Penn State women's soccer prepares for more Big Ten action against Northwestern

The No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions are set for a Big Ten matchup versus the Northwestern Wildcats.

Penn State comes into the game at 7-1-1 with their most recent 2-1 victory against Columbia and Northwestern 5-3-1 most recently drew 1-1 against the Harvard Crimson.

This will be both teams' second match in conference play this season, the Nittany Lions looked dominant on all sides of the ball in their 6-0 victory over the Michigan Wolverines, while the Wildcats suffered a tough loss to Purdue in a 2-0 match despite outshooting the Boilermakers 20-7.

For the Nittany Lions, Kaitlyn MacBean has led the way all season, racking up nine goals in nine games. Last time out MacBean did not score, but she was able to put her name on the score sheet as she tallied her first assist of the season to Jordan Fusco to go along with four shots.

For the Wildcats, freshman Kennedy Roesch leads the team in scoring with four goals this season. Nicolle Doucette leads the team in assists with three and had one to Roesch to equalize against the Crimson on Sunday.

Looking at individual statistics, MacBean is averaging more than four shots and two shots on target per game. She has more than twice the amount of shots (39) and shots on target (19) than any of her teammates, making her the top priority for the Wildcats defense.

In games that MacBean scores, the team’s goal differential is 21-4, while in the three games she hasn't scored, their goal differential is just 3-1.

As for the defensive side for Penn State, Mieke Schiemann earned herself a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week nod after scoring in each of the Nittany Lions' last two matches from the penalty spot.

Schiemann anchors the back line with transfer students Kayleigh Herr and Ginger Fontenot who have all been rock-solid and played an important role in helping Goalkeeper Amanda Poorbaugh earn four clean sheets so far this season.

Nicole Doucette, Emma Phillips and Maddie Finnerty are the primary defenders who will be tasked with limiting chances for the potent Nittany Lions offense.

Time of possession will be a crucial factor in this game, and if the Wildcats want to upset the No. 9 Nittany Lions, they would benefit from a slow controlled strategy of possession while maintaining the structure and integrity of their back line.

The Nittany Lions love to send long through-balls and lofted passes to create one-on-one situations down the field and have serious counterattack potential.

It will be pertinent for the Northwestern backline to remain in constant communication with one another and stay disciplined when trying to create offside plays with a high backline.

Making subs at the right time to keep their defensive pressure effective and attackers fresh is a key part of the coaching battle between Erica Dambach and Michael Moynihan.

Aubrey Kulpa, Elle Kershner and Riley Gleason have made that impact coming off the bench for the Nittany Lions this season, with each playing in at least eight games, but only combining for three starts.

Offensively, they have combined for 15 of the team's 71 points scored this season and will be tested against the Wildcats tonight at 7:30 p.m.

Carson Schuler is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism, to contact him, please email cts5357@psu.edu.