UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 4 Penn State women's soccer utilized a pair of impressive goals by senior+ defender Kate Wiesner and redshirt sophomore midfielder Julia Raich to move three points closer to a Big Ten regular season title, downing the No. 19 Indiana Hoosiers by a 2-0 score Thursday night on Jeffrey Field.
The victory preserved Penn State's longest unbeaten start to a season since the 2005 squad published a 23-0-2 finish, as the 2023 edition of Nittany Lion women's soccer climbs to 12-0-4 overall and 6-0-3 in the nation's premier conference. PSU's dominance over Indiana in the all-time series persisted Thursday evening, with the Nittany Lions improving to 29-1-3 overall following the 33rd meeting of the two programs. In defeat, Indiana drops to 11-2-4 overall and 5-2-2 in the B1G, eliminating the Hoosiers from Big Ten regular season title contention.
Penn State maintains a one-point lead over conference title contenders Michigan State and Nebraska, with a two-point lead over Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions have recorded 21 points through the ninth match on the Big Ten Conference calendar, with the Spartans and Cornhuskers earning 20 points after notching identical 6-1-2 ledgers in league play. Both Michigan State and Nebraska's only respective losses in conference competition came against Penn State. Wisconsin's 6-2-1 conference mark places them in sole possession of fourth place in the league with 19 points heading into Sunday's pivotal clash on Jeffrey Field.
Thursday night's battle between the Nittany Lions and Hoosiers pitted a pair of impressive defensive squads against one another, with a relatively low shot total to show for it. Penn State eked out a 10-8 differential in total shot attempts as well as a strong 5-2 edge in shots on goal. Penn State returned to its winning ways in the corner kick competition, notching five attempts against the lone Hoosier try that tied for the fewest corners given up by the Nittany Lions in B1G play this season. Indiana also ran up a striking differential in fouls, with the Hoosiers racking up 14 total calls and a first-half yellow card against three Nittany Lion fouls and two cautions.
On an individual basis, Wiesner and Raich stole the show against IU with a pair of stunning strikes that ultimately culminated in the Nittany Lion victory. Wiesner, a native of Monrovia, California, mustered her second goal of the 2023 campaign and her second match-winner of the year, finding the back of the net for the first time since a first-half banger against Maryland on Sept. 15. The Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, native Raich scored a triumphant goal to put the match away in the 81st, tallying against a Big Ten opponent for the first time in her career while scoring her first goal overall since booking a brace against West Chester on Aug. 20.
In the passing game, a trio of Nittany Lions managed to book assists in the match highlighted by a double assist on Wiesner's set-piece score in the first half. Senior+ midfielder Cori Dyke, as well as redshirt-sophomore midfielder Riley Gleason shoveled the ball to Wiesner for her match-winning goal. Gleason recorded her third assist of the 2023 campaign and her first since Sept. 21 against Rutgers, while Dyke booked her second dish of the year and fifth of her career. Later in the second half, sophomore forward Amelia White found Raich for the insurance score, culminating in White's first assist of the year and her sixth since joining the Nittany Lions a season ago.
In goal for the Blue & White, graduate keeper Katherine Asman continued to impress with a two-save shutout in 90 minutes of action. The Roswell, Georiga, native's clean sheet was her seventh of the season and 25th of her career, propelling her into third place all-time at Penn State in the category after moving ahead of Britt Eckerstrom's total of 24.9. Her efforts between the pipes saw her move to 12-0-4 individually on the season and 51-16-10 in her storied Nittany Lion career. For Indiana, junior keeper Jamie Gerstenberg managed a couple of impressive saves but was ultimately saddled with the loss after turning in three total stops against two goals allowed.
PSU's penultimate match of the program's 30th regular season kicked off beneath cloudy skies and 55-degree temperatures, with Indiana heating things up in the second minute of action with the first off-target shot of the contest from graduate forward Paige Webber. The Blue & White responded moments later with an impressive shot on goal from Nittany Lion redshirt junior forward Kaitlyn MacBean, but Gerstenberg safely corralled the attempt. Although Indiana battled for the first corner of the match, the Hoosiers could not manage a serious attacking opportunity through the early going.
The tides turned completely in Penn State's favor in the 20th minute, with Hoosier sophomore midfielder Olivia Rush cautioned with a yellow after taking down a Nittany Lion towards the right side of the field just feet away from the penalty box. Dyke, Gleason and Wiesner positioned themselves at the spot of the offence and got set to unleash havoc. Gleason played the ball to the left for Dyke, who stopped the ball in perfect position for Wiesner to unleash a spectacular left-footed attempt. Her shot careened through the Hoosier defense and found the far right corner of the net past Gerstenberg's diving attempt for a save. With the momentum in hand and a one-goal lead on the board, PSU and Indiana battled without incident for a 1-0 match at the break.
Out of the locker rooms for the second half, Indiana did their best to establish an early offensive rhythm to no avail, as the Nittany Lions seized on the possession battle early on and neutralized any prospective Hoosier attack. Penn State won the first corner attempt of the period in the 50th minute of action, with MacBean able to place yet another shot on target that sailed into Gerstenberg's control. The Blue & White would notch another substantial threat in the 75th, as a free kick and brilliant service from the Nittany Lions resulted in a header on net from senior+ defender Michela Agresti, but another remarkable save from IU forced an uneventful corner kick opportunity.
The dam finally broke for the Nittany Lions in the 81st minute, as White made a dramatic run through the Hoosier centerbacks and collected the ball on the right side of the 18. Forced to her right after the IU keeper came off her line, White collected the ball and delivered a service centrally toward the penalty spot. Raich came running in behind a pair of stunned Indiana defenders, took one touch and volleyed the ball into the top left corner of the net off her right boot to put the insurance goal on the board. Penn State utilized a pair of corner kick chances in the waning moments of the match to bleed the clock, and the Nittany Lions ultimately came away with an impressive 2-0 victory over a nationally ranked opponent.
SCORING SUMMARY
20' – Gleason played the ball to the left for Dyke, who stopped the ball in perfect position for Wiesner to unleash a spectacular left-footed attempt. Her shot careened through the Hoosier defense and found the far right corner of the net past Gerstenberg's diving attempt for a save. PSU 1, IU 0
81' – White collected the ball and delivered a service centrally toward the penalty spot. Raich came running in behind a pair of Indiana defenders, took one touch and volleyed the ball into the top left corner of the net off her right boot. PSU 2, IU 0
UP NEXT
No. 4 Penn State women's soccer gears up for one of its most consequential decision Sunday matches in recent memory, as the Nittany Lions play host to the No. 21 Wisconsin Badgers on Jeffrey Field. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. (ET).
Following Thursday evening's results across the Big Ten Conference, the Big Ten Network announced that Sunday's match between Penn State and Wisconsin would air live to a national television audience via the league's linear network. BTN's coverage will feature Dean Linke on play-by-play, with Jackie Manny providing analysis. Streaming is also available to authenticated subscribers via the FOX Sports App.
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.
