KICKIN’ IT
The Nittany Lions return to action following a resurgent campaign in 2023 that featured the program’s deepest NCAA Tournament run since 2018, culminating in a 16-3-4 overall record and a National Quarterfinal finish. Penn State finished 6-1-3 in Big Ten Conference competition last year, ranking fourth in the B1G standings en route to a semifinal appearance in the 2023 Big Ten Tournament. PSU debuted at the No. 4 spot in the inaugural United Soccer Coaches poll, published on August 6. The Nittany Lions stand as the highest-ranked team in the newly expanded Big Ten Conference, leading an armada of seven programs nationally ranked in the inaugural United Soccer Coaches release. In the preseason release from TopDrawerSoccer, Penn State debuted at No. 7 nationally.
The Nittany Lions square off against 10 opponents that are either ranked or receiving votes in the preseason United Soccer Coaches Poll, highlighted by the 2024 season opener against the eighth-ranked Red Raiders on Thursday night. Penn State faces off against one of the most challenging non-conference slates in program history, with five of the next seven tests on the schedule against opponents ranked or receiving votes. Penn State was selected as the preseason No. 2 team in the Big Ten Conference in a poll of the league’s coaches, released Tuesday afternoon. Junior midfielder Olivia Borgen, redshirt senior forward Kaitlyn MacBean and senior defender Mieke Schiemann also picked up individual distinction as Big Ten Players to Watch in the conference office’s release. Individually, freshman midfielder Katie Scott also picked up recognition as a member of the TopDrawerSoccer.com Preseason Freshman Best XI team, recognizing the top freshman ahead of the 2024 season.
THE B1G LEAGUES
Penn State was selected as the preseason No. 2 team in the Big Ten Conference in a poll of the league’s coaches released Tuesday, August 13. UCLA stands as the preseason favorite to take home the conference’s regular season crown, with second-place PSU having accomplished that feat 20 times previously. The league’s 2023 regular season co-champions in Michigan State and Nebraska sit third and fourth, respectively, while newcomer USC, as well as Wisconsin, Rutgers and Iowa round out the top half of the conference’s preseason poll. Ohio State, Indiana, Michigan, Northwestern, Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue, Maryland and Oregon close out the 18-team poll. Junior midfielder Olivia Borgen,…
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