Oct. 11, 2012
Live Stats vs. Nebraska | |Game Notes
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The fourth ranked Penn State women's soccer team (12-2-0, 6-0-0) will look to continue a seven-game winning streak as it heads West to take on Nebraska on Friday and Iowa on Sunday. Friday's 5 p.m. contest with Nebraska will be streamed live on the Big Ten Digital Network at BTN.com. In addition, live stats will be available on GoPSUSports.com for both contests.
Penn State is coming off a 5-2 victory over Indiana where it used three goals in a six-minute span to secure the win on Sunday afternoon at Jeffrey Field. With the game tied at two, freshman Mallory Weber (Novi, Mich.) scored two goals in two minutes to put the Nittany Lions ahead for good. Senior Maddy Evans (Glenside, Pa.) added a late goal to give Penn State a 5-2 win. Senior Christine Nairn (Arnold, Md.) had a big game for the Nittany Lions as she put Penn State up 1-0 just five minutes into the game with her 11th goal on the season on a crossing assist from redshirt sophomore Emily Hurd (Sammamish, Wash.). Nairn was not done on the day, as she additionally assisted on both of Weber's goals giving her a four-point game.
Penn State is one of two unbeaten teams (Michigan is 5-0-1) remaining in the Big Ten as it looks for its 15th-straight Big Ten title in 2012. Penn State remains at No. 4 in the NSCAA National Coaches Poll this week. In addition, the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) was released for the third time this season on Monday, with the Nittany Lions moving to fourth, tops amongst all Big Ten squads. Stanford, who clipped Penn State at home by a score of 3-2 on Aug. 24, is No. 1.
The Nittany Lions are 134-22-4 all-time in October for an astounding .850 winning percentage. As for November, Penn State is 62-22-4 all-time (.727). PSU went 4-1-0 in August to up its all-time record to 20-10-2 (.636), while posting a 6-1-0 mark in September to improve to 119-31-13 (.770) all-time.
Nebraska enters the weekend with a 6-7-1 overall record and a 3-3 mark in conference action. The Cornhuskers are coming off a big 3-2 overtime victory at Wisconsin last Friday evening. As for other common opponents with the Nittany Lions, Nebraska earned a 2-0 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats on Sept. 14 and 2-1 win against Indiana on Sept. 23. The Huskers' three Big Ten losses came to Purdue, at Michigan State and at Michigan.
The majority of the Cornhuskers' offense comes from Mayme Conroy, who has tallied a total of 22 points this year, all coming on 11 goals scored. Caroline Gray and Katie Kraeutner are tied for second on the team in points with six. Gray leads the team with four assists. Stacy Bartels has added three assists on the year as well. Nebraska will turn to Emma Stevens between the pipes. Stevens is allowing an average of 1.33 goals per game this year and has recorded two shutouts.
This will be the first ever meeting between Nebraska and Penn State in Lincoln. The Nittany Lions won the first ever meeting between the two schools last season in University Park by a score of 5-4.
Sunday's 2 p.m. matchup with the Hawkeyes features a very dangerous Iowa team that is right next to Penn State in the majority of the Big Ten statistical categories. The Hawkeyes lead the conference in shots, are second in points, second in goals and tied for fourth in assists. Carrying an 11-1-3 overall record, the Hawkeyes' only loss came in a tight 2-1 loss at Illinois back on Sept. 16. Recording ten shutouts this season, Iowa's last three games have resulted in 0-0 draws against the likes of Michigan, Michigan State and Minnesota.
Leading the way for the Hawkeyes is Cloe Lacasse, who is third in the contest with 28 points. Lacasse has been all over the field for the Hawkeyes this season, sitting in a tied for second in the conference in goals scored (11) and tied for sixth in assists (6). Ashley Catrell has also been influential in the Iowa attack, scoring seven goals to go along with three assists. At the keeper position, Iowa tends to split time with Hannah Clark and Meg Goodson. Both Clark and Goodson average giving up less than a goal per game and have combined for 10 shutouts on the year.
Penn State has never dropped a point to Iowa, owning a 17-0-0 mark against the Hawkeyes. In the 17 meetings with Iowa, Penn State has out-scored the Hawkeyes, 65-8. Last season, the Nittany Lions downed Iowa, 4-0, in Happy Valley.
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