BLACKSBURG - After a thrilling overtime victory over Georgetown on Friday, the fourteenth-ranked Virginia Tech women’s soccer team will play No. 8 Penn State in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Jeffrey Field in University Park, Pa.
The Hokies advanced into the Sweet 16 following their 4-3 win over the Hoyas. Murielle Tiernan led the Hokies in their second-round match, scoring the first goal of the game and assisting two others, including the game-winning strike. Ashley Meier scored the game-ending goal only thirty seconds into sudden-death overtime in the back-and-forth playoff classic to give the Hokies their fourth Sweet 16 appearance.
Second-seeded Penn State moved into the Sweet 16 after downing Connecticut, 1-0, in a close match at Jeffrey Field just a few hours after the conclusion of the Tech game. Forward Frannie Crouse scored the game winner for the Nittany Lions in just the seventh minute of the game. The 1-0 score held throughout the entirety of the game to give Penn State the win.
In a tournament where 14 out of the 16 seeded teams advanced to the third-round, Virginia Tech is considered by some to be a Cinderella in this year’s tournament, alongside Central Florida, who joins Tech as the only unseeded team in the third round.
Sunday afternoon’s matchup will mark the first time these two teams have faced each other. The Hokies are looking to advance to their second-straight Elite Eight, imitating last year’s success, which continued all the way into the College Cup. Penn State is looking to return to the success they enjoyed two years ago when they appeared in their first-ever national championship game. Last year, the Nittany Lions were ousted by Wake Forest in the second round, losing 1-0.
Hokies forward Tiernan has had an historic season already, scoring 14 goals, the third most in any single season at Tech. The single-season scoring record is 17 goals, which Ashley Stinson set in 2004. Tiernan has also tallied the second-most points in a single season with 31, eight behind Ashley Stinson who tallied 39 in 2004.
In the all-time record book, Shannon Mayrose is currently the second leading scorer in program history with 27 goals. If she scores two more goals she will tie Emily Jukich’s career record of 29. Katie Yensen is also near the top of the games-played tally in the record book, sitting in the second spot. Assuming she plays in Sunday’s game, she will be tied for the most games played in program history with 91.
Sunday’s game can be viewed online via live stream here. Live stats will also be available here.
For updates on Virginia Tech women's soccer, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_WSoccer