CARSON, Calif. – No. 16 Penn State women’s soccer dropped a narrow 2-1 decision to the Big Ten Conference leading and ninth-ranked USC Trojans Sunday afternoon from Dignity Health Sports Park, the home venue and training facility of Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy.
Following Sunday’s result in Southern California, Penn State moves to 11-4-3 overall in the 2024 campaign and 5-3-2 against Big Ten Conference opposition with a single match remaining on the league calendar. With the win, USC improves on its Big Ten regular season title hopes and rises to 13-1-2 with an 8-0-1 mark in B1G regular season action with a crosstown showdown against UCLA set for decision Sunday next week. In the all-time series, USC moves back level with the Blue & White, rising to 2-2-1 following the fifth all-time fixture.
On the final box score, USC came away with a 15-8 victory on the overall shot chart with five different Trojans amassing multiple-shot outings. The Trojans out-shot the Nittany Lions in terms of on-target opportunities by a slimmer 7-5 margin, and both teams amassed a grand total of 10 corner kicks, with five opportunities coming for each side. USC was far more aggressive in its challenges, culminating in a striking 15 foul calls from the officiating crew against just nine whistles plaguing the Nittany Lions. Yellow cards rained down in abundance, with Penn State earning a single caution while USC picked up a pair on their makeshift home field.
Individually, Penn State called on graduate midfielder Rowan Lapi to secure the 30th point of her collegiate career on Sunday, with the Reinholds, Pennsylvania, native converting her third penalty kick goal of the year to reach the 30-point scoring milestone. Lapi has now found the back of the net 12 times in her collegiate career, going a perfect 6-for-6 in penalty kick opportunities since her first try from the spot in 2022. Her 12th collegiate goal on Sunday joined six career assists spread over her decorated career to amount to the 30-point scoring milestone. A quartet of Nittany Lions played all 90 minutes in Sunday’s affair, with graduate defender Ginger Fontenot, redshirt sophomore defender Kayleigh Herr, senior defender Mieke Schiemann and redshirt sophomore midfielder Molly Martin landing that distinction.
Between the pipes for the Blue & White, redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Mackenzie Gress booked her fifth-straight start, going full-time for the fifth match in a row. Gress, a native of Lyndhurst, New Jersey, prevented a quintet of Trojan shots on goal, allowing a pair of scores en route to her first career losing decision. USC goalkeeper Laurence Gladu faced a quintet of Nittany Lion shots on goal, surrendering one goal to the Blue & White on Lapi’s PK, turning back a trio of saves herself while being rescued by a teammate with a team save on the fifth on-target PSU attempt.
The match began with an intense feeling-out process that featured a variety of physical plays culminating in long-range set piece chances for both squads. The Nittany Lions generated a dangerous chance just past the 20th minute with an impressive run from redshirt senior forward Kaitlyn MacBean into the box, but her attempt rolled across the goal mouth and the match remained level at nil. Moments later in the 23rd, from well beyond the 18, a Trojan attacker pelted a service deep into the Nittany Lion goal box, nearly landing on the boot of Farmer. The USC forward utilized her right foot to attempt a shot on goal from short range, but Gress was able to deny the initial Trojan chance. However, following a short rebound, Farmer was able to capitalize with a right-footed effort into the back left corner to give USC a 1-0 lead. Penn State and USC battled for the remaining minutes of the period, with the Trojans returning to the locker room with a one-goal advantage.
Out of the break, Penn State generated a multitude of dangerous scoring chances, but the Nittany Lions were unable to turn chances into a goal until the final moments of Sunday afternoon’s battle. In the 88th minute of play, MacBean battled her way into the lower left corner of the penalty area, where she was met with an aggressive challenge by a Trojan defender. The referee noticed the intense contact and awarded the Nittany Lions with a penalty kick opportunity, with Lapi called on to attempt the PK. The graduate defender stepped up to the spot and buried her chance into the back right corner to deadlock the contest. Less than two minutes later, in the final minute of action, Fusco challenged a Trojan attacker just outside the 18, with the referee awarding USC with a free kick opportunity. Helena Sampaio rushed to the ball and delivered a hard-hit strike into the top left corner of the goal to ensure the USC victory, closing the book on a 2-1 Trojan result.
SCORING SUMMARY
23’ – From well beyond the 18, a Trojan attacker pelted a service deep into the Nittany Lion goal box, nearly landing on the boot of Farmer. The USC forward utilized her right foot to attempt a shot on goal from short range, but Gress was able to deny the initial Trojan chance. However, following a short rebound, Farmer was able to capitalize with a right-footed effort into the back left corner. USC 1, PSU 0
88’ – MacBean battled her way into the lower left corner of the penalty area, where she was met with an aggressive challenge by a Trojan defender. The referee noticed the intense contact and awarded the Nittany Lions with a penalty kick opportunity, with Lapi called on to attempt the PK. The graduate defender stepped up to the spot and buried her chance into the back right corner to deadlock the contest. PSU 1, USC 1
90’ – In the final minute of action, Fusco challenged a Trojan attacker just outside the 18, with the referee awarding USC with a free kick opportunity. Sampaio rushed to the ball and delivered a hard-hit strike into the top left corner of the goal to ensure the USC victory. USC 2, PSU 1
UP NEXT
No. 16 Penn State women's soccer prepares for its final matchup of the 2024 regular season next week, as the Nittany Lions hit the road for their third consecutive nationally ranked matchup against the No. 15 Ohio State Buckeyes on Sunday, October 27. Kickoff from Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium is slated for noon (ET) in Columbus, Ohio, with the match set to stream live to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+ and the B1G+ app on connected devices.
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