#1 Texas A&M vs. #2 Penn State
Texas A&M comes into the quarterfinals on a roll after destroying Arizona 7-2 in the second round and holding off a fierce challenge from Notre Dame, finding a way to win 2-1 in the Sweet 16. With the win over the Fighting Irish, the Aggies will host their first ever quarterfinal match in program history against Penn State. Also, the win was the 21st of the season, which is a school record for Texas A&M. The difference in the Notre Dame match was Aggie senior Kelley Monogue’s two goals, including the game winner in the 82nd minute as she put away a failed Fighting Irish clearance and slammed home a low shot to the left of Notre Dame goalkeeper Kaela Little. The ability to slam the door on the Fighting Irish epitomized how far this Texas A&M program has come. They limited Notre Dame to one shot in the last 8:39. This type of lock down defending is going to be very critical in this quarterfinal matchup with the Nittany Lions.
Penn State took advantage of their opportunity to host and have returned to the quarterfinals this season after beating Connecticut 1-0 in the second round, and Virginia Tech 2-1 in the Sweet 16. The improvement defensively by the Nittany Lions once again came to the forefront as they took the best shot from the Hokies in the Sweet 16 and rose up defensively in the second half after Virginia Tech equalized in the 53rd minute to get the result. Mallory Weber finished a great free kick from Emily Ogle in the 71st minute for the game winner. The Nittany Lions in this upcoming matchup with the Aggies in College Station are going to have to start fast and control things in the midfield to give themselves a chance to win and move on to the College Cup.
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