Late goal from Wisconsin spoils Penn State women's soccer undefeated season

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 21 ranked Wisconsin Badgers defeated the No. 4 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions 1-0 on Sunday at Jeffrey Field.

It was a cold and windy day at Jeffrey Field with much at stake for both teams heading into the matchup.

Wisconsin had an outside chance to take home the Big Ten regular season title needing a win and some help elsewhere.

As for the Nittany Lions, a win at home to close out the season would mean they clinched an undefeated season and Big Ten regular season title.

It was a slow start to the game for both teams and scoring chances came at a minimum.

The heavy winds played a major impact on both teams as many balls simply died in the air and led to many turnovers making good defense a must for everyone.

Along with great defense in the first half, there was also some sharp goaltending from Penn State goaltender Katherine Asman who recorded three first-half saves.

After a halftime break, both teams came out with a bit more urgency, eager to get that first goal on the board and a chance for the title.

With the game starting to open up Penn State was able to build some momentum early in the second half with a few good chances and corner kicks.

But Erin McKinney stood tall in the net for Wisconsin and made two huge and potential game-saving goals at the 61 and 68-minute mark.

Penn State was able to get yet another amazing chance in the second half when they were rewarded a set piece at the 70-minute mark.

Yet the chance went over the net on the kick and was clearly impacted by the wind that carried the ball further than expected.

As chance after chance kept occurring it was just a matter of time until one team finally got one to hit the back of the net.

And in the 82nd minute, Ashley Martinez was able to put one in off a rebound to give Wisconsin a 1-0 lead.

Fans at Jeffrey Field weren’t happy with the goal standing as it possibly could’ve been ruled offside but nonetheless, Wisconsin had the lead and a chance to spoil Penn State’s undefeated season.

Wisconsin was able to stand strong and weather any storm Penn State threw at them in the final eight minutes of the game and secured the upset win.

Penn State will now look to get prepared for Big Ten tournament play where they will play their first game Sunday at home.

Rob Cardini is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email rvc5706@psu.edu