Penn State women’s soccer win first home game of the season 5-0; Erica Dambach earns 300th career win

Penn State women’s soccer Head Coach Erica Dambach earned her 300th win Thursday night in Happy Valley.

Penn State made its return to Jeffrey Field one to remember. 

The Nittany Lions opened their 2026 home schedule with a 5-0 victory over Bucknell on Thursday night, giving head coach Erica Dambach her 300th win at the helm of Penn State women’s soccer. 

After falling 2-1 to then-No. 22 West Virginia in their previous match, Penn State returned home looking to reset in front of its supporters. 

“Sitting at just 0-1-1, I just needed one,” Dambach told Female Athlete News. “I didn’t need 300. I just needed one. This team has been working their butts off, and you could feel it coming.” 

The milestone adds another chapter to Dambach’s tenure in Happy Valley. Since taking over in 2007, she has led Penn State to a national championship, 11 Big Ten regular-season titles and five Big Ten Tournament championships. 

Bucknell entered the matchup with a 3-1 record and two consecutive victories. The Bison also had goalkeeper Sarah McFarland, who had allowed just one goal through four games while recording 11 saves and a .917 save percentage. 

Penn State entered Thursday’s matchup unbeaten in 20 previous meetings with the Bison, holding a 19-0-1 record in the all-time series. 

Highlights: 

Bucknell came out firing in the opening minutes, but Penn State’s defense refused to budge. 

The Nittany Lions quickly answered with pressure of their own, repeatedly pushing the ball into Bucknell’s end but struggling to find the finish. Parker nearly gave Bucknell the lead after getting past McFarland and center back Brooklyn Antonucci, but her shot was blocked before Antonucci cleared the rebound. 

Penn State continued to attack, but McFarland kept the Nittany Lions off the scoreboard, stopping opportunities from Anna Babcock and Bella Ayscue. 

That changed in the 20th minute. 

Paige Pasinski fired a powerful shot into the bottom-left corner of the net, giving Penn State a 1-0 lead with an assist from Aubrey Kulpa. 

The Nittany Lions continued to control the attack, and Ellie Kocher nearly doubled the lead after beating two Bucknell defenders and finding a clear path to the box. Her shot sailed wide right. 

Penn State wouldn’t miss its next opportunity. On another corner kick, Paige Kalal found Lilly Burger, who put the ball in the back of the net to give the Nittany Lions a 2-0 lead heading into halftime. 

Penn State’s offense continued to be oppressive in the second half. 

“I thought they kept their foot on the gas,” Dambach said. “I think, too often, when you have the ball, you feel like you’re in control and you’re not in control until the ball goes into the back of the net.” 

Hannah Jordan’s penalty kick was initially stopped by McFarland, but Jordan quickly recovered the rebound and fired it into the bottom-right corner to extend Penn State’s lead to 3-0. 

The Nittany Lions weren’t finished. In the 62nd minute, Aubrey Kulpa found the back of the net off an assist from Anna Babcock, pushing Penn State’s advantage to 4-0. 

“I mean, this group is really special. It’s really fun to be a part of,” Kulpa said. “The attack was so fluid, but, like, again, we’re doing it for each other.” 

Six minutes later, Kaleyn Wolfe added another goal, firing a right-footed shot into the bottom center of the net off an assist from Nicole Crane to make it 5-0. 

The Nittany Lions held Bucknell scoreless through the final whistle, closing out their home opener with a dominant shutout. 

Penn State play Brown next on Sunday, Aug. 30. And, Bucknell host St. Joe’s the same day.  

*Luci Palacios is a student-intern at Penn State University.

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