March 16, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Striker Katie Schoepfer (Waterford, Conn.) scored the U.S. Under-23 team's second goal of the day to help push the squad to a 2-0victory in the team's second meeting with England's U-23 team in three days. Schoepfer started both games for the U.S., including the team's 1-0 victory on March 14, and got her goal in the 28th minute of the second match.
U.S. head coach Bill Irwin took 18 players, including Schoepfer, to England for the pair of matches. Irwin is preparing the U-23 team for the 2008 Nordic Cup, which will be held this summer in Sweden.
A first-time All-American, Schoepfer was a second team pick for the Nittany Lions after leading the team in scoring during its Big Ten championship run. First team All-Great Lakes Region selection Schoepfer led the Nittany Lion offense with 15 goals and five assists for 35 points on the year. Seven of her goals came during Big Ten play and the sophomore also added seven game-winning goals, including three in conference play, en route to first team All-Big Ten honors. Schoepfer was 35th nationally in goals per game, scoring 0.625 a match, and was tops in the Big Ten in points per game (1.46) and goals per game (0.62). She had the game-winning or game-tying goals vs. then-No. 4 Texas A&M, and down the Big Ten stretch vs. Indiana and Ohio State. Schoepfer also assisted on the game-winning goal vs. Northwestern. Schoepfer joins a distinguished list of Nittany Lion forwards to be honored as All-Americans, which includes fellow Connecticut native Tiffany Weimer (2003, 2004, 2005) and Penn State's only four-time honoree and Hermann Trophy winner Christie Welsh (1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002- second team).
Finishing 12th in the NSCAA poll, Penn State had another outstanding year in 2007 and made its 13th-straight NCAA appearance. The No. 1 seeded Nittany Lions went all the way to the third round of the Tournament and captured a 10th consecutive Big Ten title.
--NITTANY LIONS--