Oct. 21, 2007
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - An inopportune foul proved to be the difference in another hotly contested Big Ten women's soccer match. In double overtime, No. 8 Penn State fell after a rebound goal off a free kick found its was to the back of the net to give Minnesota the 1-0 upset victory on their home field. The Nittany Lions, now 12-3-1 overall and 6-1 in the Big Ten, return home on Friday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. vs. sixth-ranked Purdue. Minnesota is now 7-7-1, 3-4 in the Big Ten.
Minnesota's golden goal came when Lindsey Schwartz sent a free kick off the post. Teammate Kaitlin Wagner was there to send the rebound into the upper right corner of the net for her third goal of the season and the day's gamewinner.
Penn State out-shot the Golden Gophers 14-9, getting a shot off in each period but the last. Three Nittany Lions, Aubrey Aden-Buie (Allentown, Pa.), Katie Schoepfer (Waterford, Conn.) and Zoe Bouchelle (Cockeysville, Md.) all had three shots for the game with Aden-Buie, Bouchelle and freshman Danielle Toney (Northville, Mich.) the only Nittany Lions to put one on frame.
Sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher (Seymour, Conn.) made two saves in the loss, the Nittany Lions first since Sept. 9 at West Virginia, breaking an 11-game unbeaten streak. The loss is only the team's third of the season. The last time the Nittany Lions lost a Big Ten match was on Oct. 1, 2006, in Champaign, Ill. to Illinois. Penn State is the nine-time defending Big Ten champions and also won the 2006 Big Ten Tournament championship.
No. 8 Penn State returns home this Friday, Oct. 26 vs. No. 6 Purdue. That game will start at 7 p.m. and be "Think Pink" Night with fundraising efforts for breast cancer taking place the night of the game. Senior Day is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 28, vs. Indiana. The match vs. the Hoosiers starts at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.
--NITTANY LIONS--