Penn State women’s soccer ready for top 10 matches in pivotal West Coast trip

Penn State women’s soccer will look to pick up critical wins for both the Big Ten regular season title race and NCAA Tournament seeding with a pair of top 10 matchups on the West Coast this weekend. Sitting in sixth place in the conference with three games to play, the Nittany Lions (11-3-2, 5-2-1 Big Ten) head to Los Angeles for pivotal matchups with No. 10 UCLA and No. 9 USC.

UCLA Bruins

The Nittany Lions first travel to take on No. 10 UCLA (12-2-1, 7-0-1) on Thursday, October 17.  UCLA is currently tied atop the Big Ten standings with its crosstown rival USC at 22 points.

The Bruins entered the United Soccer Coaches Rankings this week and are unbeaten in conference play so far during their first year in the Big Ten. Recently, UCLA defeated Minnesota, Washington, Northwestern, and Illinois by a combined 8-2 score.

UCLA currently ranks No. 15 in the RPI, a metric used to determine seeding for the NCAA Tournament. That would project the Bruins to be around a No. 4 seed for this year’s tournament. Penn State and UCLA are tied 3-3 all-time, with the Bruins winning the last matchup at Jeffrey Field in 2018.

USC Trojans

After two days rest, Penn State women’s soccer takes the short trip from Westwood to face No. 9 USC (11-1-2, 7-0-1) on Sunday, October 20.

The Trojans have also not lost a Big Ten conference game in their first season in the league. Recently elevated from No. 19 to No. 9 in the United Soccer Coaches Rankings this past week, the Trojans continue to rip through the conference. USC currently ranks No. 10 in the RPI and is a projected No. 3 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Penn State women’s soccer positioning for priority postseason placement

© Chris Eutsler / Basic Blues Nation, 2024.

This weekend’s matchups have significant postseason implications for Penn State women’s soccer in the upcoming Big Ten and the NCAA Tournaments.

Penn State currently sits sixth within the Big Ten standings at 16 points and would need to win out and get some help to have a chance to bring home the regular season title. However, even if the Nittany Lions don’t go 3-0 against their three ranked opponents to finish the season, any win will be important for Big Ten Tournament seeding.

The Nittany Lions currently sit at No. 16 in the Coaches Poll but are an impressive No. 8 in the RPI, thanks to a strong non-conference schedule. Penn State is the second-highest rated team in the Big Ten behind only Iowa (No. 7) and would currently be projected as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

A higher seed is incredibly important in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament. On top of a more favorable matchup, it also allows programs to host games all the way through the Sweet 16.

The last three games will be critical for Penn State’s seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Based on RPI, the Nittany Lions still must play road games at No. 15 UCLA, at No. 10 USC, and at No. 13 Ohio State.

It is certainly a gauntlet to close out the regular season. But all these games could potentially help Penn State women’s soccer move up in the Big Ten standings, position towards the No. 1 seed line in the NCAA Tournament, and continue the program’s dominant run of postseason success.

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