No. 22 Nittany Lions Open B1G Tournament at Minnesota
Penn State kicks off its 31st consecutive postseason and 29th Big Ten Tournament in Twin Cities
B1G Tournament First Round | #22 Penn State at RV Minnesota
11-5-3 | 5-4-2 B1G
12-3-3 | 6-3-2 B1G
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Tenth-seeded and 22nd-ranked Penn State women's soccer begins the 2024 postseason this week in the Twin Cities, as the Nittany Lions get set to challenge the seventh-seeded Minnesota Golden Gophers in the opening round of the 2024 Big Ten Conference Women's Soccer Tournament. The match is slated for a 7:30 p.m. (ET) start from Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota, with streaming available via B1G+ and the B1G+ app.
Follow the Action
Fans interested in attending the opening round of the 2024 Big Ten Tournament are invited to click here to purchase tickets. Click the link here to access the Big Ten Conference’s Tournament Central webpage. For fans of the Nittany Lions unable to attend Thursday’s contest against Minnesota in the Twin Cities, the match will stream live to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+ and the B1G+ app. Matt Privratsky and Phoenix Ferrari will call the action live from the Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium press box. Click the link here to be redirected to the live stream of the broadcast and sign in with credentials for access. Live stats provided by the Big Ten Conference, University of Minnesota and SIDEARM are available here.
KICKIN’ IT
At the conclusion of one of the most grueling regular season schedules in program history, Penn State amassed its 31st-consecutive 10-win campaign and has also mathematically guaranteed its 31st-straight winning season since the program's inaugural varsity outing in 1994. The Nittany Lions enter the postseason boasting an 11-5-3 overall record paired with a 5-4-2 mark against some of the highest-rated opposition from the Big Ten Conference, including all five of the league's top five postseason seeds in USC, UCLA, Iowa, Michigan State and Rutgers. The Nittany Lions prepare for their 29th Big Ten Tournament appearance in program history this weekend in the Twin Cities, with the Blue & White appearing in every B1G Tournament contested in the league's 30-year history. The B1G did not hold a postseason tournament to select an automatic NCAA Tournament bid in 2009 or 2010. PSU boasts a 40-14-6 overall record at the event with nine total titles, with 40 wins and nine championships both standing as league records.
The Blue & White have challenged one of the strongest slates of opponents in the program's storied history in the team's 31st varsity campaign, with PSU facing off against a combined 11 opponents in the regular season that were either ranked or receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll on the day of the contest. Penn State will make that total 12 opponents on Thursday night, as the Nittany Lions square off against receiving-votes Minnesota in the opening round of the B1G Tournament. On an individual basis, Penn State is anchored offensively by redshirt senior forward and breakout star Kaitlyn MacBean, who boasts 29 total points on the 2024 season split between 14 goals and an assist through her 19 starts this year. Senior midfielder Jordan Fusco leads the way in the passing game with nine assists, while redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Mackenzie Gress stands as PSU's last line of defense with 27 saves, three wins and a pair of shutouts between the pipes.
SCOUTING THE B1G FIELD
A pair of Big Ten Conference newcomers headline the newly expanded 10-team Big Ten Tournament field, with Los Angeles-based USC and UCLA earning the top two seeds in the 2024 tournament. The Trojans hosted UCLA at Dignity Health Sports Park on Sunday, October 27, with USC picking up the outright Big Ten title following a 1-0 victory over the Bruins in Carson. Third-seeded Iowa, the defending Big Ten Conference Tournament champion, surged to a prominent position in the league with a 13-2-3 overall record and an 8-2-1 mark in the league. Defending regular season co-champion Michigan State finished fourth with 24 points, with Rutgers and Washington rounding out the top six programs with first-round byes in this year's tournament. Host-Minnesota headlines the four programs contesting play-in first round matches on Thursday night, with the Golden Gophers joining 10th-seeded Penn State in the nightcap, preceded by eighth-seeded Ohio State against ninth-seeded Wisconsin.
Next Up: RV Minnesota
MATCHING MINNESOTA
Fresh off one of the strongest regular season finishes in recent memory, paired with an impressive undefeated record at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium, fourth-year skipper Erin Chastain guides Minnesota into the postseason with a 12-3-3 overall record and 6-3-2 margin in the Big Ten, with the Golden Gophers receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll following their recent outings. Since dropping a narrow 3-2 decision on the road in Happy Valley, Minnesota has rattled off three straight wins against Maryland, Indiana and No. 11 Iowa, closing the regular season home slate. Minnesota boasts the Big Ten and national scoring champion in Khyah Harper, who owns 40 total points highlighted by 17 total goals and seven assists. Between the pipes, Sarah Martin leads the way with six shutouts and a 1.06 goals-against average.
STORY OF THE SERIES
Penn State and Minnesota gear up for the 34th all-time meeting in a series which dates to the program's inaugural campaign in 1994. The Blue & White and the Golden Gophers will meet on the pitch for the second time this season, as well as the first time in the Twin Cities since the fall of 2021, a Minnesota win in Saint Paul. In the last six matchups against Minnesota, the Nittany Lions own an impressive 4-1-1 lead overall with all four of those PSU victories coming in the regular season. The most recent fixture of the two programs earlier this season in Happy Valley saw the Blue & White pick up a thrilling 3-2, come-from-behind win over the Golden Gophers. PSU scored first in the opening minute, but Minnesota logged a pair of goals to take a 2-1 edge. PSU evened things before half, and Olivia Damico headed in the match-winner in the 82nd.
Penn State and Minnesota prepare for their sixth all-time meeting in the Big Ten Women's Soccer Tournament, highlighted by the first-ever postseason meeting of the two programs in Minneapolis-Saint Paul. Penn State boasts an undefeated 4-0-1 record through the prior five contests, with the lone Golden Gopher advancement coming on November 4, 2018, via a 5-4 penalty shootout win in Westfield, Indiana.
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.