Nov. 7, 2010
Box Score | Quotes | Game Photos | Big Ten Trophy Celebration Gallery | Game-Winning Goal Photos
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- With just 17 seconds remaining in double overtime, Ali Schaefer (Las Vegas, Nev.) scored the biggest goal in her Penn State career, giving Penn State women's soccer a 1-0 win over Michigan for the program's record-breaking 13th straight Big Ten title on Sunday.
"My heart stopped," head coach Erica Walsh said after the victory. "Of course it was Ali Schaefer. When you think of this group, you say we need that extra bit, she's the one that's come through. It couldn't have happened to a better kid. I'm so proud of this group. They just don't give up. We've had our backs against the wall for the past five weeks in must-win situations. Just about when it felt like it wasn't going to come, they gave it an extra push.
As Penn State (10-8-1, 8-2-0 Big Ten) was closing in on the single-game school record for shots in a game (42) and a nearly season-ending draw, Carly Niness (Berwyn, Pa.) played a ball up the field off a throw in with 30 seconds to go. Her service eventually found Tani Costa (Honolulu, Hawaii) who played a ball into the penalty area where Taylor Schram (Canonsburg, Pa.) laid off a short ball to an on-rushing Schaefer 12 yards from net. Schaefer beat U-M `keeper Hayley Kopemeyer (14 saves) to the ball and sent it home for the exciting game-winner.
"Absolutely phenomenal," Schaefer said about her first goal of the season. "It could not have come at a better time."
The 13th straight title is the most in Big Ten women's athletic history, besting the Michigan swimming & diving teams of the 1990s. Currently, Northwestern tennis has a chance to match Penn State's feat this spring, but for the time being, the Nittany Lions are atop of the heap.
Schaefer's first collegiate goal was last year against Virginia in the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 15, 2009, but this goal was even bigger and may have clinched the Nittany Lions' berth to this year's NCAA Tournament. Penn State is co-champs with Ohio State, who clinched the Conference's automatic bid the NCAA tourney on Friday.
Meanwhile, Costa's assist on Sunday stretched her current point streak to five straight games. The redshirt-freshman is making a strong case for the Big Ten's freshman of the year after scoring points in six of the last seven games in Big Ten play. She now has 20 points off eight goals and four assists, matching her in the team lead for points with Nairn.
A tense 119 minutes saw the Michigan Wolverines (10-4-4, 5-3-2 Big Ten) pack their back line in for the majority of the game as the Nittany Lions fired 42 shots with 15 of them reaching frame. In the process, the 42nd shot, which matched the number Penn State shot at Rutgers in 1998. The Lions out-shot the Wolverines 18-2 in the first half, 16-3 in the second half, 4-1 in the first overtime and 4-0 in the second overtime.
In the first half, chances by seniors Megan Monroig (Northumberland, Pa.) in the fourth minute and Danielle Toney (Northville, Mich.) in the 12th minute set the stage for the game as Penn State had multiple near misses. Niness had a header chance get saved before fellow defender Jackie Molinda (Pittsburgh, Pa.) had her laser shot from 25 yards get tipped over the bar by Kopmeyer in the 17th minute. Another chance in the first saw Costa put a header off a Christine Nairn (Arnold, Md.) free kick right into the hands of Kopmeyer in the 29th minute.
In the second half, Michigan put together its only offensive chance of the day with one shot reaching PSU `keeper Krissy Tribbett (four saves) in the 49th minute. After that it was all Penn State offensively as the back line of Bri Hovington (Lothian, Md.), Emma Thomson (Nottinghamshire, England), Molinda and Niness limited the Wolverines to just six shot attempts all afternoon.
The nationally televised contest continued into the second half with Thomson's open header from seven out went wide in the 61st before Nairn sent a canon from 22 yards out on the right wing that hit the post, nearly putting Penn State ahead. Costa had a similar shot from 20 yards out in the 78th that went just wide as the match ended in a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes. Both overtime periods resulted in a stalemate with lots of blocked chances from distance prior to the Schaefer goal.
Penn State's regular season ended with seven of eight wins to improve the Nittany Lions' record to 10-8-1. PSU, which was 51st in the latest NCAA RPI is in prime position to receive an at-large bid with a 4-5-1 record against the RPI's Top 50. At home, Penn State improved to 5-3-1 at Jeffrey Field this year including a 158-20-6 record all-time at Jeffrey and 80-3-3 against Big Ten opponents.
Another highlight of the day's game was the 1,147 in attendance, which pushed Penn State's season attendance to 10,702, an average of 1,189, a new school record. Last season, PSU's 1,138 per game was the previous record. The 2010 season was the fifth 1,000-plus per-game average attendance season at Jeffrey Field.
The Nittany Lions will await their fate on Monday during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on ESPNU to find out whether or not they are part of the 64-team field. The telecast begins at 4:30 p.m. ET.
BOX SCORE
| Team | 1st | 2nd | OT1 | OT2 | Total | Record |
| Michigan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (10-4-4, 5-3-2 Big Ten) |
| Penn State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | (10-8-1, 8-2-0 Big Ten) |
Scoring Summary
PSU (109:43) - Ali Schaefer (1, Taylor Schram, Tani Costa)
Stat Summary
Shots: PSU 42, MICH 6
Shots on Goal: PSU 15, MICH 4
Corners: PSU 9, MICH 1
Saves: PSU 14, MICH 4
Fouls: PSU 8, MICH 11
Offsides: PSU 2, MICH 1
Booking Summary
Yellow - PSU - Christine Nairn (83:36)
Yellow - MICH - Nkem Ezurike (93:22)
Attendance: 1,147
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--NITTANY LIONS--