MATCH DAY: Penn State WSOC at Oregon

OPENING KICKOFF

• Penn State women’s soccer takes the road for the first time in two weeks as the team travels to Eugene, Oregon to take on the Oregon Ducks on Thursday at 9 p.m. (ET). Fans can watch from home on B1G+.  

• The Nittany Lions enter play tied for the third-most points in the conference with 11, good for a tie for sixth on the league table, while Oregon enters with only four points.  

• PSU rejoined the receiving votes section in the latest United Soccer Coaches with four votes this week. On the RPI side, the Blue & White held steady at No. 30. 

• Penn State’s two goals per match are tied for the third most in the Big Ten, while its 1.18 goal margin of victory ranks fourth in the conference.  

• The Nittany Lion defense has allowed just four goals in six conference contests, the fourth fewest in the Big Ten. The offense has taken the second most shots (88) and third most corner kicks (41) in league play.  

• Penn State completed its three-match homestand with a 2-2 draw against Purdue on October 3. The Nittany Lions held the Boilermakers to a season-low seven shots. 

• Junior forward Aubrey Kulpa collected her team-leading sixth goal of the season and 21st of her career in the 65th minute. The goal came off a double assist, as senior forward Paige Kalal set up deep ball from freshman midfielder Emma Johnson, Kulpa maneuvered through Purdue defenders before firing a left-footed strike into the back of the net.  

• Kalal’s assist was her fourth of the season, breaking a tie with Kulpa for the most on the team, while Johnson’s helper was the first of her collegiate career.  

• Kulpa continues to be one of the most aggressive offensive players in the Big Ten since conference play began, ranking second in goals with four, third in shots (21) and fourth in shots on goal (10). For the season, she leads Penn State with 15 points behind six goals and three assists. 

• Redshirt senior goalkeeper Mackenize Gress has established herself as one of the top keepers in the Big Ten, tied for third with three shutouts and ranking inside the top 10 in both save percentage (.800) and goals against average (0.67) in conference play.  

• Nine Nittany Lions have registered at least three points, all of whom have recorded at least one goal and one assist. Six additional players have at least one goal contribution. Through 11 matches, Penn State has recorded 65 points, the fifth-most in the Big Ten, and 5.91 points per match, the third-best average.

DEALING WITH THE DUCKS

• Oregon enters Thursday’s contest with a 6-4-2 overall record, but are 1-4-1 in conference play, ranking them 15th of 18 in the Big Ten with just four total points.  

• The Ducks began the season 6-0-1 before conference play, allowing just two goals in that span. Since then, they’ve dropped four of six, collecting their lone Big Ten win against Maryland and tying USC.  

• Against Big Ten opponents, the team has scored just two goals, getting shutout in each of its four losses. However, they have only allowed six goals to Big Ten opponents. Oregon’s six goals allowed put them squarely in the middle of the league. 

• Junior midfielders Carly Cormack and Ellie Felt share the team lead with four goals on the season. Cormack also leads the team with four assists, tied for the seventh-most in the conference.  

• Ten other Ducks have contributed to at least one goal this season. Five other players have recorded at least one goal and one assist.  

• Junior goalkeeper Gray Willson has recorded 26 saves in her first season between the posts for Oregon, starting nine matches.

STORY OF THE SERIES

• Thursday’s contest will be just the second all-time meeting between the two schools, as Oregon joined the Big Ten in 2024. The Nittany Lions and Ducks squared off in October of last season, which ended in a 2-2 draw. 

• The two squads exchanged goals in the first eight minutes with Cormack earning the tally for Oregon before Aubrey Kulpa assisted a goal scored by Julia Raich a few minutes later.  

• Cormack would score again in the 25th minute before Bella Ayscue would salvage the draw with a match-tying shot in the 86th minute.