Penn State women’s soccer fell one spot to No. 11 in this week’s United Soccer Coaches poll Top 25 rankings. After its first one-game week, the Nittany Lions fall after drawing 2-2 on the road with Ohio State.

Despite dropping two crucial points in the Big Ten standings, the Nittany Lions continue to gel. The team is now five games unbeaten since losing on opening day to Rutgers, posting a 4-1-1 mark that is tied with the Scarlet Knights at the top of the standings.

Unsurprisingly, the Scarlet Knights also joined Penn State in the rankings. Rutgers placed No. 21 following a scoreless draw with Maryland last week, a four spot drop from its previous ranking of No. 17.

As far as the rest of the Big Ten goes, two teams received votes. Minnesota was just four spots away from the Top 25 with 18 votes, while Ohio State also had eight votes.

The top of the national heap remained the same for yet another week. Florida State, UNC, UCLA, TCU, and Duke kept a stranglehold on the top five spots, in that order.

Penn State also continued to feature in the TopDrawerSoccer rankings. The Nittany Lions actually climbed in this poll, moving up one spot to No. 18. They were the only team in the Big Ten to feature this week.

Erica Dambach’s group will return to action this week with two important home fixtures. The Nittany Lions will host Minnesota on Thursday, before Michigan comes to town on Sunday.

The two opponents are currently tied for third in the Big Ten, which offers a unique opportunity for Penn State to bump its national rank and solidify itself as the premier team in the conference. Kickoff times and streaming information are both TBA for both encounters.

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