Oct. 9, 2008
Michigan/Michigan State Game Notes
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lions enter this weekend with an 8-5 (3-0) record after a 1-0 win against Northwestern and a 3-0 win over Wisconsin. Michigan enters Friday's match 3-6-4 (0-2-2) after tying, 1-1, with Purdue and a 0-1 loss to No. 21 Illinois. Michigan State will meet with Ohio State before Sunday's contest. Their record prior to OSU is 10-3-1 (2-2) after losses to Illinois (0-3) and Purdue (0-2). The Nittany Lions are continuing their quest to win an 11th straight conference championship.
A DECADE OF DOMINANCE
The Nittany Lions have won 10-straight Big Ten titles dating back to the 1998 season. Over that same span they have only lost six Big Ten games going 89-6-4 in conference play. They enter the 2008 season as favorites once again with hopes of attaining that 11th championship. The championship streak is tied for the second longest in Big Ten women's championship history with a current string of women's tennis championships at Northwestern. Michigan women's swimming & diving leads all-time with 12.
LAST YEAR AGAINST MICHIGAN
Sophomore Katie Schoepfer continued her 10-game scoring streak with the gamewinner against Michigan as then-No. 10 Penn State took a 2-0 victory over the visiting Wolverines.
Schoepfer scored her team-leading ninth of the season when she took the pass from Zoe Bouchelle in the 10th minute to give Penn State the 1-0 lead. The goal, the eventual gamewinner, was her fourth gamewinner of the season.
The insurance goal came from Bouchelle and was her second of the weekend as well as her second this year. Freshman Danielle Toney took a hard shot that Bouchelle deflected into the net for the 2-0 lead in the 27th minute and that was all the Nittany Lions would need as they cruised to the 2-0 win.
2008 PENN STATE VS. MICHIGAN
Penn State will look to continue the Big Ten win streak while Michigan is looking for its first conference win.
The Nittany Lions have outscored the Wolverines 22-16 and has more than doubled their shots in the same number of games (214-102). The Michigan defense has allowed 65 corner kicks while the Penn State back line has limited opponents to 34. Michigan has the edge in saves with 65 to Penn State's 57.
Amanda Bowery is the biggest scoring threat for Michigan with five goals and three assists. Clare Satchel has also made her presense known with two goals and four assists. Danielle Toney and Katie Schoepfer are the top scorers for the Nittany Lions with six goals each. Not far behind is Nikki Watts (Hungerford, England) with four goals. Toney and Shoepfer also have nine and three assists respectively.
Net minder Alyssa Naeher has tallied 54 saves for Penn State with a 1.42 goals against average while Michigan's Carolyn Edwards has collected 57 saves with a 1.30 goals against average.
Friday marks the 22nd meeting of Penn State and Michigan. The Nittany Lions lead the series 13-3-5.
LAST TIME AGAINST MICHIGAN STATE
Penn State came on strong in the first half, out-shooting the Spartans 8-0. A corner around 14 minutes into the game resulted in a flurry of shots that proved to be too much for MSU goalkeeper Nicole Galas. Redshirt-junior Zoe Bouchelle found the back of the net for her first goal of the year when Carly Bedesem (Holland, Pa.) redirected a hard-hit shot from Aubrey Aden-Buie (Allentown, Pa.) to Bouchelle, who gave the Nittany Lions the 1-0 lead at the 14:42 mark.
Sophomore Katie Schoepfer continued her offensive tear, scoring a point in her ninth straight game. Schoepfer got her goal on a fast restart by the Nittany Lions when crafty midfielder Bouchelle lobbed one over the Michigan State defense to Schoepfer, who took the goalkeeper one-on-one for her team-leading eighth goal of the year.
2008 PENN STATE VS. MICHIGAN STATE
Prior to Friday's games with Michigan (PSU) and Ohio State (MSU), the Nittany Lions held an 8-5 (3-0) record while the Spartans were 10-3 (2-2).
Penn State has out-shot Michigan State 214-152, but the Spartans have scored 33 goals to the Nittany Lions' 22. The Spartan defense has allowed 55 corner kicks to Penn State's 34. The Nittany Lions have the advantage in saves with 57 over Michigan State's 47.
Penn State keeper Alyssa Naeher has grabbed 54 saves and has a 1.42 goals against average while Lindsey Wregle of Michigan State has scooped up 43 saves and has a .71 goals against average.
Top scorers for the Spartans are Laura Heyboer with 12 goals followed closely by Lauren Hill with nine and Cara Freeman with eight. Lauren Sinacola has set up the most offensive opportunities with 10 assists.
Danielle Toney and Katie Schoepfer have six goals each on the season for Penn State while Nikki Watts isn't far behind with four. Toney also leads the Nittany Lions with six assists while Schoepfer has added three.
Sunday will be the 16th meeting of Penn State and Michigan State. The Nittany Lions lead the series 13-2.
DAVIS EARNS NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Senior captain Jessie Davis (Fairfax, Va.) has been selected to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week.
Davis piloted the Penn State defense which shut out Big Ten opponents Northwestern and Wisconsin last week. The Nittany Lion back line held the Wildcats to two shots on goal while the Badgers were limited to three shots on goal. Penn State has collected five shutouts on the season and hasn't given up a single goal in Big Ten action.
Davis was a Second Team All-Big Ten performer last season. This is her first national honor.