Nov. 11, 2008
Big Ten Championship notes | Bracket | Championship central
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The fifth-seeded Penn State men's soccer team (5-10-3, 2-4-0) will take on No. 4 seed Northwestern (12-3-2, 3-3-0) in an opening round match-up of the 2008 Big Ten Championship on Thurs., Nov. 13 at 11:30 a.m. ET in Madison, Wis. All tournament games will be held at the home of the Badgers, the McClimon Memorial Soccer Complex.
The Nittany Lions' contest with the Wildcats will be followed by games featuring No. 3 seed Indiana (10-5-3, 3-3-0) versus No. 6 seed Ohio State (9-7-2, 2-4-0) (2 p.m. ET) and No. 2 seed Michigan (12-4-2, 4-1-1) versus No. 7 seed Wisconsin (9-7-2, 1-4-1) (4:30 p.m. ET).
Should Penn State get past Northwestern in the first round, it would advance to face No. 1 seed Michigan State (11-5-1, 5-1-0) in a semifinal contest scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on Fri., Nov. 14. The winners of the Northwestern-Ohio State and Michigan-Wisconsin games will face each other at 2:30 p.m. ET in the other semifinal match-up. The title game is set for 1 p.m. ET on Sun., Nov. 16.
Penn State finished out regular season and Big Ten play last weekend in Ann Arbor, Mich. by dropping a 2-0 decision to No. 12 Michigan. The Nittany Lions got off a slow start, recording just three shots in the first half. The second half told a different story, as Penn State ramped up the attacking pressure. Despite outshooting the Wolverines, 10-5 during the final period, the Lions could not convert on any opportunities. Michigan's Peri Marosevic scored two goals, including one with just five seconds remaining in the game. Jacobo Vera and Drew Cost led Penn State with three shots.
Freshman defender Mark Fetrow has started all 18 games this season and leads the team in minutes played |
After a red-hot start to the season marked by 11 consecutive victories, Northwestern has cooled of late, dropping three of its last four games, including a 2-0 loss to Indiana last weekend. Offensive production has been the Wildcats' Achilles heel over that span, as they have tallied just two goals. However, the NU attack, which features Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Matt Eliason, remains dangerous. Eliason leads the team in goals (11) and points (22). Brian Usinger (3 goals, 3 assists), Mark Blades (3 goals), and Tyler Voigt (1 goal, 4 assists) are also key to the Northwestern offense. Misha Rosenthal, one of the nation's top goalkeepers, headlines the Wildcats' defense. In 16 starts, he recorded 11 shutouts while compiling a sterling 0.43 goals against average. He missed the Indiana game with a knee injury.
Penn State has dominated the all-time series with Northwestern, compiling a 21-2-1 record. Since their first meeting in 1991, PSU has outscored Northwestern, 57-18, while recording 10 shutouts. However, earlier this season, the Nittany Lions dropped their first-ever regular season match-up to the Wildcats, falling 2-1 in Evanston, Ill. Penn State possesses a 5-1 record versus Northwestern in Big Ten Championship play.
Overall, Penn State owns a Big Ten Championship mark of 22-11-4; one of just two conference teams to own a winning record in the postseason tournament. The Nittany Lions are undefeated versus Wisconsin (4-0) and Michigan (2-0) and have lost just once to Northwestern, Michigan State (5-1-1), and Ohio State (4-1). Their only losing record is against Indiana (2-8-3).
Penn State is 14-2-1 all-time in first round Big Ten Championship games. Its only two opening round losses came in 1995 (Indiana) and 2004 (Northwestern). A year ago, the Nittany Lions played Michigan State to a 0-0 tie but lost the penalty kick battle, 4-3.
The Big Ten Network will exclusively broadcast the Big Ten Men's Soccer Championship, providing television coverage of the semifinals and the finals for the first time in conference tournament history. Kenn Tomasch, Chris Doran, and Dean Linke will provide play-by-play coverage, color analysis, and sideline reporting.
Fans can also follow all of the Penn State soccer action at the 2008 Big Ten Championship on the Internet with live stats and instant scoring updates. Find a link on the official website of Nittany Lion athletics, www.GoPSUsports.com.