When Penn State booked its non-conference portion of the 2017 schedule, the coaching staff did so wanting to face early-season adversity.
After falling to then-No. 6 West Virginia on the road for their first loss of the season on Saturday, the Nittany Lions are looking to bounce back against an equally formidable foe when No. 6 North Carolina comes to Jeffrey Field on Thursday at 7 p.m.
For Penn State, playing its third top-10 ranked team in five games is a welcomed challenge.
“[Playing tough competition] shows you where your weaknesses are and what you need to work on,” junior midfielder Alina Ortega Jurado said.