UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 6 Penn State women's soccer enters the postseason in its 30th varsity campaign this weekend, as the fourth-seeded Nittany Lions play host to a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal matchup against the fifth-seeded and 24th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers. Kickoff on Sunday, Oct. 29, is slated for 1 p.m. (ET), with streaming available to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+ and the B1G+ app.
MATCH INFORMATION
#24 INDIANA [5] at #6 PENN STATE [4]
B1G Tournament Quarterfinal
Sunday, October 29, 2023 | 1 p.m. (ET)
Jeffrey Field | University Park, Pa.
Watch Live: B1G+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
PARKING & FAN INFORMATION
Admission to Penn State's Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal matchup against Indiana is complimentary, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. Parking for all Penn State women's soccer matches will require a valid permit or payment of the applicable parking fee for campus lots. Fans with valid Penn State University parking permits will be permitted to park at women's soccer matches for free, following Transportation Services parking policies and access. For women's soccer matches, fans are asked to park in the Jordan East, Stadium West or Porter North lots. Fans without a permit are encouraged to prepay for event parking at a discounted rate of $5.50 through the ParkMobile app, or by clicking here. Prepayment is available through 11:59 p.m. the day before each event. Event day parking will be $10 per vehicle.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
For fans unable to attend in person, Penn State's postseason opener on Jeffrey Field will be streamed live to a worldwide audience via B1G+. Authenticated subscribers are invited to click here and sign in to B1G+ on their mobile phones, computers, smart TVs and other connected devices to follow along. Juan Mendez will provide play-by-play commentary, while Mac Young will serve as the broadcast's analyst. Live stats provided by Penn State and StatBroadcast are available by clicking here.
KICKIN' IT
The Blue & White return to work following a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat at the hands of then-No. 21 Wisconsin last Sunday in University Park. PSU weathered a wind-aided first half against the Badgers, but could not find the back of the net after Wisconsin notched the contest's only score late in the second. A postseason announcement from the Big Ten Conference office saw senior+ defender Cori Dyke haul in Big Ten Defender of the Year accolades and an All-B1G First Team appearance, while senior defender Eva Alonso and graduate goalkeeper Katherine Asman each appeared on the All-B1G Second Team. Senior+ defender and redshirt junior forward Kaitlyn MacBean each garnered spots on the All-B1G Third Team to round out the program's All-B1G recognition, with Wiesner additionally representing the squad as the recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship award for the 2023 campaign.
ABOUT LAST SEASON…
The Penn State women's soccer team will look to defend its 2022 Big Ten Tournament Championship beginning Sunday afternoon in University Park. The Nittany Lions secured their ninth Big Ten Tournament Championship at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, home of Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew. PSU finished the 2022 regular season with the No. 6 seed in the conference after a 5-3-2 league campaign a year ago. The Blue & White opened the tournament on the road for the second season in a row and squared off against third-seeded Wisconsin in Madison. After dispatching with the Badgers in a 1-0 result, PSU convincingly upset second-seeded Northwestern in a 2-0 contest before coming away with a thrilling 3-2 barn-burning win over top-seeded Michigan State to claim the crown.
THE STANDARD IN THE BIG TEN
Penn State enters its 28th Big Ten Tournament all-time and maintains a 39-13-6 overall record in the conference's postseason event. The Nittany Lions have outscored opponents by a 94-51 margin overall since their first appearance in the 1994 season. The Blue & White have appeared in every conference tournament held by the B1G, with 2009 and 2010 being the only exceptions as no tournament was held. PSU owns nine conference tournament championships all-time, taking home the league's highest honor in 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2008, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2022. Penn State is responsible for more than a third of all B1G Tournament championships won, with the next-closest conference competitors in Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio State each logging three apiece. Should Penn State secure its 10th conference tournament title in the 2023 season, the Nittany Lions would become just the third power-five conference program to reach double-figure conference tournament championships. Only North Carolina in the ACC (23) and Florida in the SEC (12) have tallied more tournament crowns in their respective leagues.
HOSTING THE HOOSIERS (AGAIN)
Fifth-year head coach Erwin van Bennekom leads Indiana into its first postseason appearance since his inaugural campaign in the 2019 season, with the Hoosiers maintaining a 12-2-4 overall record paired with a 6-2-2 finish in Big Ten Conference play. The Hoosiers booked 20 points in the B1G regular season, one shy of the Nittany Lions' 21. IU boasts signature wins this season against Rutgers and Michigan, with their only losses on the year coming against Ohio State and Penn State, both on the road. On the pitch, All-B1G First Team forward Paige Webber leads the way with 28 points and 12 goals this season, while newly-minted Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year Jamie Gerstenberg stands watch between the pipes with 43 saves this season and a 0.796 save percentage.
STORY OF THE SERIES
Penn State and Indiana get set for their second meeting in the last two weeks and 34th meeting all-time, with the Nittany Lions booking a domineering 29-1-3 overall record against the Hoosiers since their first meeting back in 1994. PSU maintains a 29-match unbeaten streak against IU, with the Hoosiers' lone win coming in the 1996 B1G Tournament. In the most recent meeting of the two teams on Oct. 19, the Nittany Lions cruised to a convincing 2-0 win over then-No. 19 Indiana on Jeffrey Field. Senior+ defender Kate Wiesner tallied in the 20th minute, with redshirt sophomore midfielder Julia Raich adding a dagger in the 81st.
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.
The 30th Season of Penn State women's soccer is presented by the Smeal College of Business.
