No. 10 Penn State women’s soccer (3-0-1) outscored Monmouth (3-1) 3-1 on Sunday afternoon from West Long Branch, New Jersey.
Goals from Ally Schlegel, Mieke Schiemann, and Penelope Hocking propelled the Nittany Lions over the Hawks, along with three saves from goalkeeper Katherine Asman.
How It Happened
Head coach Erica Dambach rolled out a familiar lineup against the Hawks. The only adjustment to the starting 11 was the addition of senior midfielder Jordan Canniff. Canniff scored the Nittany Lions’ opening goal against West Virginia on Thursday.
The Nittany Lions maintained possession for the majority of the opening minutes of the match. Penn State managed to keep the ball in the Hawks’ half for almost the entire first 45 minutes.
Penn State’s first shot on goal came from Natalie Wilson off a long kick from outside the penalty box. Monmouth goalkeeper Cassie Coster punched the ball away from the goal line, only for Ally Schlegel to head the deflection into the back of the net. The Nittany Lions made it 1-0 in the game’s eighth minute.
Monmouth struggled to slow down Penn State’s offensive momentum and even break into the Nittany Lions’ half of the field. Goalkeeper Katherine Asman made two easy saves in the first 20 minutes of the match but otherwise did not see much action in the net.
Meanwhile, Coster saw much more offense from the Nittany Lions on the other end of the field. Penelope Hocking, Cori Dyke, and Amelia White each put plenty of pressure on the goalkeeper and forced her to stay alert on the goal line.
Penn State experimented with formation for much of the first half following Schlegel’s goal. In order to strengthen the Nittany Lions’ front line, the team transitioned into a 3-5-2 formation in the final 20 minutes of the first half.
The score remained stagnant at 1-0 for the remainder of the half. Monmouth put four shots on goal, but could not get past Asman before the whistle.
Payton Linnehan, Dyke, and Hocking opened up the second half with huge amounts of pressure on the Hawks’ center backs. Penn State and Monmouth traded possession several times, but the Nittany Lions created more opportunities at the goal in the first 10 minutes.
Monmouth earned a free kick in the 55th minute as a result of a Hocking foul. Olivia Ramiz took the kick that dropped into the penalty box. Several Penn State and Monmouth players tried to clear the ball, but ultimately Rachel Ludwick snuck the ball past Asman to tie the Nittany Lions at one all.
Just one minute later, Penn State amped up the tempo in an attempt to respond. The Hawks were forced to foul, and the Nittany Lions earned a free kick. Kate Wiesner sent a lofted ball towards the penalty spot, and Mieke Schiemann tapped the ball past Coster into the net. Schiemann made it 2-1 in the 56th minute.
Penn State kept putting the pressure on Coster, but couldn’t convert until the 68th minute. Off a pass from Linnehan, Hocking buried a quick far-post shot into the net to extend the Nittany Lions’ lead to 3-1.
Monmouth couldn’t make anything else happen offensively, and the Nittany Lions got the job done to finish with a score of 3-1.
Player Of The Match:
Mieke Schiemann | Defender
That’s two goals in two games for sophomore center defender Mieke Schiemann. Even though Schiemann started in 16 games for Penn State last season, the sophomore is already creating a huge impact as a goal-scoring defender.
With the graduation of veteran outside back Kerry Abello, Schiemann is confidently stepping into a leadership role in the defensive line. Abello was never one to shy away from a goal-scoring opportunity, and Schiemann is following in her footsteps.
What’s Next?
Penn State women’s soccer will hit the west coast for a two-game tour in California. The Nittany Lions will first challenge Stanford at 10 pm on Thursday, September 1. Then, Dambach’s squad will face off against Santa Clara at 10:30 pm on Sunday, September 4.
