Winning a national championship is never easy, and winning a national championship without allowing a goal the entire tournament seems borderline impossible. But Penn State just finished the season shutting out its last eight opponents dating back to the Big Ten tournament and outscoring opponents 20-0 in the NCAA tournament.
Defense had been a huge point for the Nittany Lions all season, focusing on improving that end with every game. The team’s backline was aggressive the entire season, stepping on almost every pass near the box.
The defense was led by sophomore Elizabeth Ball, who seemed to win almost every single 50/50 ball on the season.