Sept. 14, 2007
University Park, Pa. - Britney Long scored two goals, her second multiple-goal game of the year and surpassed her previous career high for goals in a season while Shaun Banta and Natalie Blasco each recorded a goal and an assist as the No. 7 Nittany Lions cruised to a 5-0 win over visiting West Chester on Friday night at AstroTurf Field. The win improves Penn State's record to 5-2 heading into a showdown at No. 1 North Carolina on Sunday.
Several Nittany Lions saw their first action of the season as every healthy player appeared in the game. Among the Nittany Lions seeing their first action of the season were Sarah Dickens, Jordan Petchel, Daneen Zug, and goalkeeper Ali Meves, who relieved Jen Beaumont with just over 10 minutes left in the contest. Beaumont recorded 59:38 more of scoreless action, giving her a career high 283:15 straight minutes without allowing a goal. Her previous high was just over 260 minutes, which came last year.
Penn State held West Chester without a shot for the entire game, the fewest shots allowed by the Nittany Lions since they held Lafayette to just one shot last year. Penn State had 17 shots of its own and put 14 of those on goal, forcing West Chester keeper Joelle Zarefoss to make eight saves.
Blasco got the Penn State scoring started at the 6:17 mark as she tipped in a centering pass the Allison Scola had sent into the circle from the right flank. About two and a half minutes later, Long scored her first goal of the night and her fifth of the year, surpassing her previous career high of four in just the seventh game of the season. Blasco assisted as she tipped the ball through the goalie's legs as she came off her line to try to kick out the ball and Long got behind the keeper and tipped the ball in at the 8:46 mark. The Nittany Lions then took a 3-0 lead at the 13:35 mark as Banta netted her fourth goal of the year, unassisted. She dribbled the ball down the right sideline, beating several defenders and then one-timed a wicked liner into the bottom left corner of the goal.
Jen Beaumont extended her consecutive minutes scoreless streak to over 280 in Friday's contest. |
After a period of over 30 minutes of game time that saw no scoring, Penn State added to its lead at the 43:45 mark as Long tallied her second score of the night, unassisted as she tipped in a free ball that ended up in front of the cage after it had bounced around the cirlce following a penalty corner. The Nittany Lions then wrapped up the scoring at the 48:21 mark when Kiersten Wood took a nice centering pass from Banta at the top of the circle, dribbled in a few steps and then one-timed a shot past Zarefoss from a wide-open position in front of the cage.
WIth her just over 10 minutes of game action in goal in the second half, Meves became the first goalkeeper to see time in net for the Nittany Lions other than Beaumont since Megan Akstin in the final game of the 2005 season. Beaumont played every minute of every game in goal last year for the Nittany Lions and every minute of every game so far this year until Friday. In addition to Beaumont's scoreless streak, the Nittany Lions have now recorded three straight shutouts.
Penn State will face a tall task to make it four as they play the No. 1 Tar Heels on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Video of Sunday's game can be seen on the web at ACCSelect.com for a charge of $4.99. By paying the fee, viewers can watch the game live as well as have access to the archived game for 30 days.
Penn State will next play at home on Wednesday, September 26 when it faces Lock Haven.