Penn State women’s soccer head coach Erica Dambach records 300th win with program

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – Penn State women’s soccer head coach Erica Dambach further cemented her status as one of the greatest coaches in Penn State and NCAA women’s soccer history with her 300th win as the leader of the Nittany Lions on Thursday night at Jeffrey Field.

The Blue & White blanked Bucknell with a 5-0 victory in the 2026 home opener. Penn State scored five goals for the first time since 2024 with five different Nittany Lions scoring during the match.

Penn State led Bucknell in corner kicks, 9-2, while outshooting the Bison by a wide, 19-8 margin. Penn State’s goalkeeper, redshirt senior Mackenzie Gress, made three saves in the victory, contributing to the first clean sheet of the season before she was relieved by freshman Lily Selvy, who made her collegiate debut.

Freshman forward Ellie Kocher made her long-awaited debut in the Blue & White, totaling three shots with some impressive runs along the way. Marthe Hens joined Selvy and Kocher in making her first career appearance.

3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ wins. 2️⃣0️⃣ years in the making

Only 1️⃣ Coach Dambach 💙🤍#WeAre | #PSWS pic.twitter.com/kjVMNn1dXT

— Penn State Women’s Soccer (@PennStateWSOC) August 28, 2026

The scoring began when freshman forward Paige Pasinski, making her first collegiate start, scored the first goal of her career and the first tally of the night for the Nittany Lions. The Nittany Lions saw another goal with 44 seconds left in the first half by redshirt sophomore defender Lilly Burger with a header off a corner kick.

Penn State put up an offensive outburst in the second half, scoring three more goals within the first 25 minutes of action. Junior forward Aubrey Kulpa scored her team-leading second goal of the season as senior defender Kaelyn Wolfe and sophomore defender Hannah Jordan scored their first goals of the season.

Up next, Penn State continues a three-match homestand with a Sunday matinee against Brown. The Nittany Lions and Bears are scheduled for a 1 p.m. (ET) start at Jeffrey Field with a live broadcast on B1G+. The Blue & White will celebrate Senior Day, Alumni Day and host the annual March to the Match ahead of the contest.

SCORING SUMMARY
20’ – PSU 1, BUCK 0: Paige Pasinski (1). Assisted by Aubrey Kulpa (2) and Bella Ayscue (1)
45’ – PSU 2, BUCK 0: Lilly Burger (1). Assisted by Paige Kalal (2)
47’ – PSU 3, BUCK 0: Hannah Jordan (1)
62’ – PSU 4, BUCK 0: Aubrey Kulpa (2). Assisted by Anna Babcock (1)
69’ – PSU 5, BUCK 0: Kaelyn Wolfe (1). Assisted by Nicole Crane (1)