Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1539550
4 8 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State had everything Au- brey Kulpa wanted when she was weighing the merits of all the women's soccer programs that hoped to earn her commitment a couple of years ago. The Connecticut prospect liked PSU's coaches, its history of success, its values and its campus. She committed to Penn State ahead of the 2024 sea- son, bringing a gaudy résumé with her to State College, having excelled for the Oakwood Soccer Club, one of whose coaches, Tiffany Weimer, is a former Penn State All-American. "I'm looking forward to learning un- der the most exceptional coaching staff in the nation," Kulpa said before starting her freshman season with the Lions. "I believe they'll help me grow in many ways on and off the field." Kulpa, a 5-foot-9 forward, has indeed developed into a formidable offensive threat. As a freshman, she scored a goal in her first college match, a 4-0 shutout of Texas Tech. She went on to play in 23 matches, totaling 7 goals and 3 assists. Her 17 points ranked third on the team. This year, with the majority of the Big Ten season still ahead, she's already eclipsed those totals. Through Penn State's first eight games, Kulpa was leading the conference with 18 points — five more than second-place Chiara Singarella of Purdue. She had scored 7 goals while adding 4 assists, spear- heading an offensive surge that also included strong showings by redshirt senior midfielder Julia Raich (8 points on 3 goals and 2 assists) and graduate forward Kaitlyn MacBean (7 points on 3 goals and 1 assist). The Nittany Lions were 5-2-1 and ranked eighth in the United Soccer Coaches poll heading into a matchup against visiting Nebraska on Sept. 18. Their only losses were to top-10 op- ponents on the road — a 3-2 setback at No. 4 Duke on Aug. 14 and a 1-0 defeat at No. 8 Virginia on Sept. 4. Penn State opened its Big Ten season with a 4-0 romp over Maryland at Jef- frey Field on Sept. 11. The Terps had lost four in a row heading into their trip to State College, and the Nittany Lions added to their woes, seizing control of the game with first-half goals by senior forward Amelia White and Kulpa. Then in the second half, MacBean scored twice to put it out of reach, with Kulpa assisting on both of her tallies. Throughout the season, head coach Erica Dambach has lauded Kulpa's ap- proach to the game, noting that she's willing to do whatever it takes to con- tinue her improvement. "She's a goal-scorer, she's a player, she's got all the attributes," Dambach told The Daily Collegian following a 2-0 win over visiting Santa Clara on Aug. 28 in which Kulpa supplied both goals. "Anything she needs to work on in her SHOOTING STARS Goal-scorers help the Penn State women's soccer team get off to a fast start M AT T H E R B | M AT T. H E R B @ O N 3 . C O M OLYMPIC SPORTS Through Penn State's first eight games, sophomore forward Aubrey Kulpa was leading the Big Ten with 18 points on 7 goals and 4 assists. PHOTO BY BEN BURRELL/PENN STATE ATHLETICS