On Sunday afternoon the Quinnipiac Bobcats season came to an end in the first round of the NCAA tournament after they fell to the Penn State Nittany Lions 4-1.

Both teams got off to slow starts as neither team could get any momentum going for the first 15 minutes.

Then, halfway through the first half, the Nittany Lions took a 1-0 lead after a strong display of passing which ended with them finding a wide-open Kate Wiesner at the penalty spot and she made no mistake.

The Nittany Lions could have added a few more goals before the break, but Bobcats goalie Sofia Lospinoso made numerous high-quality saves to keep the score 1-0 at the half.

“I love the way we tried to play,” said head coach Dave Clarke. “The manner in which we played, we tried to play our game.”

During the second half, the game opened up as moments into the second half, Markela Bejleri evened up the game at one after she chipped the goalkeeper from 25 yards out.

This equalizer was followed up just moments by Penn State as they got out on the counterattack and displayed quick passing which ended up with a Payton Linnehan shot into the bottom corner for the 2-1 lead.

From here on out it was all Penn State as they would add a third goal halfway through the second half when a long ball from Jillian Jennings found its way to Penelope Hocking and she went in on a breakaway and gave the Nittany Lions some much-needed breathing room.

The fourth and final goal for the Nittany Lions came late in the half, when after a corner kick, the ball found its way to Cori Dyke outside the box and she sent it through a maze of people and past a diving Lospinoso to put this one away.

Penn State showed why they were the No. 2 seed in the bracket as for 90 minutes they showed off their size, speed, and composure in what was ultimately a decisive win.

“You’ve got to look at their ability,” continued Clarke. “Their individual talent, they caught us in transition a couple of times.”

Although the season for the Bobcats ended earlier than they would have liked, they have plenty to look back at and be proud of as they won their first MAAC championship ever and made their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2000.

This team will look to use this experience to their advantage when they try to defend their MAAC title next season.