Sept. 28, 2011
vs. Ohio State (9/29): | Watch Live (BTN.com)
at Minnesota (10/2): | Watch Live (BTN.com)
Game Notes | Twitter | Facebook | PSU Women's Soccer Player Blog
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The 24th-ranked Nittany Lions host fellow defending co-Big Ten Champions Ohio State on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. PSU looks to avenge last year's 1-0 loss in Columbus and move to 5-0 at Jeffrey Field in the Nittany Lions' Code Blue Blast event. Following the Thursday match, Penn State travels to Minnesota on Sunday for a Noon kick-off.
#24 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (9-3-0, 2-1-0 Big Ten)
vs.
OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (7-3-1, 2-0-1 Big Ten)
Game #13: Sept. 29, 2011 | 7:00 p.m. | Jeffrey Field | University Park, Pa.
#24 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (9-3-0, 2-1-0 Big Ten)
at
MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (4-6-1, 1-1-1 Big Ten)
Game #14: Oct. 2, 2011 | Noon | Robbie Stadium | St. Paul, Minn.
PROMOTIONS
vs. Ohio State: The most important game of the Big Ten regular season takes place in late September on Jeffrey Field when the two reigning Big Ten Champions tangle in another hotly contested matchup. The Ohio State game serves as Penn State women's soccer Code Blue Blast where students can earn triple points for attending the match. Park Avenue Army will host a student event coinciding with the Code Blue Blast with free pizza from Rotelli in the grass lots surrounding Jeffrey Field for students before marching to the stadium. Chances to win five $50 Sheetz gift cards as well as mustard tasting from Herlocher's, coupons from HUB Dining will be on hand. All stduents will earn triple points for attending the match. Soccer Training Network will be featured in the "Kickin' it With..." segment.
GAME DAY
VENUE (SURFACE, CAPACITY): Jeffrey Field (Grass; 5,000)
STREAMING COVERAGE: BTN.com Digital Network Broadcast
SERIES RECORD VS. OSU: 14-6-1 (9-1-0 at Jeffrey)
LAST MEETING: 10/3/10, OSU 1-0 (OT, at Columbus, Ohio)
VENUE (SURFACE, CAPACITY) : Robbie Stadium (Grass; 1,000)
STREAMING COVERAGE: BTN.com Digital Network Broadcast
SERIES RECORD VS. MINN: 17-3-0 (6-2-0 at Minnesota)
LAST MEETING: 10/15/10, PSU 2-1 (at University Park, Pa.)
NEXT GAME: 10/9 at Indiana, 11:00 a.m.
GAME STORIES
• Nittany Lions cap three-game home stand vs. co-Big Ten Champs Ohio State
• Penn State seeks to continue its three-game winning and shutout streak
• Lions will attempt to win its fifth straight against the Golden Gophers
• PSU went 3-0 last week, out-scoring Bucknell, Northwestern and Illinois, 9-0
• Senior Ali Schaefer was named Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Week (9/26)
• Maya Hayes is tied for lead in NCAA D-I and Big Ten Conference goals (15)
• Junior midfielder Christine Nairn called into USWNT U-23 Camp Oct. 2-7
GAME NOTES
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES: Ohio State (7-3-1, 2-0-1 Big Ten) is currently riding a three-game unbeaten streak having won its last two games against Illinois (2-1) and Northwestern (2-0) last weekend. OSU sits at the top of the table with Wisconsin at seven points, while Penn State trails both schools at six points, tied with Nebraska and Michigan State. The Buckeye offense has produced an average of 1.36 goals per game, which has stood up well due to a stingy defense that has allowed just eight goals in 11 matches. Paige Maxwell leads the team in points with eight, while Tiffany Cameron has three goals to top the OSU charts. Katie Baumgardner, the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, will start in net with a 6-3-1 record and three solo shutouts. Baumgardner has a 0.70 GAA and a .794 save percentage in 11 matches.
SERIES HISTORY vs. OSU: Penn State holds a 14-6-1 overall record against the Buckeyes plus a 9-1-0 mark at Jeffrey Field. The Buckeyes has held their own against Penn State in recent meetings, sporting a 2-1-1 record going back to the 2007 Big Ten Tournament (a 2-2 draw, won by OSU in PKs). Maxwell scored the game-winner in last year's 1-0 OT win in Columbus, while a ten-player Penn State squad downed the Buckeyes at Jeffrey in 2009.
SCOUTING THE GOPHERS: Minnesota (4-6-1, 1-1-1 Big Ten) is coming off a 3-0 defeat at Michigan State after a thrilling 3-2 result at Michigan. Until the MSU loss, the previous five defeats were by just a single goal. Aside from a 5-0 win against South Dakota State and a three-goal showing at Michigan, Minnesota has struggled on the offensive end, notching just six goals in the other nine matches. Taylor Uhl paces the Gophers with 15 points from seven goals and an assist, while Josie Solie has three goals, ranking second on the squad. In net, Cat Parkhill has been called upon often, earning a 1.27 GAA and .736 save percentage in 11 starts with two solo shutouts.
SERIES HISTORY vs. MINN: Penn State has dominated Minnesota winning the past four games and 15 of 16 overall dating back to 1997. At Robbie Stadium, Penn State is 6-2, winning six of seven since the 1997 defeat. Last season, Maddy Evans headed home the game winner with 11 minutes remaining to secure an exciting 2-1 win at Jeffrey Field. In PSU's last trip to St. Paul, Katie Schoepfer shocked the Maroon & Gold faithful with a free kick winner just six seconds from the end of regulation that saw 40 shots and 21 saves. That win snapped Minnesota's two-year, 19-game unbeaten streak at home.
BIG TEN HOME SWEEP: Penn State swept its Big Ten opening home stand (Sept. 23-25) with a dominating 4-0 win over Northwestern and a staunch 1-0 defensive effort against then-No. 22 Illinois. Ali Schaefer and Maya Hayes each scored twice to pace Penn State past Northwestern with Bri Hovington, Christine Nairn, Jess Rosenbluth, Taylor Schram and Ali Schaefer tallying assists each. Against Illinois, a packed midfield didn't allow either team's offense to get rolling. Schaefer broke through in the 39th minute with a cleverly placed shot to the upper left corner of the net off a pass from Whitney Church for the deciding goal. Erin McNulty earned her second shutout with three saves, while PSU earned its seventh blanking of the year.
ALI SCHAEFER REAPS REWARDS: Senior reserve midfielder Ali Schaefer deservingly captured the awards that come with a three-goal, seven-point weekend. She was named the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career along with a SoccerSavings.com/Philly Soccer News Player of the Week nod. Schaefer also earned recognition from TopDrawerSoccer.com and Soccer America on their respective Teams of the Week.
NATIONAL RANKINGS REVIEW: Penn State re-entered the NSCAA poll for the second time in three weeks, checking in at No. 24. SoccerTimes.com moved Penn State back into its rankings at 23rd. Soccer America pegged Penn State at 19th, the fourth straight week the Lions have been in the publication's poll. TopDrawerSoccer.com ranked PSU 21st, while the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) was released for the first time this week with the Nittany Lions notching 23rd. This week's opponent, Ohio State, is 33rd in the NCAA RPI, while receiving votes in both the NSCAA and SoccerTimes.com polls.
NAIRN & WALSH CALLED TO DUTY: On Tuesday, Sept. 27, junior midfield standout Christine Nairn was tabbed by U.S. Soccer to participate in a six-day training camp with the U-23 squad running from Oct. 2-7. Nairn, who will be accompanied by Penn State head coach and U.S. National Team assistant coach Erica Walsh to the camp in California. In all, 24 players will take part in the unique training camp that will feature U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage as well as the U.S. women's development director Jill Ellis and technical director April Heinrichs. Nairn has two caps with the senior U.S. squad from 2009, scoring the game-winning goal against Canada in July 2009. Nairn was a starting member of the 2008 U-20 World Cup champion team with former Nittany Lion teammate Alyssa Naeher and went on to captain the U-20 team at the 2010 World Cup.
MARTON BACK FROM CNT: Defender and co-captain Lexi Marton left State College on Monday, Sept. 12 to join the Canadian National Team ahead of its two-game friendly series against the United States. While Marton didn't play in the first match against the Americans, the junior out of Aurora, Ontario started and played all 90 minutes in the second match on Sept. 22 in front of 18,000 fans at JELD-WEN Stadium in Portland, Ore. Included on the Canadian National Team were former Nittany Lion standouts Erin McLeod, who started for the Canadians in the 2011 FIFA World Cup, and Carmelina Moscato. On the American side, Ali Krieger featured in her normal defensive role on the right flank. Krieger made headlines all over the world for her match-clinching penalty kick against Brazil in the World Cup Quarterfinals en route to the Cup Final.
MAY I HELP YOU?: An important aspect to possession-based play that head coach Erica Walsh has instilled in the Nittany Lions is the finish off combination plays. This season has seen all 31 goals scored by the Nittany Lions helped by an assist. In total, PSU has 40 assists, which leads the Big Ten. Against West Virginia, PSU set a new school record with nine helpers, led by Taylor Schram's career-high three. Four of the five goals PSU scored that night featured double assists and the Lions would add two more double assists in its game against N.C. State. Christine Nairn, leads the Big Ten with eight assists, while Schram and Jess Rosenbluth owns seven apiece. Fifteen Nittany Lions have tallied helpers this season including goalkeeper Erin McNulty, who started a Maya Hayes goal in the team's season opener vs. WVU.
PENNSYLVANIA DOMINANCE: Sept. 20th's meeting at Bucknell allowed PSU to extend an amazing run of play against Pennsylvania teams. Since starting its program in 1994, Penn State has become the premier women's soccer program in Pennsylvania. All-time, the Nittany Lions are an impressive 32-2-1 against its Keystone foes, with the only team ever defeating PSU being Villanova. In fact, the Lions are riding a 14-year unbeaten streak since its last loss, a 2-1 defeat at `Nova in 1997. PSU is currently enjoying a 26-0-1 stretch, which includes a 15-0-1 mark against Bucknell and an 8-0-0 mark vs. Pittsburgh.
BISON STAMPEDE: Penn State made quick work of Bucknell in a 4-0 thrashing at Emmitt Field on Tuesday night, Sept. 20. The Nittany Lions used goals scored by four different players and eight Lions tallied a point on the evening. Taylor Schram opened the scoring with Christine Nairn, Emily Hurd and Maya Hayes adding insurance goals. Emma Thomson and Meghan Gill tallied their first points of the year on helpers, while Jess Rosenbluth added one of her own on the final goal. Penn State dominated the Bison, who failed to register a shot on goal.
SCORING STREAK: Maya Hayes recently concluded a career-high seven-game scoring streak, tallying a goal from the Nevada match on Aug. 21 to Sept. 11 at Virginia. Hayes's streak is tied for third all-time in PSU history with Christie Welsh (2000) and Katie Schoepfer (2009). Hayes was six games from matching Tiffany Weimer's 2004 streak of 13. Weimer holds a share of the NCAA record at 17 set in 2005. The sophomore striker has scored in eight of her last nine matches.
MONTHLY WINS: Penn State continues September at Jeffrey Field with a 4-2-0 record. In all, the Lions play nine matches in the ninth month of the year. The Nittany Lions are 110-30-13 all-time in September for a .761 winning percentage. PSU went 3-1-0 this past August to up its all-time record to 16-9-2 (.630).
LION LEADERS: Penn State has two captains this season in senior Emma Thomson and junior Lexi Marton. The duo was selected as the leaders of the team during spring play.
TROPHY CANDIDATE: Penn State junior midfielder Christine Nairn was honored by three separate national entities in the preseason. Nairn was featured on the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Watch List as well as Soccer America's Preseason All-America roster and TopDrawerSoccer.com's Top 100 Upperclasswomen.
RULING THE ROOST: The Big Ten coaches' preseason predictions were released on Wednesday, Aug. 16 and Penn State was tabbed to claim its 14th-straight Big Ten title. Ohio State and Wisconsin were tabbed No. 2 and No. 3, respectively for the second straight year.
NEXT TIME OUT: After traveling to St. Paul for the Minnesota match, Penn State has a respite from its five-match, 12-day stretch. The Nittany Lions travel to Indiana on Sunday, Oct. 9 for an 11:00 a.m. match in Bloomington.
For complete coverage of Penn State women's soccer, please visit GoPSUsports.com.
Follow Penn State women's soccer on Twitter: @PSUWomensSoccer.
Follow Penn State women's soccer on Facebook: Facebook.com/PSUWomensSoccer.
Check Penn State's YouTube page: YouTube/GoPSUTV.
--NITTANY LIONS--