A staple at the Penn State women's soccer team home games this season has been inclement weather.

The most recent run-in with Mother Nature was Tuesday night, when the No. 10 Nittany Lions were scheduled to host No. 7 West Virginia. Mother Nature had different plans, and dumped snow and hail on Jeffrey Field.

Penn State women's soccer coach Paula Wilkins said that decision to cancel the game was not a difficult one when the field is covered and the lines could not be seen.

"We were pretty upset," Wilkins said. "We all wanted to play much but we just couldn't."

West Virginia got on a bus and traveled three and half hours to Happy Valley to play its highest-ranked opponent -- Big East rival Connecticut is not on the schedule.

The Mountaineers were ready to play the game with their uniforms on in the locker room, before finding out about the cancellation.

"Obviously, we came all that way to play in the showdown," West Virginia women's soccer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. "There was no decision to be made, and we were very disappointed."

As much as West Virginia wanted to play the Lions, it is now getting prepared for this weekend's Big East tournament when it hosts St. John's.

"We have a big game in the Big East, and that is what we are focusing on now," Izzo-Brown said.

A week away and waiting

The Lions are beginning to prepare for next Thursday's Big Ten tournament, which Penn State has won three of the last four years, in East Lansing, Mich. Penn State's first-round opponent is still unknown because there is one game in the conference still to be played. Iowa is currently seeded eighth, but if Illinois defeats Purdue on Sunday, the Illini would jump the Hawkeyes and move into the eighth spot.

"Right now we're going to focus on ourselves and the technical tactics that need work," Wilkins said. "Once we know who we are playing and can get back on the field we'll work on some of their particulars."

Penn State will not look ahead to a possible semi-final or final matchup, knowing that any team in the conference can beat any other team, Wilkins said.

Moscato missing

For the second time this season, Penn State is without the services of freshman midfielder Carmelina Moscato. She missed all of the preseason while traveling with the Under-19 Canadian Team.

Moscato has missed the squad's last two games as she left to be a part of the Canadian National Team. Wilkins expects Moscato to return to the lineup for the start of the NCAA tournament.

The Mississaugua, Ontario native, has started 12 of the 15 games she has played in and registered an assist.

"It' s a little tough [on team chemistry]," Wilkins said. "Mostly on Carm, because she is having to understand two totally different systems and schemes."