Nov. 7, 2009
Game Notes • • Twitter Feed
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The No. 22 Penn State women's soccer team may be the 2009 Big Ten Champion, but it has some work left to do. The Nittany Lions travel to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan in the regular-season finale, and a win or draw secures the outright title.
#22 Penn State Nittany Lions
(11-5-2; 7-1-1 Big Ten)
at
Michigan Wolverines
(6-8-5; 1-3-5 Big Ten)
Game #19: November 8, 2009 - Noon - U-M Soccer Complex - Ann Arbor, Mich.
GAME DAY
VENUE (CAPACITY): UM West Practice Field (800)
SURFACE: Grass
STREAMING COVERAGE: None
TALENT: n/a
SERIES RECORD VS. MICH: Penn State leads 14-3-5
LAST MEETING: 10/10/08, PSU 4-0 (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
NEXT GAME: 11/13 vs. TBA; NCAA Tournament First Round
GAME STORIES
- The Lions won at least a share of their 12th-straight title on Friday by virtue of Ohio State's loss at Michigan State, clinching an NCAA berth
- A win or draw gives Penn State the outright win of the Big Ten
- Penn State looks for fifth straight win over the Wolverines
- PSU will try to extend its unbeaten streak vs. Michigan to nine on Sunday
- Danielle Toney reaps conference and national awards this week
- Alyssa Naeher takes home fifth Big Ten Defensive weekly award of 2009; Christine Nairn honored with second Big Ten Freshman weekly award of 2009
GAME NOTES
THE CLINCHER: Entering this weekend, Penn State and Ohio State were tied atop the standings at 7-1-1 with 22 points. While PSU was set to go to UM on Sunday, Ohio State had to play at Michigan State on Friday afternoon.  The scenario was this-an upset of the No. 11 Buckeyes by the hometown Spartans would give Penn State no less than a share of its 12th-straight Big Ten championship. With a Lauren Hill goal in te 56th minute, MSU held on for the 1-0 win. Shortly after training in Happy Valley the team was brought into Jeffrey Field for its daily post-training scouting session. There, Penn State director of athletics Tim Curley, associate director of athletics Susan Delaney-Scheetz, other support staff and the coaches told the team of the news and the celebration erupted. After a photo opportunity on the training fields, with Beaver Stadium shrouded in twilight serving as a backdrop, head coach Erica Walsh addressd the team, congratulated them on their success and emplored that more work had to be done on Sunday and in the NCAA Tournament. Penn State became the fourth team to clinch an NCAA berth and tied the Michigan swimming & diving teams of the late 1990's by winning the 12th-straight Big Ten title, a women's record.
SENIORS' SALUTATION: Penn State honored its seven graduating seniors-Tara Davies, Melissa Hayes, Alyssa Naeher, Alli Rago, Maura Ryan, Katie Schoepfer and Nikki Watts-prior to Sunday's game against Purdue. Then the Nittany Lions went out and beat Purdue 4-0 behind two goals from Danielle Toney and insurance goals from Hayes and Davies.  Davies' goal set off one of the finest celebrations of the year with cartwheels and flips, as Davies scored her first collegiate goal on a chip over the head of Purdue's goalkeeper.  Christine Nairn added three assists while Naeher and Kristin Hartmann combined for the team's ninth shutout this season.
PENN STATE SWEEPS WEEKLY AWARDS: Danielle Toney, Alyssa Naeher, and Christine Nairn swept the Big Ten weekly awards, taking Offensive, Defensive, and Freshman of the Week awards, respectively. Additionally, Toney took home National Player of the Week honors from TopDrawerSoccer.com as well as being named to the Team of the Week. She also landed on the Soccer America Team of the Week for her three-goal effort over two games against Indiana and Purdue.
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES: Michigan enters Sunday's game, which will serve as Senior Day for three Wolverines, with a 6-8-5 overall record and 1-3-5 in the Big Ten. Michigan's staunch defense is led by Haley Kopmeyer who leads the league in save percentage (.854), saves per game (5.9) and despite the team being two games under .500, is tied-fourth in shutouts this year with six. Michigan has been doubly out-shot 300-148 this year, but teams have only registered 25 goals against the Wolverines. Opponents are scoring at a woeful .083 percentage, while Michigan is notching goals with a .135 average. On offense, Jackie Carron leads the attack with 10 points thanks to two goals and six assists. Alex Jendrusch, who led the Wolverines to a 1-0 win over Illinois last week, is the team leader with four goals. Michigan has played five double overtime times in conference play, all resulting in ties, three of them by a 0-0 score.
WEST FIELD SUCCESS: Due to construction at the new UM Soccer Complex Stadium, Sunday's match will be played at the West Practice Field. It's this same practice field where Michigan played its first game in Ann Arbor in 2008, losing to Penn State, 4-0, on less than ideal playing conditions. Katie Schoepfer led the way with two goals and Zoe Bouchelle knocked in the game-winner, handing UM its only loss on the field, as two days later the Wolverines would beat Ohio State, 2-0. Michigan is 4-1-4 this season in Ann Arbor.
DIFFERENCES OF OFFENSIVE OPINION: To say Michigan has been playing for ties in conference play would be a correct assertion. They lead the league in the category with five, having played tight defense, putting 10 players behind the ball and counter attacking for goals. They have held nine teams scoreless this year with three games going to a 0-0 draw. On the other hand, Penn State is second in the league in scoring with 2.04 goals a game. Moreover, in Big Ten matches alone, Penn State is out-scoring its opponents, 26-8. The +18 goal differiental is six better than any one else in the Conference after Sunday's match against Purdue. Credit Katie Schoepfer for picking up her game, notching nine goals in as many matches. Schoepfer has notched 23 of her 28 points in Big Ten action, while Danielle Toney and Christine Nairn have 18 and 16, respectively. Michigan's leading point getter is only at 10 as the team scores at a clip of 1.05 goals per game. In Big Ten play, that number has dipped to 0.56 goals per game versus PSU's 2.89 goals per game average.
TONEY SCORES, PSU WINS: Danielle Toney accounted for the four game-winning goals before the UConn game, and was somewhat silent until Big Ten play. Toney exploded for two goals and two assists in wins over Northwestern and Iowa. She added another in the tie at Wisconsin and one more in the win over Illinois. She tallied the first goal of the game at Indiana, her 10th of the season and added two more against Purdue on Sunday. Penn State is 22-2-2 (.885) all-time when Toney records a goal, but just 23-15-1 (.602) when she doesn't. Toney is first on the team in goals (12) and points with 30.
--NITTANY LIONS--