Oct. 16, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. 15 Penn State women's soccer dispatched Iowa 4-0 on Sunday at Jeffrey Field behind four goals from Maya Hayes (West Orange, N.J.) and Taylor Schram (Canonsburg, Pa.). Hayes made history by matching Tiffany Weimer's sophomore mark for most goals by a Penn State player when she scored her 21st goal of the year in the 59th minute.
Penn State (14-3-0, 7-1-0 Big Ten) looked lethargic early on, but Hayes sparked the Nittany Lions in the 38th minute on an Iowa miscue. Hayes ran onto a through ball in the penalty area and was tackled by an Iowa defender, but no call was made. The ball squirted to Iowa's Katherine Lewis, who was stripped by Emily Hurd (Sammamish, Wash.) and streaked in on net, dishing to Hayes who slotted home her eighth game-winner for a 1-0 lead. Hayes gained sole possession of first for most game-winners in a season by a PSU sophomore with the tally.
The Nittany Lions took it to Iowa (11-3-2, 3-3-2 Big Ten) in the second half by pouring in three goals by Hawkeye `keeper Emily Moran (one save). Just 3:07 into the half, Iowa cleared an offensive push by Penn State to Kori Chapic (Novelty, Ohio). Chapic played a ball down the left sideline to Hurd. She dribbled between a couple defenders and slipped an inch-perfect pass to Schram in the goal mouth as the sophomore striker put the ball away.
Penn State continued its offensive firepower 10 minutes later when a scramble in the net saw Carly Niness (Berwyn, Pa.) trap a ball 12 yards from net and play a short pass to Hayes just to the left of the net. Hayes took the ball and right-footed a one-timer to the upper right of the net for a 3-0 lead in the 59th minute.
Hayes's 21st goal made her just the third Nittany Lion ever to score 20 or more goals in program history, joining Weimer (32 in 2005, 26 in 2004, 21 in 2003) and Christie Welsh (27 in 1999, 25 in 2001). Hayes is tied for fifth with Weimer's '03 mark for most goals in a season by any Nittany Lion. Hayes also has 49 points this season, which is sixth all-time in a single season at Penn State, which is second-most by a PSU sophomore.
Less than two minutes after her second goal, Hayes took a long ball from midfield down the right wing and into the penalty area. She dropped a pass to Jess Rosenbluth (Gladwyne, Pa.) in the middle of the area as she shot to the far left post and Schram back-heeled her 10th goal of the year for the final 4-0 margin. The assist by Rosenbluth moved her into the team and Big Ten lead with 10 for the season, past Schram and Christine Nairn (Arnold, Md.).
Penn State's weekend offensive output saw nine goals put into the net, the most goals in a two-game weekend since a 12-goal outburst against Indiana (6-1) and Purdue (6-1) on Oct. 28-31, 2010. Penn State is enjoying a season-high eight-game winning streak, the longest since a nine-game stretch in 2007. Schram scored four times and added an assist for nine points, while Hayes scored three goals and added two helpers for eight points during the weekend.
The Nittany Lions improved 17-0-0 all-time against Iowa including an 8-0-0 mark at Jeffrey Field. PSU has out-scored Iowa 65-8 in the all-time series. Penn State earned its 10th shutout of the year, leading all Big Ten teams and holds a five-game shutout streak against Iowa at home dating to 2002. Iowa hasn't scored against Penn State since Nov. 6, 2008. Erin McNulty (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and Krissy Tribbett (Centennial, Colo.) combined for their seventh team shutout.
Penn State has 21 points from eight Big Ten matches and is guaranteed first place through the weekend regardless of the other Big Ten results. PSU entered Sunday with a five-point edge over Illinois in the standings.
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--NITTANY LIONS--