Nov. 5, 2013
ROSEMONT, Ill. - The No. 20 Penn State women's soccer team claimed six All-Big Ten laurels on Tuesday. Senior Maya Hayes (West Orange, N.J.) and sophomore Mallory Weber (Novi, Mich.) headlined the group, earning first team All-Big Ten honors.
Hayes has been named a first team selection for the third consecutive season. A two-time NSCAA first team All-American, Hayes has registered 19 goals this season to go along with five assists for a Big Ten-best 43 points. The West Orange, N.J. native reached a milestone in career goals last the weekend, surpassing the 70-goal mark. She leads all-active players in Division I women's soccer in career goals (71) and is second in the nation in career points (162).
Weber, an All-Big Ten freshman team selection in 2012, is earning first team honors for the first time. The midfielder has posted six goals and seven assists for the Nittany Lions this season and is fourth on the team with 19 points.
Senior Taylor Schram (Canonsburg, Pa.) and junior Whitney Church (Ashburn, Va.) earned second team All-Big Ten laurels for their efforts on the pitch this season. Schram is claiming second team accolades for the second time as she was also named to the second team in 2011. The midfielder is fifth on the team in points (14) after tallying four goals and six assists.
Church earns all-conference honors for the second-straight year after logging over 1,500 minutes for the Nittany Lion backline this season. The defender has found the back of the net on three occasions and has posted two game-winning goals and one assist for PSU.
Freshman Brittany Basinger (Purcellville, Va.) was honored on the All-Big Ten freshman team for her defensive efforts. The defender has started every match for the Nittany Lions this season, registering two assists, and has recorded over 1,400 minutes on the playing field.
Senior Tani Costa (Honolulu, Hawaii) is Penn State's representative on the Sportsmanship Award Honoree list. The forward is second on the team in points, goals and assists with 22, eight and six, respectively. The Sportsmanship Award is granted to a student-athlete who has distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior while also maintaining good academic standing and demonstrating good citizenship outside of the sport.
The Blue and White enter the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday as the No. 3 seed. The Lions will take on sixth-seeded Wisconsin in the quarterfinals at 1:30 p.m. The match will be streamed live online via the Big Ten Digital Network.
All-Big Ten First Team
Maya Hayes
Mallory Weber
All-Big Ten Second Team
Taylor Schram
Whitney Church
All-Big Ten Freshman Team
Brittany Basinger
Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honoree
Tani Costa