Oct. 22, 2014
| PENN STATE VS. NEBRASKA | |
| Fri., Oct. 24 - 7 p.m. ET | |
| Jeffrey Field (Grass - 3,700) | University Park, Pa. | |
| GAME DAY LINKS |
| Promotion: Free Penn State Women's Soccer Car Decal |
| Live Stats: |
Live Video: GoPSUSports.com |
| Women's Soccer Blog |
Follow Us: @PennStateWSOC | Facebook | Instagram |
Gameday Central |
| Game Notes: Penn State | Nebraska |
| PENN STATE VS. IOWA | |
| Sun., Oct. 26 - 1 p.m. ET | |
| Jeffrey Field (Grass - 3,700) | University Park, Pa. | |
| GAME DAY LINKS |
Promotions: Senior Day |
| Live Stats: |
Live Video: GoPSUSports.com |
| Women's Soccer Blog |
Follow Us: @PennStateWSOC | Facebook | Instagram |
Gameday Central |
| Game Notes: Penn State | Iowa |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; Oct. 22, 2014 - The No. 7 Penn State women's soccer team (14-2-0, 9-1 Big Ten) returns to Jeffrey Field this weekend, hosting Nebraska on Fri., Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. and Iowa at 11:30 a.m. on Sun., Oct. 26. The Nittany Lions' four seniors, Kori Chapic (Russell, Ohio), Whitney Church (Ashburn, Va.), Emily Hurd (Sammamish, Wash.) and Kindrah Kohne (Homer, N.Y.) will be honored prior to Sunday's match.
Friday night, fans in attendance will receive a Penn State women's soccer car decal (while supplies last). Sunday features the team's senior class, and fans will receive trading cards featuring the quartet. There will also be a tie dye station and free breakfast sponsored by Agospinelli Café and McClanahan's.
ADMISSION & LIMITED BAG POLICY
Fans attending Penn State soccer matches at Jeffrey Field will have to comply with Penn State University's Bag Policy. Fans are advised that no bags larger than backpacks may be brought into the stadium grounds. This includes duffle bags and purses larger than 8.5" x 11" x 6" and all bags will be searched. For more information visit the Safety Policy SY44 Page or Penn State's Bag Policy Page.
SCOUTING THE HUSKERS
This week's Big Ten Defender of the Week Kelly Schatz helped Nebraska (7-7-2, 3-5-2 Big Ten) to a pair of shutouts over Purdue and Indiana, the team's first shutouts and regulation wins in Big Ten play. The Huskers, who rank ninth in the conference standings, scored three-or-more goals for the fifth time this season against the Hoosiers. Offensively, the Huskers are led by Jaycie Johnson, who has 11 goals and 59 shots.
SERIES HISTORY vs. NEBRASKA
In 2013, the Huskers fell to No. 21 Nebraska, 3-2, in double overtime. Johnson netted the game-winner off of a coast-to-coast run through the middle of the pitch in the 102nd minute.
SCOUTING THE HAWKEYES
Iowa (11-4-1, 6-3-1 Big Ten) sits fifth in the big Ten standings, just three points behind second-place Rutgers, Wisconsin and Michigan. Reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Cloe Lacasse leads the team with nine goals, 24 points and 70 shots. Last weekend, she scored a pair of goals and tallied two assists in wins against Indiana and Purdue. In net, Kiley Beck and Hannah Clark have a combined 10 shutouts and have allowed 11 goals in 16 matches.
SERIES HISTORY vs. IOWA
Last season, the Nittany Lions fell to Iowa, 3-2. Tani Costa scored both of Penn State's goals in the match, but Lacasse got the game-winner for the Hawkeyes in the 75th minute.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
The Nittany Lions take home field advantage to the next level. The team is 197-22-9 all-time at Jeffrey Field, losing just two matches in the past three seasons and shutting out visitors in 18 of 37 matches.
BEAUTIES ON BOTH SIDES
The statistics certainly support a No. 7 national ranking for the Blue and White. Offensively, Penn State has been held to one-or-fewer goal just five times this season, netting 40 to lead the Big Ten (six more than second-place Wisconsin) and rank 12th in the nation. On the other side of the field, the Nittany Lions have only allowed more than one goal once this season for the team's best defensive start since 2007.
Nationally, the Nittany Lions are tied for 13th in scoring offense, fifth in won-lost-tied percentage and have the 14th-most points. Additionally, Britt Eckerstrom has the nation's 25th-best goals against average.
SHUTTING OUT THE COMPETITION
The 2014 Nittany Lions have proved to be one of the best defensive teams in recent history. The team has allowed the fewest goals at this point in the season since 2007, when the Nittany Lions allowed nine goals 16 games in. They became the first team in program history to shut out opponents in a two-game Big Ten opening weekend. The 2014 team is also the first squad since 2008 to open Big Ten play with consecutive shutouts after its 1-0 and 3-0 wins over Purdue and Indiana. Additionally, the Blue and White have only allowed more than one goal in a match once, and in both of its losses, Penn State fell by just a 1-0 margin.
SCHAFER TOPS THE BIG TEN FRESHMEN FIELD
Megan Schafer (Langhorne, Pa.) was named the Big Ten Women's Soccer Freshman of the Week on Oct. 20 for her performance in wins at No. 24 Michigan and Michigan State. This is the second Freshman of the Week honor for Schafer. She scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over No. 24 Michigan, her fifth tally of the year and second game-winner. Schafer played 172 minutes out of a possible 180 minutes in the wins and took three shots in each match, leading Penn State in both contests.
ECKERSTROM NAMED WEEK'S BEST
Redshirt junior Britt Eckerstrom (Germantown, Md.) was named the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 6 after shutouts against Minnesota and No. 13 Wisconsin. She recorded clean sheets in both of No. 7 Penn State's games that weekend. In a 2-0 win at No. 13 Wisconsin, she made four saves to keep the Badgers off the board. She also anchored a backline that didn't allow any Minnesota shots on goal.
WILLIFORD ISN'T WILLY NILLY
Sophomore Salina Williford (Wayne, Pa.) has emerged as an integral part of Penn State's attack. After playing in the back last season, Williford has started every 2014 match in the midfield and has more than tripled her shot total from her freshman year (28 in 2014, 9 in 2013). She scored the first four goals of her career in a six-game span (against Ohio State, Northwestern, No. 19 Illinois and No. 13 Wisconsin), including game-winners against Ohio State and Illinois.
FANTASTIC FRANNIE
Freshman Frannie Crouse (Greensburg, Pa.) has made her mark in the Penn State record books with a fantastic start to her collegiate career. Crouse is the first freshman in program history to win back-to-back Big Ten Freshman of the Week titles after scoring five goals in one week against Bucknell, Northwestern and No. 19 Illinois for her Sept. 29 honor and netted a pair against Ohio State to garner her first Freshman of the Week title on Sept. 22. Crouse's offensive prowess has proven to be historic. She is the first freshman since 2003 to score seven-or-more goals in the opening 11 games of her collegiate career.
HEAD START ON RECORD BOOKS
Penn State's 14-2 start is even more impressive when flipping through the program record book. This year's team has begun the season with the best record since 2005, when the Blue and White achieved the program's only undefeated season to date (23-0-2), eventually falling in the Women's College Cup to Portland on penalty kicks (4-3).
LIONS ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE
Junior Raquel Rodriguez (San Jose, Costa Rica) is a member of the Costa Rican Women's National Team and is currently competing for Costa Rica at thr 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship in an attempt to qualify for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. Rodriguez won't be the only Nittany Lion to don their country's colors in 2014.
Over the summer, sophomore Brittany Basinger (Purcellville, Va.) and freshman Rose Chandler (Atlanta, Ga.) represented the United States at the 2014 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup, hosted by Canada. Penn State Head Coach Erica Walsh was also a member of the U.S. U-20 Women's National Team, serving as an assistant coach.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For complete coverage of Penn State women's soccer, please visit http://www.GoPSUsports.com/sports/w-soccer. Follow PSU women's soccer on Twitter and Instagram: @PennStateWSOC. Penn State women's soccer is also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PSUWomensSoccer.