STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Stony Brook women's soccer's NCAA Tournament journey begins in a familiar place on Friday night, as they face Penn State for the second time in three seasons at 6 p.m. The Seawolves also faced the Nittany Lions in their 2017 appearance, which also occurred at Jeffrey Field in State College, Pa. This year, the Seawolves are working toward a different outcome than that matchup.
 
THE OPPONENT
Penn State is coming into the NCAA Tournament off its eighth Big Ten title in program history, defeating Michigan 2-1 in overtime on Sunday afternoon.
 
Payton Linnehan scored the winner in the first overtime session, her sixth of the season to cap a tourney in which Penn State knocked off Iowa and Purdue to secure the title in Piscataway. Eight Nittany Lions earned All-Big Ten selections, including Ally Schlegel earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. She was also named to the First Team All-Big Ten list along with four of her teammates.
 
THE SERIES
Stony Brook and Penn State have only met one other time in each program's history. The Nittany Lions defeated the Seawolves in a 2017 NCAA Tournament First Round matchup that was also in State College, Pa.
 
HISTORY MADE
For the first time in program history, the Seawolves won two league championships in three seasons after defeating Hartford 2-1 in Sunday's America East Final. This follows up Stony Brook's 2017 victory in which the deciding scoreline was also 2-1.
 
ALL THEY DO IS WIN
The Championship victory on Sunday afternoon was Stony Brook's 14th of the season, tying the program record for the most in a single season. The Seawolves also went 14-5 in the 1988 season under Sue Ryan. Stony Brook has eclipsed the double-figure win plateau in each of the last three seasons. Five of the 11 total 10-plus win seasons have come in the last decade.
 
FIRST TIME, LONG TIME
The Seawolves took four of the six major awards that the America East gave out this season, becoming the first school since now-Patriot League member Boston University achieved the mark. Of those four awards, Stony Brook took the Striker of the Year and Defender of the Year honors for the first time in program history. Alyssa Francese and Kimmy Chavkin took those home, respectively.
 
CEASE FIRE
Junior Alyssa Francese led the Seawolves with 12 goals on the season, with seven of those coming as game-winners. That sits one off the national lead, held by three players. This was highlighted by an overtime winning-goal over Big East member St. John's on September 5.
 
YOU LOOK FAMILIAR...
For the second time in three seasons, the Seawolves and Nittany Lions will meet in the NCAA Tournament as both teams met in the 2017 edition in State College, Pa. In three trips to the Big Dance, Stony Brook has faced all Big Ten foes. They played Maryland in 2012 before these recent trips to Penn State.
 
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