No. 22 WVU women’s soccer looking to start fast, break winless streak against No. 23 Penn State
Trending
MORGANTOWN -- In 2017, West Virginia women's soccer hosted and beat Penn State 2-1. That was the last game the Mountaineers have won over the rival Nittany Lions. Since then, WVU-Penn State have played nine games, and WVU have lost eight of them and drawn the other one. The Mountaineers are on a six-game losing streak against the Nittany Lions.
"They have extremely talented players,” head coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. “Obviously, their coaching staff is very experienced. I think between them being tactically sound and talented, obviously it’s a very hard opponent for us, and we respect that. I would probably say it’s a combination of both how organized and effective their staff is, but also the talent they bring in."
On Thursday, Aug. 20, at 7 p.m., No. 22 WVU hosts No. 23 Penn State, looking to end the streak of unfortunate outcomes. The Mountaineers enter the game after a week-long break from beating Dayton 2-0 in the home opener. Penn State heads to Morgantown after drawing against No. 2 Notre Dame to start the year, jumping into the top 25. The Nittany Lions were up 2-0 in the second half, and then conceded back-to-back goals.
WVU needs to start a lot faster than against Dayton. Izzo-Brown said her team's emotions were getting in the way, allowing for the Flyers to really shock the Mountaineers in the first half. Dayton was more aggressive for loose balls and outshot WVU 3-2. The Flyers didn't score, but as an unranked team, were putting up quite the fight. The Mountaineers came out swinging in the second half, scoring quickly, and won 2-0.
WVU can't afford to start slow against Penn State. Along with the national ranking, the Nittany Lions have forward Aubrey Kulpa, who scored eight goals last year while battling injuries, and are solid on defense with Bella Ayscue -- an All-Big Ten third-team member in 2025 -- being the leader. As Izzo-Brown said, they’re talented.
"I think we’re always on the hunt for consistency in a 90-minute game," Izzo-Brown said. "Going into Penn State, that’s what we have to be."
Izzo-Brown outlined what she needs to see out of her team in the first half to know they made adjustments from last week's game. The team needs hard tackles, winning 1-on-1s, fighting for loose balls and pressing. WVU needs to not let the emotions get in the way and instead use them to enhance their play.
The emotions should be at an all-time high. It's the second game of the season against a rival, and after Penn State's performance against the Fighting Irish, a ranked matchup.
Both teams will be fighting hard for RPI points, and both teams want to move up in the national rankings.
"We want to move up," Izzo-Brown said. "We want those RPI points for postseason play. There’ll be a lot at stake. I know our team had respect for the A10 champion of Dayton, and Dayton’s going to have a great year, but it’s a little bit easier when you see a national ranking behind a team to get a little bit more motivated."
For some extra motivation, WVU will have the Dick Dlesk Stadium crowd to support. The last time the Mountaineers won and the game they drew were both in Morgantown. Maybe this will be the year WVU will break the streak and finally earn a win.
"We’re excited to be home," Izzo-Brown said. "Penn State obviously has been a big rival for us for years. We have tons of respect for them, and obviously both of us being nationally ranked will be a huge game for us Thursday."