Oct. 11, 2007
Oct. 12, 2007 < 7:00="" p.m.="">
No. 10 Penn State (9-2-1, 1-0 Big Ten)
vs. Michigan State (5-6-1, 0-4 Big Ten)
University Park, Pa. < jeffrey="">
Oct. 14, 2007 < 12:00="" p.m.="">
No. 10 Penn State (9-2-1, 3-0 Big Ten*)
vs. Michigan (2-6-3, 0-2-2 Big Ten*)
University Park, Pa. < jeffrey="">
RETURNING TO HAPPY VALLEY... The No. 10 ranked Nittany Lions (9-2-1) look to continue their Big Ten dominance this weekend as they return home to Jeffrey Field to face the Spartans of Michigan State (5-6-1) Friday night. The Lions enter the game 3-0 in the Big Ten while the Spartans are struggling with an 0-4 record in conference play. Penn State will also play this Sunday at 12:00 p.m. versus the University of Michigan Wolverines (2-6-3). The Wolverines are 0-2-2 heading into Big Ten Play this weekend.
SINCE YOU SAW THEM LAST... Penn State hit the road for the Midwest last week as they met Big Ten foes Wisconsin and Northwestern. The Nittany Lions came out on top against the Badgers and former head coach Paula Wilkins with a 2-0 victory in Madison, their first shutout in Big Ten play this season. The Nittany Lions found the net twice in the first half off the feet of junior Jessie Davis (Fairfax, Va.) and freshman Danielle Toney (Northville, Mich.). Penn State then extended its Big Ten winning streak against the Wildcats as senior tri-captain Aubrey Aden-Buie (Allentown, Pa.) scored two in the second-half, including the gamewinner. Sophomore Katie Schoepfer (Waterford, Conn.) scored in the 82nd minute to ensure the PSU's 3-1 victory over Northwestern and pushed their winning streak to six games.
SERIES HISTORY VS. MICHIGAN STATE... With a 12-2 lead in the all-time series, Penn State looks to continue its 12-game winning streak against the Spartans. Last year, the Lions won a thrilling 3-2 double overtime win on an Ashley Myers game-winning goal in the 93rd minute. Penn State played Michigan State for the first time in 1994 with the Lions losing to the Spartans 2-0 in a game held in East Lansing.
SERIES HISTORY VS. MICHIGAN... Penn State owns a 13-3-5 advantage over Michigan in the all-time series since 1994. Last year, Penn State shutout Michigan 2-0 in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament held in University Park. The two teams met for the first time in 1994 with the Nittany Lions defeating the Wolverines 1-0 at home.
STRIKER Katie Schoepfer PICKS UP WEEKLY HONORS... Sophomore striker Katie Schoepfer earned her second honor of the week as she was named to the Soccer America Team of the Week. She also earned her second Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Honor. Schoepfer extended her scoring streak to eight games on the Nittany Lions' Big Ten road trip last weekend with an assist at Wisconsin on Friday and a goal and an assist at Northwestern on Sunday. The weekend's scores gave her a team-leading 17 points on the season with seven goals and three assists. Schoepfer had been scoreless through the Nittany Lions' first four games before the home opener at Jeffrey Field on Sept. 14 against James Madison where her eight game scoring streak began.
THEY'LL BE BACK... Penn State heads out on the road once again next week where it will face Iowa and Minnesota to continue its Big Ten schedule. The Nittany Lions play in Iowa City on Friday, October 19, at 7:00 p.m., before traveling to Minneapolis to face the Golden Gophers in an 11:00 a.m. game to be aired on the Big Ten Network on Sunday, October 21. The Nittany Lions return to Jeffrey Field on Friday, October 26, for a 7:00 p.m. Big Ten showdown against the current conference power and the No. 8 team in the nation, Purdue. PSU will then face the Hoosiers of Indiana on Sunday, October 28, at 1:00 p.m. in their regular season home finale and senior day. The contest will be featured on the Big Ten Network.
ON THE STRENGTH OF SIX-STRAIGHT WINS, PSU MOVES UP AGAIN... Ranked as high as No. 7 by Soccer America, Penn State gained ground in each poll again this week after posting a 7-0-1 record over the last eight games, including six-straight wins leading into this weekend. Two polls, the NSCAA poll and the Soccer Buzz rankings, moved the Nittany Lions up from 11 to 10. Soccer America has Penn State seventh, up from No. 8 last week, while Soccer Times moved the Nittany Lions up from 11 to eight, their biggest jump of the week.
WALSH'S WEEKLY PODCAST... Erica Walsh's podcast is in full swing and available weekly on GoPSUsports.com. For the remainder of the Nittany Lions' 2007 season, check back weekly each Monday to hear Walsh's impressions of the previous week's action as well as get a look into the next week. Fans can submit questions to be asked during the podcast by emailing them to askerica@athletics.psu.edu.