Penn State women's soccer draws with Rutgers in instant classic

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- In an instant classic at Jeffrey Field, the Penn State Nittany Lions and Rutgers Scarlet Knights both came away with a goal a piece to end up with a 1-1 draw finish.

Many people may assume that because it was a 1-1 draw, there wasn’t a ton of action throughout the game, but that was quite the opposite.

The leg and head of Kaitlyn MacBean, the leading goal scorer for the blue and white with 11 goals now to her name on the year, had many chances throughout the game.

She was able to capitalize early in the matchup within the first five minutes with a goal to put Penn State up 1-0 early on in the contest.

Then after that goal, the Nittany Lions were able to hold possession in their zone for much of the rest of the half, but the second half proved very different.

Star goalkeeper Mackenzie Gress, who was not with the team besides the first win of the 2024 season, made her return home after playing with the U.S. Women’s Youth National Team in Columbia over the past month and a half.

In her outing, she played well only allowing the one goal that came quick for the Scarlet Knights.

Another goal that came within five minutes of one of the 45 minutes, this one came right after the halftime break. Shaela Bradley was the goal scorer to pull the game within even in the contest.

What ensued after the two goals in the game were scored, was absolute pandemonium, but Coach Dambach used a different word to describe it.

“Chaos, that’s the word I can use for it. They want it to be (chaos) and they thrive in that,” Dambach said.

The 13 fouls total, which resulted in two yellow cards in the game for Rutgers made it much more difficult for them to take the lead, but also difficult on Penn State.

Multiple free kick opportunities and corner kicks were available for the Nittany Lions, but Olivia Bodmer had eight saves in the game which kept her team in it.

Multiple header opportunities were put in great spots, but Bodmer proved exactly why she is one of the best keepers in the Big Ten.

Today’s goal she allowed was only her fourth of the entire season through the team's first 14 games of the season.

A combination of crazy scoring chances, and excellent defensive stands was one of the main reasons the 1-1 result took place in this one.

Dambach’s squad will travel to College Park, Maryland next Thursday to take on the Terrapins at 7 p.m. After that affair, they return home the following Sunday, Oct. 13 for the final home game against Minnesota. The game will be the team’s Down Syndrome Awareness game.

Giustino Racchini is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email him at gar5448@psu.edu.