UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State women's soccer team extended its winning streak to five games following a 3-1 victory over Northwestern on Sunday afternoon. Freshman Payton Linnehan scored a pair of first half goals in the win.
Linnehan got the Nittany Lions on the scoreboard in just the fifth minute of action. Sam Coffey sent a high arching pass from beyond midfield over the Wildcats defense. The pass allowed for Linnehan to run underneath the pass and get behind the Northwestern back line.
Linnehan's shot bested a leaping goalkeeper and gave the Nittany Lions a 1-0 lead.
The Penn State offensive attack was far from done. The Nittany Lions tallied six shots in the ensuing 14 minutes.
The final shot by Sam Coffey was deflected and the Nittany Lions were awarded a corner kick. Coffey sent a corner kick into the box that the Wildcats attempted to clear from danger. The clearance attempt rolled out to Linnehan who stepped into the shot with her right foot and found the bottom corner of the net to give the Nittany Lions a 2-0 lead.
As equally impressive as the Nittany Lion offense was the Penn State defense. In the first half, Penn State did not allow a shot and kept play in Northwestern's end of the field for a majority of the first half.
The Nittany Lions finished the first half with ten shots and a two-goal lead after the first 45 minutes of play.
To open the second half, Northwestern registered its only shot of the game. The header on goal found the back of the next and cut the Nittany Lions lead to 2-1 in the 46th minute of play.
Following the Wildcats goal, the Nittany Lions continued to pressure the Northwestern defense. In the 52nd minute, Sam Coffey sent a shot on goal that was destined for the back of the net. A Wildcats defender stepped in front of the shot kept the score 2-1. Penn State put three more shots on goal, but none were able to extend the Nittany Lion lead.
In the 62nd minute, Penn State was awarded a corner kick. Sam Coffey sent the corner into the box and Ally Schlegel leapt above the defense and her header crossed the goal line to give the Nittany Lions a 3-1 lead.
The lead was more than enough as Penn State held on for a 3-1 win on senior day.
NOTES
- The Nittany Lions are currently second in the Big Ten standings behind Michigan.
- Ally Schlegel's 11 goals are the most in a single season since Frannie Crouse scored 12 goals in 2016.