The Iowa women's soccer team played to a 1-1 draw against Penn State during their first away game in Big Ten competition on Thursday, marking their third consecutive tie.

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Iowa saw the return of Liana Tarasco, Léa Larouche, and Iba Oching to the starting lineup after their participation in the U20 Women’s World Cup. The match began with Penn State mounting an aggressive attack early on, nearly scoring just two minutes in; however, the shot went wide.

In the fifth minute, Aubrey Kulpa netted a goal for Penn State, placing a shot into the bottom corner past Iowa's goalkeeper, Braelynn Galt, to give the Nittany Lions a 1-0 lead. Iowa struggled under pressure from Penn State's attacks, particularly in the first 15 minutes, but managed to keep additional shots away from the net, thanks in part to a key defensive play by Sara Batchadji.

Penn State had a chance to extend their lead in the 35th minute, but Kaelyn Wolfe's shot hit the near post and went out for an Iowa goal kick. The Nittany Lions also attempted a free kick in the 39th minute, which Galt handled easily. Iowa went into halftime down 1-0 and trailing in shots 9-2, a statistic they usually excel in.

Nine minutes into the second half, Tarasco drew a foul near the penalty box, leading to a free kick. Batchadji took the shot but it went wide. A counterattack from Penn State was halted by Millie Greer, who made a crucial stop.

In the 65th minute, Batchadji had another free kick opportunity, which nearly resulted in a goal but was saved by Penn State's goalkeeper, Mackenzie Gress. In the 71st minute, Batchadji scored Iowa's first goal in Big Ten play, crossing the ball into the box where it bounced over Gress and into the net, ending a three-game scoring drought for the Hawkeyes.

The last 15 minutes were intense, with both teams seeking a winning goal. Paige Kalal of Penn State sent a dangerous low cross into the box, but no teammates were available to capitalize. A similar threat was thwarted a minute later by Greer's timely tackle.

Lucia Englund attempted to secure a win for Iowa in the 82nd minute with a powerful shot that hit the crossbar. In the final moments, Iowa launched multiple attacks, earning a corner kick, but time expired, resulting in a 1-1 draw.

Iowa’s next match is against No. 8 Ohio State on the road on Sunday, September 27, at 11 a.m., to be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.