Aug. 14, 2009
Pittsburgh Panthers
(2008 Record: 7-12-1, 4-6-1 Big East)
at
#12 Penn State Nittany Lions
(2008 Record: 16-8, 8-2 Big Ten)
Exhibition #1: August 15, 2009 - Jeffrey Field - University Park, Pa.
GAME DAY
VENUE (CAPACITY): Jeffrey Field (5,000)
SURFACE: Grass
AUDIO/VIDEO STREAMING: None
SERIES RECORD VS. PITT: Penn State leads, 7-0
LAST MEETING: 9/1/02; Penn State, 7-2
NEXT GAME: August 21 vs. #9 Virginia, 7:00 p.m.
GAME STORIES
- Penn State opens with an exhibition game for the first time since 2007.
- Penn State has never dropped a match to Pittsburgh.
- Nine starters return from a year ago, including First Team All-American and FIFA U-20 World Cup winner Alyssa Naeher.
- Returning All-Big Ten selections from a year ago are Meghan Gill (2nd), Alyssa Naeher (1st), Katie Schoepfer (1st), Emma Thomson (Frosh) and Danielle Toney (Big Ten Tourney Offensive MVP).
- The Lions had a nearly perfect spring season, going 7-0-1.
- Three Nittany Lions were named to the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy List on Tuesday: Alyssa Naeher, Katie Schoepfer and Christine Nairn.
- Penn State is tabbed the Big Ten favorites and ranked No. 12 by the NSCAA.
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time Series PSU leads 7-0-0
PSU Streak 7 wins
First Meeting 9/13/96, PSU 8-0
Last Meeting 9/1/02, PSU 7-2
Last PSU Win 9/1/02, 7-2
Last PITT Win Never
Largest PSU Victory 8-0, 9/13/96
Largest PITT Victory Never
PSU Record at Jeffrey: 4-0-0
Walsh vs. PITT First Meeting
Penn State hasn't faced Pittsburgh in a regular season game since 2002, when the Nittany Lions thrashed the panthers, 7-2...Pittsburgh has never beaten Penn State, the closest it came was in 1997 with a 2-1 loss at home...This game serves as Penn State's only exhibition tuneup in 2009...This is the second exhibition game for Pittsburgh, they lost to Central Michigan, 2-1, on Wednesday at home.
Last 7 Meetings
9/1/02 W, 7-2 H
10/28/01 W, 6-2 A
9/1/00 W, 6-0 H
10/31/99 W, 7-1 A
9/1/98 W, 5-1 H
10/19/97 W, 2-1 A
9/13/96 W, 8-0 H
GAME NOTES
EXHIBITION OPENER: Penn State welcomes the Pittsburgh Panthers into Jeffrey Field for an exhibition game prior to the regular season opener against Virginia. The last time the Nittany Lions played an exhibition match, they defeated the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens 2-0 at home IN 2007.
UNBLEMISHED LIONS: Penn State has never dropped a result or tied the Panthers, going a perfect 7-0-0 in regular season matches. The Nittany Lions defeated Pittsburgh 7-2 in 2002 the last time around.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS: Pittsburgh went 7-12-1 last season and reached the Big East Tournament for the third time in four years.  The Panthers return their three leading goal scorers and only graduated one from the defensive line. The midfield is steady as eight letterwinners return to the fold giving Pitt an experienced core throughout the pitch. The Panthers went 4-2-1 in spring play, but lost 2-1 to Central Michigan on Wednesday.
DECORATED LEADER: As if being a two-time First Team All-American and U-20 World Cup Champion wasn't enough, Alyssa Naeher added the title "captain" to her résumé. Naeher will serve as the team's lone captain during the 2009 campaign. Naeher was named the Golden Glove winner at the World Cup in Chile, leading the Americans to the championship.
ALL-BIG TEN RETURNERS: Penn State boasts a core group of returning All-Big Ten recipients from a year ago. Alyssa Naeher earned First Team accolades along with Katie Schoepfer. Meghan Gill was a Second Team honoree, while Emma Thomson returns as an All-Freshman mention. Danielle Toney came on late in the season in 2008, earning the Offensive MVP of the Big Ten Tournament.  Naeher was the Defensive MVP.
STELLAR SPRING: The PSU women's soccer team didn't slack off this spring going 7-0-1 in exhibition matches stateside. Of the eight games, four were against 2009 opponents. Penn State defeated West Virginia (3-1), Virginia (2-0) and Rutgers (1-0), while tying Bucknell (1-1). Other matches included wins over Villanova (2-0), Penn (2-0), Maryland (4-0) and Messiah (3-0).
RULING THE ROOST: The Big Ten coaches' preseason predictions were released on Wednesday and Penn State was tabbed to claim its 12th-straight Big Ten title. Michigan State was No. 2 and Illinois No. 3.
LIONS BACK IN THE RANKINGS: After falling out of the final rankings for the first time since 1994, Penn State was tabbed 12th in the NSCAA Preseason Coaches' Poll on Wednesday. The first time the Nittany Lions will have to defend their ranking will be against No. 9 Virginia on Friday, August 21.
OS LEÕES DE NITTANY EM BRASIL: At the end of May, the Penn State squad embarked on a two-week trip to Brazil. All but four members of the squad, including recent graduates, made the trip the South American country known for its soccer. The Nittany Lions participated in three full-field exhibitions, a fustal tournament as well as a beach soccer tournament. The squad also got to venture about the country and see the sights and sounds of Brazil in the cities of São Paolo and Rio De Janeiro.
FIRST GOAL: Nine new freshmen join the Nittany Lion roster, many of whom are accomplished players above and beyond the high school level. One such newcomer, Christine Nairn, scored her first goal at the top international level with the U.S. National Senior Team in July. The freshman scored the lone goal in a 1-0 friendly win over Canada on July 22 in Charleston, S.C. It was Nairn's second cap with the full team.
GOLDEN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: Two Nittany Lions, sophomore Krissy Tribbett and freshman Maddy Evans, won the U.S. Youth Championships with their respective club teams this summer. Tribbett's Colorado Nike Rush squad won the U-19 division, capturing its second consecutive title in double overtime. Evans' team, the FC Bucks Vipers, won the U-18 division, 1-0, on Evans' game-winner in the 52nd minute. In total, the freshman midfielder scored five goals at Nationals, earning the Golden Boot Award for the U-18s.
TROPHY CANDIDATES: Alyssa Naeher, Christine Nairn and Katie Schoepfer were named to the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy watch list on Tuesday. The trio represent the second straight time the Nittany Lions see three of their own on the preseason list.
PACK THE JEFF: Penn State athletics is organizing its biggest soccer promotion in history as the efforts to fill Jeffrey Field for the season opener have begun. The goal is to have fans be a part of the largest crowd in stadium history, which would mean having more than 3,208 spectators present, the record set in a 2006 match against UCLA.
TOUGH SCHEDULE: The Nittany Lions will tackle 10 NCAA Tournament opponents from a year ago. In all, eight teams ranked in last year's final NSCAA poll are on the Lions' schedule. Five of those teams will visit Jeffrey Field, while one more, Brigham Young, will be in University Park for the Penn State Invitational, but won't play the Nittany Lions.
NEXT UP: The Nittany Lions open the regular season slate against tough competition. The Cavaliers of Virginia arrive at Jeffrey Field on Friday, August 21 at 7:00 p.m. PSU is 4-1 all-time against Virginia, including four-straight wins dating back to 1998. PSU will try to break the single-game attendance record.
Att. Opponent Date
3,208 #2 UCLA Aug. 25, 2006
HOME OPENERS: Penn State is a remarkable 13-2-0 in home openers in program history. Last year's 4-1 loss to Florida State snapped a 13-game run dating back to a 2-1 overtime loss to Cornell in the team's inaugural season in 1994. The Nittany Lions are 10-5 all-time in season openers. Aside from a 4-1 loss in 1994 to James Madison, Penn State's four losses were all 2-1 defeats, while the Lions have averaged 3.3 goals per game in the 10 wins.
PENN STATE INVITATIONAL: The Lions then host three teams for the annual Penn State Invitational, taking on West Virginia on Saturday, August 31.  A nemesis of Penn State's, the Mountaineers hold a three-game winning streak over the Nittany Lions all by one goal apiece. That game is set for 7:30 p.m. at Jeffrey Field.  The opening match of the tournament sees Brigham Young, ranked No. 19 in last year's final NSCAA poll, take on UConn at 5:00 p.m. On Monday, August 31, BYU and West Virginia play at noon, while UConn plays Penn State at 2:30 p.m.
MONTHLY WINS: Penn State has played just 17 games in the month of August during the team's 15-year history. The Lions are 10-6-1 all-time in August, five of those 10 wins have come since 2005. Penn State has three games on its schedule this month.
Month Record Pct.
August 10-6-1 .617