Oct. 27, 2009
KANSAS CITY, Kan. / OAKLAND, Calif.-The Penn State women's soccer team continues to receive more good news this week as the team was ranked 25th in the latest NSCAA poll released Tuesday. Additionally, Katie Schoepfer (Waterford, Conn.) was named to the Soccer America Team of the Week.
The Nittany Lions (9-5-2, 5-1-1) are ranked for the first time since they were 24th on Sept. 8. Currently 17th in the latest RPI released by the NCAA, Penn State has gone 5-0-1 in the month of October and currently three points behind Ohio State in the Big Ten standings with a game in hand.
On Monday, Penn State was voted 25th by the editors of Soccer America, which named Schoepfer to their national Team of the Week, the third time a Nittany Lion has landed on the list of weekly accolades. Schoepfer notched the 17th hat trick in school history in a 6-0 win over Illinois on Sunday, capping a seven-point day for the senior out of Connecticut.
Schoepfer recorded plenty of milestones on Sunday in Penn State's largest win since a 6-0 win against Bucknell in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Aside from scoring her first multi-goal game since a two-goal effort at Michigan (Oct. 10, 2008), Schoepfer became the first Nittany Lion score a hat trick since Tiffany Weimer (Nov. 11, 2005 vs. Texas A&M).
Weimer found herself another Penn State great to get passed by Schoepfer this season, as the current Lion's five shots moved her into second all-time in shots taken at 357. That was just one of many moves made up the record book for Schoepfer.
Schoepfer now finds herself tied for fifth all-time in Penn State history for career goals (44) with Carole Dutchka (1995-98). The senior forward passed Dutchka in two other categories: game-winning goals, points. Schoepfer now sits with 111 points and 16 game-winning goals, good for sixth in both categories, respectively.
Coupled with Danielle Toney's (Northville, Mich.) Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week nod two weeks ago, Penn State has now had three-straight Offensive Player of the Week awards. Additionally, dating back to Oct. 5 the Nittany Lions have had four-straight weeks of honorees, when Alyssa Naeher (Seymour, Conn.) was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Week and Christine Nairn (Bowie, Md.) garnered Freshman accolades.
Penn State is currently in second place, three points behind Ohio State with a game in hand after a 6-0 rout of Illinois on Sunday. The Nittany Lions travel to No. 22 Indiana on Thursday for a 7:30 p.m. matchup and then return home for Senior Day against Purdue at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.
For complete coverage of Penn State women's soccer, visit http://www.GoPSUsports.com/sports/w-soccer.
Follow Penn State women's soccer on Twitter: @PSUWomensSoccer
--NITTANY LIONS--