First Half

MSU came out of the gates firing to start.

The Spartans got on the board very early as senior forward Lauren DeBeau crossed one into the box for graduate student midfielder Abby Gardiner. Her pass then reached the head of a Penn State defender, which found the back of the net. MSU led 1-0 ten minutes in, with junior midfielder Justin Gaynor receiving credit for the goal.

Seven minutes later, senior defender Raegan Cox trucked senior forward Penelope Hocking in the box, which led to a penalty kick. Hocking's boot was cranked off the right woodwork.

MSU would remain in the lead for most of the half, but Penn State would not go into the 15 minute break with nothing to show on the scoreboard.

A free kick from the Nitanny Lions led to a collision in the box. Redshirt senior goalkeeper Lauren Kozal fell to the ground which allowed redshirt sophomore Kaitlyn MacBean to get behind her and tap in a score. Sophomore defender Mieke Schiemann and senior midfielder Cori Dyke were credited with the assists.

That was all the scoring the first half had to offer as both teams entered their locker rooms with one goal a piece.

Second Half

This time, it was Penn State who came out of the gates firing.

Redshirt senior forward Ally Schlegel found herself open and blasted one by Kozal to uneven the score eight minutes into the second stanza. Senior midfielder/forward Payton Linnehan was credited with the assist.

The Spartans put the pressure on the Nitanny Lions and had some decent looks halfway through the second 45, but the Penn State defense was standing strong.

The PSU defense kept it up until the Big Ten Forward of the Year, DeBeau, decided enough was enough. She took the ball herself across the field just above the box and fired one off the post and into the back of the net to tie things up in the 75th minute.

After seeing the urgency from the squad rise throughout the half, that goal gave the Spartans new life.

Right when momentum was shifting in favor of MSU, Penn State's leading scorer on the season stepped up again. Schlegel's header was her second goal of the match, scored with around nine minutes left to go. Schiemann recorded her second assist of the day with the goal.

The goal was the nail in the coffin for the Spartans. The loss was their first versus a Big Ten opponent all season.

With the win, Penn State claims the championship and an automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament.

The Spartans will have their fate decided tomorrow at 3 p.m. during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show.