road contest of the week, visiting Happy Valley with a 7-1-2 overall record coupled with a 1-0-1 start to league action. Nebraska's only loss on the year came against the Saint Louis Billikens at home in Lincoln by a 2-3 margin on Sept. 10. The Huskers opened league play with a 1-1 draw at home against Wisconsin, followed by a 2-1 victory in their last match at Ohio State. Breakout star and senior forward Eleanor Dale leads both the Nebraska roster and all of Division I women's soccer in total goals this season, finding the back of the net on 13 occasions. A trio of Huskers, Florence Belzile, Abbey Schwarz and Jordan Zade lead the team with five assists apiece.
STORY OF THE SERIES
Entering the 12th all-time meeting between the Nittany Lions and Cornhuskers, the Blue & White maintain a solid 6-3-2 overall record. Penn State has won two of the last three meetings but has not defeated the Cornhuskers since the 2021 spring season which was modified by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Penn State will face off against Nebraska on Jeffrey Field for the fifth time ever, with the Nittany Lions managing a 3-1 record in prior meetings. Last year's matchup in Lincoln saw the Cornhuskers pick up a 4-2 victory toward the end of the B1G regular season. PSU's last win over Nebraska at home was a 2-1 result in 2016.
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.
