Penn State Women’s Soccer Advances to NCAA Quarterfinals

No. 14 Penn State women’s soccer beat Wake Forest 1-0 Sunday afternoon to advance to the NCAA quarterfinals for the second straight season.

Marissa Sheva’s goal in the 14th minute helped the Nittany Lions avenge their 1-0 road loss to the Demon Deacons on Sept. 2.

How It Happened

Just like the Big Ten quarterfinals against Michigan, redshirt junior defender Ellie Jean found Sheva for the 1-0 lead. There were only seven shots on goal combined between the two teams at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown, W. Va.

Penn State had a 6-3 advantage on corner kicks and controlled the tempo for much of the match against the Demon Deacons, who fell to 9-9-2 on the season. For the second game in a row, Kim Dubs and Kristin Schnurr were the only Nittany Lions to come off the bench for head coach Erica Dambach.

Junior goalkeeper Amanda Dennis made three saves in the victory — including one in the 82nd minute — to preserve Penn State’s 14th shutout of the season. The Nittany Lions have now outscored their opponents 44-12 thanks to a veteran defense that’s been fantastic all year long.

Player of the Match

Marissa Sheva | Midfielder

Three of Sheva’s four goals this season have served as game winners for the Nittany Lions.

Takeaways

• Penn State made the Elite Eight for the 13th time in program history and stretched its NCAA tournament record to 53-21-2. The Nittany Lions are built for the biggest stages because Dambach always schedules such a tough non-conference schedule.
• Penn State’s seniors have accounted for all but one of the team’s six goals so far in NCAA tournament play. Schnurr scored the other in Friday’s 1-0 win over South Carolina.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions (18-5-1) will face No. 1 seed Florida State Friday in Tallahassee with a trip to the College Cup on the line. Time of the match has yet to be announced.