When asked if she had thought about Notre Dame yet, Penn State women' soccer coach Paula Wilkins wasted no time on the response that everyone expected.

"Not at all," she said just minutes after her team's victory in the Sweet 16 on Sunday at Jeffrey Field. "I just thought about this game right here."

One game at a time. That has been the mantra for the Nittany Lions since the bracket for the NCAA Tournament was released 15 days ago.

Although it may have been tempting to ponder a potential Elite Eight meeting with the No. 1 seed Fighting Irish, who the Lions will meet at 7 p.m. Friday in South Bend, they have not been guilty of looking past any opponent. Instead, the Lions have focused solely on the task at hand and registered solid victories against Niagara, Villanova and Boston College.

But now, after successfully steering through the first three rounds, they can finally begin to think about the colossal showdown with a College Cup spot on the line. The meeting will not only be the Lions' first road game in nearly a month, but also it will be just the second meeting ever between the two perennial powerhouses.

"Notre Dame is an extremely well-established program with very good players," Wilkins said. "They have a lot of experience with the national team and playing at the top of their game, so we know it is going to be a very difficult match for us but it is one that we are looking forward to."

Notre Dame (23-0-1) ranked at the top of all four women's soccer polls throughout the season and garnered one of four No. 1 seeds with the only undefeated record in Division I.

With equally impressive winning streaks of 13 games and 10 games (current), the Irish also captured both the Big East regular season and tournament titles.

Thanks to a laundry list of talented players, Notre Dame has generated much of its success from their balanced attack -- a stifling defense mixed with unrelenting offense. Among several players that Wilkins pinpointed, sophomore forward Kerri Hanks was at the top of her list.

Hanks, the Big East Offensive Player of the Year and one of 15 semifinalists for the M.A.C. Herrmann Trophy, tops Notre Dame in scoring with 22 goals and 17 assists. She headlines a quartet of forwards that also includes junior Amanda Cinalli, sophomore Brittany Bock and freshman Michele Weisenhoffer.

The four have combined for 58 goals and 43 assists -- more than 61 percent of the Irish's total offense.

On paper, the Irish may own a slight advantage. But when a shot at a national championship is on the line, the team that capitalizes will be the team that advances.

"All the players, on both teams, know what's on the line. It is going to be an intense match from start to finish," Wilkins said.