There was no snow this time. No snow, no hail and nothing to stop the Penn State women's soccer team from playing West Virginia this season.
The matchup between the two perennial Mid-Atlantic region powers finally occurred on Sunday as the No. 12 Nittany Lions took down the No. 8 Mountaineers in an impressive 4-1 victory.
The anticipated showdown was scheduled for last year at Jeffrey Field, but was cancelled due to an early winter storm that Mother Nature dumped on Happy Valley, completely covering the lines on the field.
This year, the game was held in Morgantown, W.Va., and the Lions were able to finish the regular season with a huge shot of momentum.
"I think West Virginia is a very good team," Penn State women's soccer coach Paula Wilkins said. "It gives us confidence that we can compete with the best teams in the country."
The momentum gained from this victory gives the Lions an added edge that they did not have last season because of the cancellation. The extra layoff last year may have contributed to a 4-3 letdown against Illinois in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.
Penn State must still deal with a longer layoff between games than usual during the season, entering the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed. The team will have an 11-day break before they face tournament host Wisconsin in the first round.
Despite a disappointing tournament loss last season, Wilkins says she won't use that memory as motivation.
"We'll probably focus on team fitness and some tactical problems," Wilkins said. "I don't want to drudge up the past. I want to focus on this season."
The Lions were ranked third in the region heading into the weekend, behind Virginia and West Virginia and moved into second with the win.
More importantly, coupled with a victory against then-ranked Ohio State on Friday, the win over the Mountaineers puts the Lions in good position for a high seed in the NCAA tournament. There will almost certainly be another game at Jeffrey Field this season, possibly two if the seeds fall right.
"We've got some great confidence for the postseason," Wilkins said. "Now we can focus on the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments."
