COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Penn State women’s soccer took down Maryland in a 2-0 shutout on Friday night at Ludwig Field. The Nittany Lions have now recorded back-to-back shutouts in Big Ten competition for the first time since the 2022 season.
With the victory, Penn State tallied three more points in Big Ten play while improving to 4-2-2 (2-1-0 Big Ten) on the season. The Terps fell to 3-5-1 and 0-3-0 Big Ten.
Senior forward Paige Kalal moved into a tie with junior forward Aubrey Kulpa for the team-high in points with nine following a three-point match against Maryland. Kalal scored her third goal of the season from well beyond the box in the first half before assisting freshman midfielder Paige Pasinski’s goal in the second frame. Both of her shots were on goal.
Pasinski notched the second goal of her collegiate career in her fourth consecutive start for the Nittany Lions. The Phoenix, Arizona native led Penn State with five shots, including four on target, in 66 minutes of work. She is up to five points in eight appearances with three goal contributions this season.
Redshirt senior goalkeeper Mackenzie Gress earned her second straight shutout following a four-save night against the Terrapins. She is up to 31 saves in 2026 and has allowed just one goal in three Big Ten fixtures.
Penn State held Maryland to just six shots, setting a new season-low after holding Minnesota to seven last week at Jeffrey Field. The Blue & White finished the match with 11 shots and took seven corner kicks to just one for the Terps.
The Blue & White extended its winning streak over the Terrapins to 13 and have yet to drop a match in the series since Maryland joined the Big Ten in 2014. In addition to the contest being the 13th win in a row for Penn State over Maryland, the Nittany Lions moved their shutout streak against the Terrapins to five consecutive matches.
FIRST HALF
Penn State jumped on the attack straight from kickoff to set the tone early in the contest. Kalal recorded the first shot just 46 seconds into the match, forcing a quick save from the Maryland netminder. The Nittany Lions would continue to push the tempo with a flurry of shots by Pasinski, who totaled four in a three-minute stretch. A shot by redshirt senior midfielder Molly Martin at the 7:01 mark of the opening frame was the sixth by the Blue & White before the Terrapins could establish much possession.
Maryland eventually found some chances after the barrage from Penn State. At the 8:05 mark, Gress made a leaping save on a hard-hit shot from a Maryland forward outside the box as she pushed the ball above the crossbar and out of play. Just 22 seconds later, Gress would corral another shot for her second save of the half.
Neither side would record a shot for the next 10 minutes until Kalal went solo for the first goal of the match after receiving the ball near midfield. Kalal went on a run toward the center of the pitch before firing a left-footed shot from well behind the 18 off the post and into the net.
The Terps worked to build possessions, but the Penn State back line held the side from finding any chances. Thanks to a strong effort from the defensive unit, Maryland did not record another shot after Gress’ save at the 8:27 mark of the frame. The half concluded with the Nittany Lions owning a 7-2 edge in shots and 2-0 advantage in corner kicks.
SECOND HALF
Penn State picked up where it left off in the second half. Between the 52:12 and 58:11 marks of the frame, the Blue & White earned four corner kicks. Despite being unable to capitalize on the opportunities, the team continued to push the pace of the match.
Pasinski broke through the Maryland back line to make the match 2-0 at the 61:26 mark of the contest. The Nittany Lions displayed some pretty passing following an excellent service from Kayleigh Herr to the Terrapin’s defensive third. Lilly Burger received the ball then found Kalal who dumped it to Pasinski inside the box for the score.
Just under six minutes later, PSU earned a penalty kick after Burger was fouled trying to make a play on a corner kick service. Kulpa took the shot for Penn State but was denied by the Maryland keeper.
Kulpa and Burger both forced the keeper to make two more saves in the half while Gress shut down an attempt from former Nittany Lion Jolie Farmer late in the frame to preserve the 2-0 final score.
SCORING SUMMARY
19’ - PSU 1, UMD 0: Paige Kalal (3)
62’ - PSU 2, UMD 0: Paige Pasinski (2). Assisted by Paige Kalal (3)
UP NEXT
Penn State will return home for the White Out presented by MITER Brands against Iowa on Thursday, September 24. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. (ET) at Jeffrey Field with a live stream on B1G+. The match will begin a three-match homestand for the Nittany Lions before playing host to USC and Purdue.
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.