Penn State women’s soccer: Nittany Lions blow past Albany 5-0, advance to NCAA second round

Much like the Jeffrey Field corner flags in 30-mph winds, Albany did its best not to get knocked down.

Stacking eight, sometimes nine, outfield players in their own box, the Great Danes did whatever they could to frustrate the Penn State women’s soccer team.

But not even 10 in the box could’ve tamed the Nittany Lions’ gusto on Friday night.

In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Penn State (17-3-2) jumped on Albany (11-9-1) in the first half and polished things off in the second, advancing to the second round with a 5-0 win. The No. 1-seeded Nittany Lions will play the winner of Boston University and St. John’s, who meet Saturday, at home next Friday night.

Penn State scored early and often, notching three goals in the opening 20 minutes. It also added a pair of second-half scores.

While the Nittany Lions made it look easy, it wasn’t. At least, for the first few minutes.

Albany did its best to crowd the box and stay behind the ball. Against the Big Ten’s highest-scoring team, it wasn’t a bad strategy.

But it was one with which Penn State is familiar.

“Fortunately, Michigan prepared us well for that style of play,” Penn State head coach Erica Walsh said. “We were able to sit and break down film and talk about patience.”

Patience is certainly what the Nittany Lions needed around the 18-yard box, and their midfield provided it.

Penn State controlled possession at will. Think Barcelona against a cellar-dwelling La Liga side.

Nittany Lion midfielders Raquel Rodriguez, Emily Ogle and Nickolette Driesse were active, with or without the ball on their feet, and kept play lively.

“It’s all about being patient and sustaining the attack,” Ogle said. “The gaps will open, and it’ll unlock at some point. ... And when we do have the opportunity to go, we’re going on the same page, and buzzing one-and-two touch to break them down.”

That approach paid off just five minutes into the game. Penn State forward Megan Schafer, played the ball from the midfield in the box, had her back to goal, spun an isolated defender, and coolly finished for the night’s opening score.

That opened it up for the Nittany Lions’ offense.

In the 15th minute, defender Brittany Basinger sent in a cross intended for Mallory Weber, but the ball missed Weber’s foot and landed in the back of the net. Ogle gave Penn State a three-goal advantage just four minutes later, connecting from 28 yards out for a crossbar-clipping screamer.

Neither goal could have happened without Penn State’s absolute dominance in the midfield. As the midfield owned possession and Albany sunk into the box, it allowed defenders Basinger and Maddie Elliston to push forward and deliver balls into the box. And with the Great Danes on their heels, it also freed up long-range looks, which Ogle didn’t waste.

Walsh spoke highly of her midfield trio.

“I think we’ve got the best midfield in the country,” she said. “When they’re moving, they’re buzzing, and they’re playing two-touch, they’re unstoppable to dispossess.”

Albany found that out pretty quickly. In the opening 45 minutes, the Great Danes had possession in Penn State’s half just three times for a combined 38 seconds.

With the chilling winds at Penn State’s backs in the first period, weather played a factor in Albany’s inability to clear and generate a counterattack. When the field flipped in the second half, the Great Danes had a little more run to them, totaling five shots to just one in the first half.

But Albany could never break through on goal.

Instead, Penn State tallied a couple more.

In the 55th minute, Ogle tallied her second goal of the game, and with less than three minutes remaining, Charlotte Williams notched her second score of the season. There wasn’t much doubt at halftime that Penn State would advance, but those two scores definitively put the Nittany Lions one game closer to a national title.

If it continues to progress throughout the tournament, Penn State will be home until the College Cup. After the dismantling of Albany, the Nittany Lions are now a staggering 33-6-1 at Jeffrey Field in the NCAA Tournament.

That record is something the program can hang its hat on, but Walsh wants to make sure that pride stays tangible.

“It’s more than, ‘We’re on Jeffrey, so therefore we win.’”

And on Friday night, it certainly was.

This story was originally published November 13, 2015 at 11:20 PM with the headline "Penn State women’s soccer: Nittany Lions blow past Albany 5-0, advance to NCAA second round."