Game Notes (.PDF)
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; September 30, 2006 - Penn State Hits The Road This Weekend... The eight-time defending champion Nittany Lions (6-2-2, 2-0 Big Ten) travel to Iowa (4-5-1, 0-2 Big Ten) and No. 15 Illinois (6-4-0, 2-0 Big Ten) this weekend. This is the first road weekend for Penn State in the Big Ten action this season.
The Hawkeyes are first up for Penn State this Friday at 6 p.m. CT in Iowa City. The ninth-ranked Nittany Lions will then travel to Champaign for their fifth Top 25 clash of the year and meet the No. 15 Fighting Illini on Sunday at 1 p.m. Follow the action from both contests through live stats on www.GoPSUsports.com.
Up Next... Penn State hits the road again next weekend to take on No. 19 Purdue Oct. 6 at 4 p.m. ET and then travels to Indiana on Oct. 8 for a noon ET match-up. The Lions return home on Friday, Oct. 13 vs. Minnesota at 7 p.m. Ohio State comes to town on Sunday, Oct. 15 for a 1 p.m. contest. The game vs. the Buckeyes will be carried live on www.GoPSUsports.com with play-by-play announcer Justin Weyman and program alum Carmelina Moscato providing the color commentary.
The Penn State/Iowa Series... The Nittany Lions hold a commanding 9-0-0 series record against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Last year, Penn State won the Oct. 9 Happy Valley match-up 8-0 on goals from six different Lions, including a pair each from returners Allie Long (Northport, N.Y.) and Aubrey Aden-Buie (Allentown, Pa.). The Lions have shut out the Hawkeyes in their last three meetings.
Lions Face Ranked Big Ten Foe for First Time Since 2004... Penn State??s contest against No. 15 Illinois will mark the first meeting against a ranked opponent in the Big Ten since Nov. 11, 2004 against No. 13 Ohio State. Penn State won that contest 3-0. The Illini come into the weekend 6-4-0 after opening up Big Ten play with wins over Wisconsin (4-2) and Northwestern (2-0).
The Penn State/Illinois Series... In a 15-game old series, Penn State holds a 14-1-0 record against the Fighting Illini. The Lions?? only loss vs. Illinois came in 2002 when they fell 4-3 to the Illini in the Big Ten Tournament in East Lansing. Penn State earned a 3-1 victory at Jeffrey Field last year on the strength of goals from Carmelina Moscato and Tiffany Weimer, who netted two.
Lions, Illini Two of Four Unbeatens Left in Big Ten after Week One... At 2-0, the Nittany Lions and Fightin?? Illini stand as two of the four unbeaten Big Ten teams after week one of the season on Sept. 22/24. The other two? Penn State??s road opponents next week, Purdue and Indiana.