Oct. 14, 2007
University Park, Pa. - Michigan State opened up a 3-0 lead with two first half goals and kept Penn State off the scoreboard early by disrupting the Nittany Lions' passes before Penn State scored two second-half goals to cut the lead to 3-2. However, the No. 9 Nittany Lions' second-half rally fell just short as the No. 7 Spartans held on for a slim 3-2 win over Penn State on Sunday afternoon on AstroTurf Field. The win snaps Penn State's season-long five game winning streak and drops the Lions to 10-5 overall, 2-2 in the Big Ten. Allison Scola scored a goal and assisted on the other goal for the Nittany Lions.
Michigan State controlled the game for the most part in the first half, as it outshot Penn State 8-3. Penn State did have a few first half opportunities on a few centering passes that put the ball right in front of the cage but were unable to convert. The Spartans were able to convert on two chances in the first half. They took a 1-0 lead at 19:28 as Jeamie Deacon finished on a chance right in front of the cage following a penalty corner. Then, just over five minutes later, Charlotte Van der Laag put back a rebound off another shot by Deacon that came off a penalty corner and was saved by Jen Beaumont to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead.
The Spartans then made it a 3-0 lead at the 51:34 mark before Penn State began to mount its comeback. Deacon scored her second goal of the game as she dribbled to the top of the circle from the right side and unleashed a wicked shot from the top the beat Beaumont to her lower left.
The Nittany Lions, which outshot Michigan State 8-3 in the second half, then began to mount some more offensive pressure, which resulted in their two goals. Seven of Penn State's eight second-half shots came after the Spartans scored their second-half goal. Just 3:10 after Michigan State's goal, Penn State got on the scoreboard as Allison Scola redirected a shot by Kiersten Wood and past Michigan State keeper Elissa Unger to make it 3-1. Mallory Weisen's intial shot off a penalty corner was blocked and the rebound came to Wood, who unleashed the shot that was tipped in by Scola. The goal was Scola's third of the year and first since September 26 against Lock Haven.
With time winding down, Penn State made it closer once again as Bethany Marvel scored her second goal of the season off a penalty corner. She took the pass off the corner directly from Scola and without any set, shot a ball that went off the goalie and in to make it 3-2 at the 68:31 mark. Penn State was unable to get any other shots off in the final minute and a half, however.
For the game, Michigan State outshot Penn State 13-11 and both teams each had six penalty corners, with both Penn State goals and two of Michigan State's three goals coming either directly or indirectly off of penalty corners. Beaumont made six saves in goal for the Nittany Lions while Unger made three saves for the Spartans.
Penn State will take the next five days off before facing off against its second top 10 opponent in a row when the Nittany Lions travel to Iowa to take on the Hawkeyes on Saturrday. The game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network beginning at 4:00 p.m. eastern time.