Oct. 31, 2013
Penn State Game Notes | Michigan State Game Notes | | Senior CLASS Award Voting
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The No. 22 Penn State women's soccer team looks to end the 2013 Big Ten regular season on a high note as it travels to Michigan State on Friday for the regular season finale. The match is slated for a 3:00 p.m. start at the DeMartin Soccer Complex. Fans can follow the game via a GameTracker link on GoPSUsports.com
The Nittany Lions enter the match at 12-5-1 overall and 6-4-0 in Big Ten play after dropping a pair of road matches to Iowa and Nebraska last weekend. PSU suffered a 3-2 loss to the Hawkeyes on Friday before dropping a 3-2, double overtime heartbreaker to Nebraska on Sunday. The Lions are currently tied for third with Indiana in the B1G standings, trailing Nebraska (14-3-1, 9-1-0) and Michigan (14-2-1, 8-1-1).
The Blue and White's offensive attack is led by seniors Maya Hayes (West Orange, N.J.) and Tani Costa (Honolulu, Hawaii). Hayes leads the league and is tied for second in the nation in points with 39. The forward is also second in the conference and tied for fifth in the country in goals (17). Costa is second on the team in goals and points, having tallied eight and 21, respectively. Sophomore Raquel Rodriguez (San Jose, Costa Rica) leads the Lions in assists with eight and has also tacked on five goals.
Michigan State enters Friday's contest at 9-7-2 overall and 3-7-0 in Big Ten action after splitting with Northwestern and Illinois last weekend. The Spartans used goals from Kirsten Evans and Alexandra Gjonaj to edge the Wildcats, 3-2, on Friday before getting shutout by the Fighting Illini, 2-0, on Sunday.
MSU's offensive attack is led by sophomores Mary Kathryn Fiebernitz and Allyson Krause. Fiebernitz leads the team in goals with six while Krause has notched five goals and four assists. Sophomore Gabrielle Gauruder leads the Spartans in goal with 54 saves and a goals-against average of 1.13.
Penn State has compiled a 17-4-0 record against Michigan State all-time. The Lions overpowered MSU by a count of 5-1 last season at Jeffrey Field.
PSU has not dropped a match to the Spartans since 2009, when the Blue and White fell in a 3-2 overtime decision.
The Nittany Lions return to action next week as they head to Illinois for the Big Ten Tournament. The first round is set to begin on Wednesday at the Illinois Soccer Stadium. Game time and opponent are yet to be determined.