Oct. 2, 2008
Northwestern/Wisconsin Game Notes
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - SETTING THE SCENE
The Nittany Lions enter this weekend with a 6-5 (1-0) record after a 1-0 win against Indiana and a 1-4 non-conference loss to No. 4 Portland. Northwestern enters Friday's match 6-4-1 (1-1) after a 0-1 loss to Purdue and a 1-0 win over No. 17 Illinois. Wisconsin will meet with Ohio State before Sunday's contest. Their record prior to OSU is also 6-4-1 (0-2) after losses to Purdue (1-2) and Illinois (0-1). The Nittany Lions are continuing their quest to win an 11th straight conference championship. Live stats for both games will be available at www.GoPSUsports.com and Sunday's game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
LAST YEAR AGAINST NORTHWESTERN
Last year the Nittany Lions faced the Wildcats in their first Big Ten road contest and ran away with a 3-1 victory.
Play was scoreless the first half with Northwestern drawing first blood early in the second period when Jennifer Baumann found the back of the net off a failed clear attempt in the 49th minute.
It took the Nittany Lions until the 61:02 mark to tie it up at 1-1 when Audrey Aden-Buie netted her first goal off a helper from Melissa Hayes (Cave Creek, Ariz.). Aden-Buie struck again in the 74th minute, depositing the gamewinner off a Katie Schoepfer (Waterford, Conn.) assist.
Schoepfer got her own goal in the 82nd minute to cap the Nittany Lions' 3-1 victory off a Megan Monroig (Northumberland, Pa.) assist.
2008 PENN STATE VS. NORTHWESTERN
Penn State and Northwestern will enter Jeffrey Field looking for big wins. The Nittany Lions will continue the push for their 11th straight Big Ten title while Northwestern is hoping for their second upset after a win over No. 17 Illinois.
Penn State and Northwestern appear to be evenly matched heading into the game. They each have 18 goals on the season with 1.64 per game. The Nittany Lions lead the shooting margin with 184 compared to the Wildcats' 121. NU has a slight edge on assists (22-16) while PSU has the advantage in saves (52-44).
Amanda Hoffman is the clear leader for Northwestern in goals this season with five. Multiple Wildcats have two, but Jenny Dunn and Emily Langston appear to be the bigger threat as they each have five assists. Danielle Toney (Northville, Mich.) is the top scorer for the Nittany Lions with five goals followed closely by Katie Schoepfer (Waterford, Conn.) and Nikki Watts (Hungerford, England)with four each.
Net minder Alyssa Naeher (Seymour, Conn.) has tallied 50 saves for Penn State with a 1.67 goals against average while Northwestern's Carolyn Edwards has collected 43 saves with a 1.42 goals against average.
Friday marks the 17th meeting of Penn State and Northwestern. The Nittany Lions lead the series 14-2.
LAST TIME AGAINST WISCONSIN
In the second Big Ten contest of the 2007 campaign, the then-No. 11 Nittany Lions defeated the Badgers 2-0 in their first conference away game.
Despite a few good chances in the first 30 minutes, Penn State didn't find the goal until the 36:12 mark when the Nittany Lions worked the ball into Wisconsin territory. The Badger defense was able to run some interference on a Jessie Davis (Fairfax, Va.) pass through the box, but it was not enough to keep it from the feet of freshman Megan Monroig, who made the deposit in the right side of the net. The goal, the second of the season for Monroig, put Penn State up 1-0 with less then eight minutes remaining in the first half.
It didn't take Penn State long to put goal No. 2 on the board as it went nearly the length of the field for another goal in the 39th minute. Sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher punted the ball and classmate Katie Schoepfer put it on target to freshman Danielle Toney, who beat the keeper for her third goal of the season and the 2-0 PSU lead.
Less then three minutes into the second half, Wisconsin's Katy Meyer took a hard shot from the left side that almost spoiled the shutout, but preseason All-American keeper Naeher was there for the save. Naeher finished with just the one save, but played solidly all evening, snuffing out several Wisconsin chances before they had time to develop.
2008 PENN STATE VS. WISCONSIN
Prior to Friday's games with Northwestern (PSU) and Ohio State (Wisc.), the Nittany Lions held a 6-5 (1-0) record while the Badgers were 6-4-1 (0-2).
Penn State is slightly ahead of Wisconsin in shots (184-174) and saves (52-41), but the Badgers have the advantage in goals on the season (22-18). Each team has collected three shutouts. Penn State against Rutgers, No. 25 Connecticut and Indiana, while Wisconsin has prevented Green Bay, Western Michigan and Nevada from scoring.
Penn State keeper Alyssa Naeher has grabbed 50 saves and has a 1.67 goals against average while Jamie Klages of Wisconsin has scooped up 40 saves and has a .99 goals against average.
Top scorers for the Badgers are Taylor Walsh with six goals followed closely by Laurie Nosbusch with five. Nosbusch also leads Wisconsin with four assists.
Danielle Toney has five goals on the season for Penn State while Nikki Watts and Katie Schoepfer aren't far behind with four each. Toney also leads the Nittany Lions with five assists.
CURRENT AND FORMER PENN STATE COACHES TO MEET AGAIN
Every Penn State women's soccer coach to date will meet up at Jeffrey Field this Sunday. But this won't just be to reminisce about former players and the great tradition that is Nittany Lion soccer. In 14 years, the women's soccer program has had three head coaches: Pat Farmer, Paula Wilkins and current head coach Erica Walsh. Wilkins is in her second season as the Badgers head coach while Farmer recently joined her staff.
Farmer was the first head coach of the Nittany Lions. He hired Wilkins as an assistant who eventually took his place upon his departure. From 1994-2000, Farmer led the team to its first Women's College Cup in 1999 and collected the first of many Big Ten Championships in 1998.
Wilkins followed in Farmer's footsteps taking the next eight Big Ten Championships to make it nine in a row while also ushering the 2002 and 2005 squads to the Women's College Cup. Additionally, Penn State won it's first an only M.A.C. Hermann Trophy in Christie Welsch who played on Wilkins' 2001 team.
WELCOME ENDOWMENT SCHOLARSHIP DONORS AND WOMEN'S SOCCER ALUMNAE
This weekend, the Penn State women's soccer team would like to extend a special welcome to the endowment scholarship donors and former players who have taken this program to where it is today. We are proud to have you as part of our Nittany Lion family!
Dr. Donald W. Strickler - Mr. and Mrs. Timothy M. Curley - Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Basehoar, Esq. - Mr. and Mrs. Keith E. Forrest - Dr. and Mrs. Howard M. Imanuel - Dr. Robert Nielsen and Mrs. Kimberly Ortenzio-Nielsen - Mr. and Mrs. Arthur J. Nagle - Mr. and Mrs. Kevin J. Hart - Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hess - Mr. Robert C. Bonzo