CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Despite taking an early one-goal lead in the 14th minute of play, the fourth-seeded and 22nd-ranked Penn State women’s soccer team dropped a heartbreaking 2-1 decision in overtime to the second-seeded and eighth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday night in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championships from Dorrance Field.
The Nittany Lions completed one of their most challenging seasons in program history on Friday night, with the Blue & White wrapping the program’s 31st varsity season with a 15-7-3 overall record paired with a 5-4-2 mark against Big Ten Conference challengers. Penn State played its 12th match of the year against a nationally ranked challenger, including its seventh match of the year against a top-10 foe. The Blue & White extended their NCAA Tournament appearance streak to 30 consecutive seasons, marking the second-longest active NCAA Tournament streak in the nation. PSU reached the Sweet 16 for the eighth season in a row, marking the longest run of consecutive Sweet 16 berths in women’s college soccer while advancing to the program’s second consecutive national quarterfinal.
North Carolina came away with victories in a multitude of statistical categories, with the Tar Heels out-shooting PSU by a 31-8 margin in addition to a 7-4 differential in terms of shots on goal. The Nittany Lions booked four saves against a trio of stops for the Tar Heels. In the corner kick competition, North Carolina came away with a 4-2 win, marking the 10th opponent corner kick victory of the season for a PSU challenger. The Blue & White were flagged offsides on a trio of occasions while UNC was caught off twice. In a controversial match from the officiating crew, Penn State was whistled for 10 fouls against nine whistles for UNC, with the Nittany Lions earning one caution while the Tar Heels were carded twice.
On an individual basis, freshman midfielder Katie Scott continued an electric stretch of performances in her first NCAA Tournament, with the rookie burying her second goal of the tournament in addition to the second goal of her collegiate career. Scott’s first collegiate score came against Stony Brook in the opening round of the tournament from Jeffrey Field, with Scott contributing to the highest-scoring match in Nittany Lion history with Penn State’s 8-1 thrashing of the Seawolves. In her final collegiate match, senior defender Mieke Schiemann contributed an assist to Scott’s goal, with junior forward Amelia White booking an additional helper on PSU’s only tally of the night. Schiemann was additionally the only Penn Stater to book a multi-shot evening, with the veteran defender taking two of PSU’s eight attempts.
Between the pipes, redshirt sophomore Nittany Lion goalkeeper Mackenzie Gress notched a quartet of saves highlighted by a dominant stop on a long-range effort from the Tar Heels before the halftime break. Gress paired her four saves with a career-high 97 minutes played against UNC, with the Penn State starter’s previous career best of 90 minutes played taking place on 10 prior occasions, most recently against Vanderbilt in the third round of this year’s national postseason. In goal for North Carolina, Clare Gagne tallied a trio of stops against one goal allowed on her way to her 20th individual win of the campaign.
The opening moments of the match got off to a frenetic start, with dangerous offensive opportunities materializing for both programs in the early going. North Carolina tallied the first true scoring chance of the night a few minutes in, but the initial Tar Heel shot sailed far above Gress’ goal for a PSU goal kick. White utilized a powerful run alongside redshirt senior forward Kaitlyn MacBean to get the Blue & White into the match offensively, but MacBean was a step offsides in the view of the assistant referee. A service-range free kick for the Nittany Lions found Schiemann’s head just inside the goal box, but the first PSU shot on goal was miraculously read and denied by Gagne to keep the match level at nil.
The Nittany Lions wasted little time following the denial from Carolina’s goalkeeper, with PSU tallying the first goal of the night in the 14th minute of play. A brilliant run from Schiemann off the back line turned into the Nittany Lions’ best attacking chance of the night, with a crisp pass from the center-back to White inside the center circle keeping the Blue & White moving forward. White slotted a brilliant ball through all three members of the Tar Heel back line toward Scott, who took possession about 25 yards out from the goal mouth. The rookie Penn Stater utilized a solid right-footed attempt at the edge of the box to sneak a PSU tally past the UNC goalkeeper into the bottom left corner. Penn State appeared to score moments later, with a Tar Heel defensive lapse providing Schiemann and MacBean a clear path to Penn State’s second goal of the night. Unfortunately, a VAR check determined that the ball, which clearly ricocheted off a UNC defender toward the pair of PSU attackers, did not negate the AR’s original offside whistle, resulting in the Penn State goal being called back. With the Nittany Lions nursing a 1-0 lead, both programs returned to the dressing room for the halftime intermission.
The first few minutes of the second half passed largely without incident, but the Tar Heels were ultimately able to find the equalizer in the 49th minute of play. UNC took possession of the ball centrally around 30 yards away from the Nittany Lion net, with Aria Nagai working the ball toward the right side of the Tar Heel attacking third. A pass to her right toward Bella Gaetino found her beyond the far corner of the penalty box, with the Tar Heel using a miraculous in-swinging shot to put the ball just past Gress’ diving effort. UNC continued to pepper the Penn State back line and goalkeeper with shot attempts, but neither team was able to break the 1-1 deadlock as both sides headed into overtime.
The Blue & White were able to stave off North Carolina’s early offensive chances in the overtime period, but Carolina was ultimately able to find the golden goal to reach the Women’s College Cup in the 98th minute. North Carolina won a corner on the right side of their attacking third, with the Tar Heels calling on Tessa Dellarose to play the service into the box. Dellarose served the ball toward the far post, where Kate Faasse found the back of the net in controversial fashion to end the contest and send UNC to college soccer’s proverbial Final Four, closing the book on yet another historic campaign for the Nittany Lions in 2-1 fashion.
SCORING SUMMARY
14’ – A brilliant run from Schiemann off the back line turned into the Nittany Lions’ best attacking chance of the night, as a crisp pass from the center-back to White inside the center circle kept the Blue & White moving forward. White slotted a brilliant ball through all three members of the Tar Heel back line toward Scott, who took possession about 25 yards out from the goal mouth. The rookie Penn Stater utilized a solid right-footed attempt at the edge of the box to sneak a PSU tally past the UNC goalkeeper into the bottom left corner. PSU 1, UNC 0
49’ – UNC took possession of the ball centrally around 30 yards away from the Nittany Lion net, with Aria Nagai working the ball toward the right side of the Tar Heel attacking third. A pass to her right toward Gaetino found her beyond the far corner of the penalty box, with the Tar Heel using a miraculous in-swinging shot to put the ball just past Gress’ diving effort. PSU 1, UNC 1
98’ – North Carolina won a corner on the right side of their attacking third, with the Tar Heels calling on Tessa Dellarose to play the service into the box. Dellarose played the ball to the far post, where Kate Faasse found the back of the net in controversial fashion to end the contest and send UNC to the College Cup. UNC 2, PSU 1
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