A good defense, a goal scorer and hot goaltender are all needed to be successful in the NCAA tournament, Penn State women' s soccer coach Paula Wilkins said.
The last part is a little bit of luck.
Right now the No. 12 Nittany Lions (17-3-1) have that little bit of luck on their side. The Lions play host to No. 23 Virginia (13-6-2) on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Jeffrey Field, where the Lions are 8-0 this season and have won their last 18 games. Penn State has posted a record of 10-0 on Sundays this season.
"I'm really, really happy to play back home again at least one more time," senior Christie Welsh said. "With having the West Virginia game cancelled and not hosting in the first round. I remember feeling, 'uh,' that I have played my last game on Jeffrey and didn't know it."
The Lions' run through the first two rounds is very reminiscent of 1999, when the Lions advanced to the College Cup. During that season, as during this one, Penn State lost in the first round of the Big Ten tournament by giving up four goals and then eventually defeated Maryland in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Wilkins refuses to look ahead to the College Cup, and past the Cavaliers, as they are a very good team.
The Cavaliers defeated fifth-seeded West Virginia, 1-0, to advance to the round of 16, as the lone goal scored came five seconds before the half. In the first round of the tournament, Virginia knocked off Dayton, 3-2.
During the regular season, Virginia played to a scoreless tie with a good Southern California team, who knocked off Penn State, 1-0, in the same tournament. The Cavaliers beat No. 15 Florida State, 2-1, and dropped a 2-1 decision to perennial powerhouse North Carolina in a game that the Cavaliers led 1-0.
"They are a very talented young team," Wilkins said. "They have a lot of weapons, good amount of depth and are a very good opponent."
Fifth-year senior Darci Borski, who has scored 11 goals and assisted on two others, leads Virginia in all offensive categories. Borski, a Philadelphia native, decided to go to Virginia as Wilkins said, "She slipped through our fingers recruiting."
The bad weather along the East Coast for the past week has left many of the fields in poor playing condition. Wilkins said that she hasn't seen the field and is going to wait until Saturday or early Sunday before going to Jeffrey.
Welsh said that she has benefited from the poor field conditions as her recurring foot injury is aided by the softer fields and is easier to move on the turf.
"You don't feel it anymore at this point, there's too much on the line," said Welsh of her foot injury. "[Wilkins] asked me this weekend and it was bothering me, but in the midst of a game, I don't really even feel it anymore."
