Oct. 18, 2007
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No. 8 Penn State (11-2-1, 5-0 Big Ten) at Iowa (6-4-4, 2-3-0 Big Ten)
University of Iowa < iowa="" soccer="">
Oct. 21, 2007 < 12:00="" p.m.="">
No. 8 Penn State (11-2-1, 5-0 Big Ten*) at Minnesota (6-6-1, 2-3 Big Ten*)
University of Minnesota < elizabeth="" lyle="" robbie="">
*Records do not take into account Friday's Big Ten matches.
NO. 8 PENN STATE HITS THE ROAD AGAIN... The eighth-ranked Nittany Lions pack their bags again this weekend for a pair of Big Ten road games. Penn State (11-2-1, 5-0 Big Ten) visits the Iowa Hawkeyes (6-4-4, 2-3 Big Ten) on Friday night for an 8 p.m. ET match. The Nittany Lions then travel to Minnesota (6-6-1, 2-3 Big Ten) on Sunday at noon ET to meet the Golden Gophers in a televised match to air on the Big Ten Network on Monday, Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. ET. Both games are also available via live stats by heading to GoPSUsports.com.
LAST REGULAR SEASON HOME GAMES NEXT WEEKEND... The Nittany Lions return to Jeffrey Field on Friday, Oct. 26, for a 7 p.m. Big Ten showdown against current conference power and the No. 6 team in the nation, Purdue. That night will be "Think Pink" Night, with donations being taken for breast cancer. PSU will then face the Hoosiers of Indiana on Sunday, Oct. 28, at 1 p.m. in its regular season home finale, which will also be Senior Day. The contest will be featured live on the Big Ten Network and canners for Dance Marathon will be at the match collecting donations for pediatric cancer research and treatment.
SINCE YOU SAW THEM LAST... Redshirt-junior Zoe Bouchelle (Cockeysville, Md.) and sophomore Katie Schoepfer (Waterford, Conn.) had big weekends offensively for the Nittany Lions in a pair of 2-0 victories last weekend. Bouchelle had two goals, including Friday's gamewinner vs. Michigan State, and two assists, while Schoepfer netted a pair of goals, getting the gamewinner on Sunday vs. Michigan. Bouchelle earned honors from across the country for her performance. Schoepfer's goals increased her scoring streak to 10 games with at least one point in each.
SERIES HISTORY VS. IOWA... Penn State looks to extend its unbeaten streak against Iowa as the all-time series record stands at 10-0. Last year, the Nittany Lions blanked the Hawkeyes in Iowa City 3-0. The first meeting between the two teams occurred in 1997 when Penn State won 2-0 on the road against Iowa.
SERIES HISTORY VS. MiNNESOTA... The Nittany Lions will try to continue their winning ways against the Golden Gophers with Penn State having the current edge in the all-time series, 13-2. Last season, Penn State held on to shut out with Minnesota and the 1-0 victory. The first meeting between the two teams happened in 1994 when Penn State came out on top in overtime with a 3-2 victory on the road.
GAME A PREVIEW OF BIG TEN TOURNAMENT... The Nittany Lions' game on Sunday will be a preview of this year's Big Ten Tournament locale. Getting an early look won't nearly compare to last year's acquaintance with the host site, however, as the 2006 tournament was held in the firendly confines of Jeffrey Field on Penn State's campus. PSU is the defending tournament champion after capturing their fourth tournament title overall last year.
PENN STATE WOMEN'S SOCCER NO. 1 IN FIRST RPI RANKINGS... Penn State occupied the top spot in the first women's soccer RPI rankings published by the NCAA this season on Oct. 9. The 11-2-1 Nittany Lions are still perfect in the Big Ten at 5-0 and are pursuing their 10th consecutive conference title and fourth College Cup appearance.
A tough non-conference schedule and the quality strength of the Big Ten from top to bottom helped boost the eighth-ranked Nittany Lions to the top slot. Seven of PSU's nine non-conference opponents were ranked in the Top 35 of the list, while every Big Ten school is ranked in the top third with eight in the Top 70 Division I teams. RPI rankings are derived from a formula that considers win-loss record, strength of schedule and opponent strength of schedule and are an excellent indicator of postseason potential. The RPI rankings next come out on Oct. 22, and are then published again on Nov. 5.
NATIONAL HONORS JOIN CONFERNENCE AND UNIVERSITY HONORS FOR BOUCHELLE... After grabbing her first Big Ten weekly honor and adding Penn State Student-Athlete of the Week accolades to her list of achievements, redshirt-junior Zoe Bouchelle was named to the Soccer America National Team of the Week and the Soccer Buzz Elite Team of the Week. Bouchelle scored the game-winning goal in last Friday's match against Michigan State and contributed an assist for the game-winner Sunday against Michigan. So far this season the midfielder has two goals and three assists, accumulating seven total points- all in Big Ten play. She is the third member of the Penn State women's soccer team to be recognized for distinguished play with a weekly award this season. The Maryland-native had one goal and one assist in each game this weekend to help the Nittany Lions continue to stay undefeated in Big Ten play. With her six points in this weekend alone, Bouchelle had a hand in every goal.
TWO MORE WINS BOOSTS PENN STATE UP AGAIN IN THE POLLS... Up to No. 4 nationally according to Soccer America, Penn State made at least a two-slot jump in each poll again this week. The Nittany Lions are up to No. 8 according to the NSCAA, up from the 10-spot, and moved from No. 10 to No. 7 according to Soccer Buzz. Soccer America has PSU fourth, a three-spot move upwards, while Soccer Times ranks Penn State fifth. A composite of where the Nittany Lions have stood week-by-week is at the bottom of this page.
SCHOEPFER'S SCORING STREAK UP TO 10 GAMES... With a goal in each game last week, sophomore striker Katie Schoepfer's scoring streak puched to 10-straight games, dating back to the James Madison game on Sept. 14. Coming home was a good thing for the sophomore, as she had been scoreless through the Nittany Lions' first four games before the home opener at Jeffrey Field. Schoepfer's streak started when she netted the game-winner vs. previously unbeaten James Madison on Sept. 14. Since then she has scored nine goals and three assists for a team-leading 21 points. Her previous personal record for consecutive games with at least one point each was five her freshman year.
PENN STATE PICKED TO FINISH FIRST IN THE BIG TEN... The Nittany Lions have been picked by the coaches to finish at the top of the conference this year. A 2007 championship would mark PSU's 10th consecutive conference title. Its selection at the top of the poll marks the fifth-straight year that Penn State has been picked to win the Big Ten crown. The Nittany Lions' string of nine consecutive titles is tied for the second-longest championship streak in Big Ten history. The streak is also the longest active streak nationally.
NITTANY LIONS' CHAMPIONSHIP STREAK NOTEWORTHY... By clinching the 2006 Big Ten title on Oct. 22, 2006, Penn State pushed its championship run to nine-straight. The streak is now tied with Indiana women's tennis and Northwestern women's tennis for the second-longest in the 25 years of Big Ten women's championships.
LONGEST BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP STREAKS 12, Michigan Swimming & Diving (1987-98)
9, Penn State Women's Soccer (1998-Pres.)
9, Indiana Tennis (1987-95)
9, Northwestern Tennis (1999-Pres.)
RANKED TEAMS LITTER EARLY-SEASON SCHEDULE... The Big Ten opener vs. Illinois marked the sixth game in 10 outings vs. a team that is ranked or receving votes in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Poll (NSCAA). A win vs. the Illini brought PSU to 3-2-1 vs. ranked opponents in 2007, including two road wins against Top 25 teams. The only two losses have also come on the road. The Nittany Lions robust early-season schedule helped them to the No. 1 spot in the first RPI rankings to come out this year.
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.
STRIKER Katie Schoepfer PICKS UP WEEKLY HONORS... After another outstanding performance vs. Wisconsin and Northwestern, sophomore striker Katie Schoepfer earned her second honor of the week when she was named to the Soccer America Team of the Week. Earlier in the week, she had earned her second Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Honor this year. Schoepfer extended her scoring streak to eight games on the Nittany Lions' Big Ten road trip with an assist at Wisconsin on Friday, Oct. 5, and a goal and an assist at Northwestern on Sunday, Oct. 7.
GOALKEEPER ALYSSA NEAHER PICKS UP MULTIPLE HONORS... Sophomore Alyssa Naeher (Seymour, Conn.) was named this week's Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after the wins over Bucknell and at Notre Dame on Sept. 19 and Sept. 23, picking the sophomore up the first Big Ten weekly honor of her career. The Connecticut-native was also named to Soccer America's Team of the Week and earned Penn State Female Student-Athlete of the Week. Naeher was the key to the No. 17 Nittany Lions' first undefeated week this year. The preseason All-American turned in another pair of outstanding performances, including weathering 24 shots vs. 2006 national runner-up Notre Dame in the Nittany Lions' 2-1 victory.
COLGATE SECOND GAME OF 2007 WITH FIVE OR MORE GOALS FOR PSU... The Colgate match on Sept. 26 was the second match in as many weeks that saw Penn State score five goals. Freshman Danielle Toney's first career goal gave the Nittany Lions their second five-goal outing in three games, and their first winning decision by five or more goals since a 6-0 win over Bucknell in the 2005 NCAA Tournament.
PENN STATE HAS OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION VS. BUCKNELL... It took the Nittany Lions a full half to get warmed-up, but after the halftime break the offense was relentless vs. Bucknell on Sept. 19, pouring on five goals in the final 45 minutes. The five goals marked the first game with five or more goals for the Nittany Lions since their 5-2 victory over West Virginia on Nov. 13 during the 2005 NCAA Tournament. The last time PSU won by at least five goals was also during the 2005 NCAA Tournament, beating Bucknell 6-0 in the opening round on Nov. 11.
INDIVIDUALS HAVE NOTEWORTHY OUTINGS VS. BU... Senior tri-captain Aubrey Aden-Buie's got her two goals late last Wednesday, including one at the 89:59 mark, and was one of three Nittany Lions to score three or more points in the 5-1 win over Bucknell. Redshirt-sophomore Ashley Myers (Bel Air, Md.) scored the team's first goal, also her first of the season, and assisted the second goal, which was the eventual gamewinner. Sophomore transfer Melissa Hayes (Cave Creek, Ariz.) scored her first points as a Nittany Lion, tallying three assists on the evening.
SCHOEPFER GARNERS NATIONAL, CONFERENCE AND UNIVERSITY HONORS... After the game-winning goal vs. JMU and the game-tying conversion vs. No. 5 Texas A&M on Sept. 14 and 16, sophomore forward Katie Schoepfer earned Soccer America National Team of the Week, Soccer Buzz Elite Team of the Week Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and Penn State Female Student-Athlete of the Week.
SOPHOMORE'S GOAL VS. TEXAS A&M NAMED "GOAL OF THE WEEK"... Katie Schoepfer's game-tying goal vs. Texas A&M not only helped boost her to conference and national honors, but also was named the "Goal of the Week" by Phlliy Soccer News.com. The goal helped the Nittany Lions to a tie vs. then-No. 5 Texas A&M in the last five minutes of regulation.
PENN STATE ALL-TIME VS. RANKED OPPONENTS... Posting a 2-2-1 record this season vs. ranked teams this year, Penn State is now 54-32-9 (.616) all-time vs. opponents ranked in the NSCAA poll.
THE NEW JEFFREY STREAK... Penn State has played historically well at Jeffrey Field, and the Nittany Lions have started a new streak going 18-0-1 in their last 18 games on their home field. PSU has gone underfeated since a 2-1 loss to West Virginia on Sept. 8, 2006. The Nittany Lions' record for consecutive wins is 39 stretching from Sept. 17, 2001-Nov. 12, 2004.
BIG TEN NETWORK HELPS BOOST TV COVERAGE TO AT LEAST SIX GAMES... Backed by the newly-launched Big Ten Network, Penn State's women's soccer team will enjoy national television coverage at least six times this fall. So far the Nittany Lions are 3-0-1 on TV, all results against ranked opponents. The then-No. 15 Nittany Lions' game at then-No. 17 Connecticut on Sept. 6 was the season's first NSCAA College Match of the Week and was televised live on Fox Soccer Channel. On Sept. 16, its match-up with No. 5 Texas A&M marked Penn State's first Olympic Sporting Event on the Big Ten Network, one of four matches on the Network this fall including three at home. PSU won the rematch of it's 2006 NCAA quarterfinal match at Notre Dame that will be televised live on ESPNU on Sunday. The nine-time Big Ten champion Nittany Lions' conference match-up with 2006 runner-up Illinois resulted in a 2-1 victory on the Big Ten Network. Penn State's away match at Minnesota on Oct. 21 and its home match vs. Indiana at 1 p.m. will round out the Nittany Lions' Big Ten Network schedule for the year, making for six TV appearances before the postseason even begins.
GRAY, RILEY ON M.A.C. HERMANN TROPHY WATCHLIST... Nittany Lions have become staples among M.A.C. Hermann Trophy candidates and this year is no exception as junior midfielder Sheree Gray (Toms River, N.J.) and senior defender Denay Riley (Washingtonville, N.Y.) are among the preseason candidates for collegiate soccer's version of the Heisman Trophy. Penn State was one of 13 schools with two or more candidates on the preseason list.
NAEHER CHOSEN AS SOCCER AMERICA PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN... Alyssa Naeher is one of only three preseason All-Americans at goalkeeper according to Soccer America, and is also the youngest, only having one college season under her belt thus far. Naeher is also one of only four sophomores on the 23-player list.
NAEHER RETURNS IN NETS AFTER SILVER EFFORT WITH U-20S... Sophomore Alyssa Naeher returns to the Nittany Lions' line-up after an outstanding effort with the U.S. Under-20 team at the Pan Am Games this summer. After a strong year her freshman campaign that was cut short due to injury, Naeher healed-up and traveled to Brazil where she put forth a stellar effort including starts in the semifinals and final game of the tournament. The U.S. team eventually lost to homestanding Brazil's full national team, giving Naeher unparalleled experience heading into her sophomore season.
CAPTAINS NAMED... Redshirt-senior defender Jean Rettig (Hummelstown, Pa.), senior striker Aubrey Aden-Buie and junior defender Jessie Davis (Fairfax, Va.) have been selected as the 2007 tri-captains for the Nittany Lions. A starter over past three years, Rettig is back after a concussion cut her season short in 2006. Aden-Buie led the Nittany Lions last season with 12 goals and 28 points, while the youngster of the trio Davis started last year and came on strong in the postseason to help the offense as well.
WELCOME BACK!... Several Nittany Lions studied abroad in the spring, but returned this fall to compete again for Penn State. Redshirt-senior Jean Rettig studied abroad in New Zealand, while senior Kaleen Adami (Bensalem, Pa.) and redshirt-junior Zoe Bouchelle (Cockeysville, Md.) were abroad in Argentina.