# 2021 Penn State Nittany Lions women's soccer team

The 2021 Penn State Nittany Lions women's soccer team represented Pennsylvania State University during the 2021 NCAA Division I women's soccer season and the 2021 Big Ten Conference women's soccer season. It was the program's 28th season fielding a women's varsity soccer team, and their 28th season in the Big Ten Conference. The 2021 season is Erica Dambach's 15th year at the helm.

## Background

The 2021 season is the Nittany Lions' 28th season as a varsity soccer program, and their 28th season playing in the Big Ten Conference. The team is led by 15th year head coach, Erica Dambach, who had previously served as a head coach for the Harvard. Tim Wassell was promoted to associate head coach in July 2021.
Penn State was invited to compete in the 2021 NCAA tournament as an unranked seed.

## Squad
### Roster

    As of August 5, 2021
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Nation |
| 0 | GK | Katie Evans | United States |
| 00 | GK | Amanda Poorbaugh | United States |
| 1 | GK | Julia Dohle | United States |
| 2 | MF | Kerry Abello | United States |
| 3 | MF | Olivia Damico | United States |
| 5 | MF | Cori Dyke | United States |
| 6 | DF | Kate Wiesner | United States |
| 7 | MF | Jillian Jennings | United States |
| 8 | MF | Jilly Shimkin | United States |
| 9 | FW | Rachel Wasserman | United States |
| 10 | MF | Maddie Myers | United States |
| 12 | MF | Payton Linnehan | United States |
| 14 | MF | Kaitlyn Macbean | United States |
| 15 | DF | Devon Olive | United States |
| 16 | FW | Ellie Wheeler | United States |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 17 | MF | Sam Coffey | United States |
| 18 | DF | Sofia Mancino | United States |
| 20 | FW | Angela Aguero | United States |
| 22 | MF | Jordan Canniff | United States |
| 23 | DF | Eva Alonso | Spain |
| 24 | FW | Elle Kershner | United States |
| 25 | DF | Mieke Schiemann | Germany |
| 26 | GK | Katherine Asman | United States |
| 29 | DF | Kara Ogden | United States |
| 31 | MF | Julia Raich | United States |
| 32 | MF | Natalie Wilson | United States |
| 33 | DF | Anna Carson | United States |
| 34 | FW | Ally Schlegel | United States |
| 35 | MF | Riley Gleason | United States |
| 55 | GK | Morgan Messner | United States |

### Personnel

Front office :
| Athletic Director | Sandy Barbour |
| Deputy Director of Athletics | Lynn Holleran |
| Deputy Director of Athletics | Scott Sidwell |
| Coaching staff ||
| Head coach | Erica Dambach |
| Assistant coach | Ann Cook |
| Assistant coach | Tim Wassell |
| Assistant coach | Jack Rushworth |
Last updated: January 1, 2021 Source: Penn State Athletics

## Schedule

| Date Time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Team events | Opponent events | Site (Attendance) City, State |
| Pre-season ||||||||
| August 19* 7:00 p.m., BTN+ | No. 10 | UMass | W 3–1 | 1–0–0 (0–0–0) | S. Coffey 50' A. Schlegel 56' P. Linnehan 60' | C. Pedolzky 49' | Jeffrey Field (1777) State College, PA |
| August 22* 5:00 p.m., BTN+ | No. 7 | La Salle | W 4–0 | 2–0–0 (0–0–0) | P. Linnehan 24' P. Linnehan 26' P. Linnehan 28' O. Damico 36' | G. Picco 13' M. McCready 81' | Jeffrey Field (987) State College, PA |
| August 29* 2:00 p.m., BTN+ | No. 7 | Hofstra | W 2–1 | 3–0–0 (0–0–0) | P. Linnehan 3' A. Schlegel 13' | M. Taylor 20' Team Bench 20' | Jeffrey Field (1007) State College, PA |
| September 2 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | No. 7 | at No. 13 West Virginia | W 2–0 | 4–0–0 (0–0–0) | E. Wheeler 29' K. Abello 30' J. Shimkin 63' A. Schlegel 87' | none | Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium (1257) Morgantown, WV |
| September 5* 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | No. 7 | at No. 18 University of Central Florida | L 2–1 | 4–1–0 (0–0–0) | M. Myers 24' S. Coffey 29' Bench 75' | K. Scott 25' K. Scott 61' K. Scott 73' D. Martin 73' | UCF Soccer and Track Stadium (524) Orlando, FL |
| September 9* 8:00 p.m., ACC Network | No. 14 | at No. 3 Virginia | W 4–2 | 5–1–0 (0–0–0) | S. Coffey 24' P. Linnehan 38' A. Schlegel 39' A. Schlegel 61' | D. Ordonez 26' D. Ordonez 57' | Klöckner Stadium (1559) Charlottesville, VA |
| September 12* 3:00 p.m. | No. 14 | vs. NC State | W 1–0 | 6–1–0 (0–0–0) | C. Dyke 79' S. Coffey 89' | none | Klöckner Stadium (53) Charlottesville, VA |
| Regular season ||||||||
| September 19 12:00 p.m., BTN | No. 8 | at No. 16 Rutgers | L 2–1 | 6–2–0 (0–1–0) | R. Wasserman 67' | S. Kroeger 62' B. Fluchel 80' | Yurcak Field (1854) Piscataway, NJ |
| September 23 7:00 p.m., BTN+ | No. 12 | Northwestern | L 2–1 | 6–3–0 (0–2–0) | C. Dyke 50' K. Abello 80' | K. Titus 10' J. Aulicino 36' | Jeffrey Field (652) State College, PA |
| September 26 3:00 p.m., BTN+ | No. 12 | Ohio State | L 1–0 | 6–4–0 (0–3–0) | none | I. Rodriguez 65' | Jeffrey Field (892) State College, PA |
| September 30 3:00 p.m., BTN | | at No. 18 Wisconsin | W 2–1 | 7–4–0 (1–3–0) | S. Coffey 30' J. Canniff 80' | E. Jaskaniec 12' M. Monticello 30' | McClimon Soccer Complex (0) Madison, WI |
| October 3 1:00 p.m., BTN+ | | at Minnesota | L 4–1 | 7–5–0 (1–4–0) | R. Gleason 89' | P. Ward 9' I. Brown 24' M. Buisman 57' Team 73' | Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium (1311) Falcon Heights, MN |
| October 10 6:00 p.m., BTN+ | | Maryland | W 5–1 | 8–5–0 (2–4–0) | S. Coffey 18' S. Coffey 27' S. Coffey 39' r. Wasserman 47' A. Schlegel 52' M. Schiemann 68' | M. Dates 18' | Jeffrey Field (1000) State College, PA |
| October 14 7:00 p.m., ESPNU | | Indiana | W 3–0 | 9–5–0 (3–4–0) | J. Canniff 40' R. Gleason 41' S. Coffey 54' J. Canniff 65' | A. Kalin 8' | Jeffrey Field (548) State College, PA |
| October 17 3:30 p.m., BTN+ | | No. 19 Purdue | W 2–1 | 10–5–0 (4–4–0) | J. Canniff 61' A. Schlegel 77' | Sarah Griffith 57' | Jeffrey Field (1931) State College, PA |
| October 21 7:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 24 | at Michigan | L 2–0 | 10–6–0 (4–5–0) | none | R. Loughman 17' S. Shepherd 27' D. Wolfe 84' | U-M Soccer Stadium (1133) Ann Arbor, MI |
| October 24 1:00 p.m., BTN+ | No. 24 | at Michigan State | W 2–1 | 11–6–0 (5–5–0) | A. Schlegel 78' E. Wheeler 83' | C. Evans 78' | DeMartin Soccer Complex (1242) East Lansing, MI |
| Big Ten Tournament ||||||||
| October 31 1:00 p.m., BTN+ | No. (6) | at No. 17 (3) Michigan First Round | L 3–1 | 11–7–0 (5–5–0) | A. Schlegel 85' | N. Hernandez 9' R. Loughman 20' K. Lawrence 20' | U-M Soccer Stadium (801) Ann Arbor, MI |
| NCAA Tournament ||||||||
| November 12* 6:00 p.m. | | Monmouth University First Round | W 3–1 | 12–7–0 (5–5–0) | A. Schlegel 25' P. Linnehan 38' R. Wasserman 74' | R. Ludwick 77' | Jeffrey Field (521) State College, PA |
| November 19* 4:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network | | at No. 11 USC Round of 32 | T 2–2 $^{5–3PK}$ | 12–7–1 (5–5–0) | A. Schlegel 20' A. Schlegel 56' | P. Hocking 48' S. Jackson 85' | McAlister Field (897) Los Angeles, CA |
| November 21* 3:00 p.m., Pac-12 Network | | vs. South Carolina Sweet Sixteen | L 2–0 | 12–8–1 (5–5–0) | none | S. Chang 25' L. Zullo 55' | McAlister Field (219) Los Angeles, CA |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from United Soccer Coaches. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. ||||||||
Source:Penn State Athletics

## Rankings
### Preseason Big Ten poll

Penn State was predicted to finish 1st in the Big Ten Conference.
Coaches' Poll :
| Predicted finish | Team |
| 1 | Penn State |
| 2 | Rutgers |
| 3 | Ohio State |
| 4 | Michigan |
| 5 | Wisconsin |
| 6 | Indiana |
| 7 | Iowa |
| 7 | Northwestern |
| 9 | Illinois |
| 10 | Minnesota |
| 11 | Purdue |
| 12 | Nebraska |
| 13 | Michigan State |
| 14 | Maryland |

### Season rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| United Soccer | 10 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 8 | 12 | RV | RV | — | 24 | RV | RV | RV | 23 |
| Top Drawer Soccer | 20 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24 |
| CollegeSoccerNews.com | 10 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 25 | RV | RV | — | — | | | |