UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 10 Penn State women's soccer team won their first road match 3-1 at Monmouth and delivered the Hawks their first loss of the season on Sunday afternoon.
The match saw redshirt senior Ally Schlegel score her 37th career goal to put PSU on the board first. MU scored an equalizer in the 56th minute, but sophomore Mieke Schiemann responded a minute later with her second career goal. Senior+ Penelope Hocking topped off the match by scoring her first goal as a Nittany Lion in the 69th minute.
PSU is now 4-0 historically against Monmouth and earns their third win of the season to move to 3-0-1 on the young season. MU drops to 3-1-0 overall.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Hawks took the first shot of the match in the fourth minute, but a diving save by redshirt senior Katherine Asman kept the game scoreless early.
Four minute later, Penn State would strike first as back-to-back shots from senior Jordan Canniff and Schlegel were saved, but Schlegel headed the deflection down and in for the 1-0 lead. The goal marked PSU's quickest goal of the season and Schlegel's 37th career goal and her 91st career point. It was also the first goal Monmouth conceded this season.
Canniff had a good chance to add to PSU's lead in the 14th minute, but her shot bounced off the crossbar. The 18th minute saw an excellent clearance from Schiemann who headed a set piece out of the box.
PSU out-shot MU six to three but had a narrow four to three advantage with shots on goal in the opening half. Asman made three saves in the first half, tying her season high midway through the game.
To start the second half, the Hawks would find the equalizer as they scored off a deflection inside the box in the 56th minute.
Not even a minute later, Schiemann would score the go-ahead goal assisted by senior Kate Wiesner off a free kick opportunity. Schiemann's goal is the second of her career as she has now netted goals in back-to-back games.
Hocking knocked on the door in the 67th minute with two straight shots that saved and off target, respectively. But Hocking stayed the course and the 69th minute would see her net her first goal as a Nittany Lion in the bottom left of the goal assisted by senior Payton Linnehan.
The Blue and White out-shot the Hawks 17 to 7 and had nine shots on goal to the Hawks' four. The PSU defense kept MU to just one shot on goal in the second half. Corner kicks were even with five on each side.
NEXT UP
The Nittany Lions remain on the road and head to the West Coast to take on Stanford on Sept. 1 and Santa Clara on Sept. 4.
The Penn State women's soccer season is presented by the Smeal College of Business.
