UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 9 Penn State women's soccer kicks off a banner week of marquee Big Ten Conference matchups this Thursday, September 19, as the Nittany Lions return to league action to face the Northwestern Wildcats in a 7 p.m. (ET) start from Jeffrey Field. The match will stream live to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+ and the B1G+ app.

FAN INFORMATION, PARKING & PROMOTIONS

With the start of construction projects benefitting all 800+ student-athletes at Penn State, notably the construction of the Jeffrey Field Soccer Complex at the south end of the facility, elements of the Jeffrey Field match day experience have changed. Due to construction, the grass area behind the south goal will not be accessible to spectators. Spectator entrances are located on either end of Jeffrey Field near the corner flags on the south side of the facility. For more spectator information, as well as a diagram of the facility, click here.

Spectator parking is located in the Stadium West lot, with entrance to the lot located at the intersection of Park Avenue and Stadium West Drive. ADA accessibility is still available on either side of the facility. Spectators wishing to access the University Drive seating area should park in the Stadium West lot closest to the Bryce Jordan Center and walk down the sidewalk to the main entrance on the University Drive side of the facility. To prepay for parking at a discounted rate, click here. Event day parking will be $10 at the main entrance to the lot.

Penn State welcomes fans back to Jeffrey Field for the third match in a row and celebrates Jersey Night during Thursday’s contest against B1G-rival Northwestern. Fans are encouraged to wear their favorite soccer jersey to participate in Thursday night’s festivities. Penn State women’s soccer will also have a jersey signed by all 33 student-athletes available, with fans encouraged to sign up at the marketing table near the north entry of Jeffrey Field to enter for a chance to win.

KICKIN’ IT

The Nittany Lions return to Big Ten Conference play following a solid 2-1 victory over the Ivy League's Columbia Lions on Senior Day presented by the Penn State Alumni Association last Sunday, September 15. PSU utilized a score in the run of play from senior midfielder Jordan Fusco to take an early 1-0 lead, while senior defender Mieke Schiemann provided what became the match-winner from the penalty spot minutes later. The win over Columbia brought Penn State’s overall season record to 7-1-1 overall, with the Nittany Lions wielding a 1-0-0 start to the Big Ten Conference season following a 6-0 thrashing of the Michigan Wolverines on Thursday, September 12 on Jeffrey Field. PSU’s 6-1-1 non-conference record stands as one of the program’s strongest marks in recent memory, with the Blue & White facing off against five opponents that were either ranked or receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches poll at the time of the match.

Schiemann secured the third Big Ten Conference weekly accolade of her collegiate career this week, earning B1G Defensive Player of the Week distinction in the league office’s weekly release Tuesday, September 17. The Berlin, Germany, native poured in a pair of goals highlighted by her match-winning Senior Day PK against Columbia, while helping anchor PSU's back line in the team's fifth shutout of the year against Michigan. The NCAA released its first RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) of the 2024 season on Monday, September 16, with the Nittany Lions garnering the No. 6 placement in the organization's first release of the year. PSU sits as the third-highest ranked team in the Big Ten Conference, which stands as the strongest RPI league across all of Division I women's soccer.

FUN WITH THE RPI

Penn State stands as the nation's No. 6 team in the first release of the NCAA RPI (ratings percentage index), one of the most critical tools used in determining seeding and selection for the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament. The RPI ranks teams based on wins, losses and strength of schedule. RPI is formulated by including a team's winning percentage, the winning percentage of the team's opponents, and the winning percentage of the team's opponent's opponents. The Nittany Lions maintain an RPI value of 0.695, trailing the nation's top five RPI programs in Michigan State, Florida State, Auburn, North Carolina and Ohio State. Penn State maintains the No. 3 spot in the nation's premier women's soccer conference. The Big Ten boasts the second-most top 25 RPI teams in Division I with seven, trailing the ACC's eight top 25 teams. The Big Ten stands as the No. 1 conference in women's college soccer, logging a league RPI value of 0.617.