Nov. 4, 2014
| BIG TEN TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS | |
No. 1 Penn State | No. 8 Northwestern |
| Wed., Nov. 5 - 1:30 p.m. ET | |
| Boilermaker Soccer Complex | West Lafayette, Ind. | |
| Tournament Central | |
| GAME DAY LINKS |
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Game Notes: Penn StateStatistics: Penn State | Northwestern
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State, the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, opens the conference tournament at Purdue on Wed., Nov. 5 at 1:30 p.m. against eighth-seeded Northwestern.
SUSTAINED SUCCESS
This season, Penn State maintained its position as one of the elite programs in the country. Since the program began in 1994, Penn State has appeared in every Big Ten Tournament and each season from 1995 on, the team competed in the NCAA postseason.
BIG TEN CHAMPIONS
The Nittany Lions secured their 16th Big Ten Championship and third outright in four seasons with a 2-1 win over Iowa. On Senior Day, senior Kori Chapic (Russell, Ohio) led the team to victory, scoring both of Penn State's goals in a five-minute span to come from behind and beat the Hawkeyes.
HONORS ABOUND
After winning its 16th Big Ten Championship and maintaining a top-11 ranking every week of the regular season, the Nittany Lions were rewarded generously with the conference's individual awards. Erica Walsh earned her third Big Ten Coach of the Year title, Whitney Church (Ashburn, Virginia) was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in her career (2012), 2012 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Raquel Rodriguez (San Jose, Costa Rica) is the 2014 Big Ten Midfielder of the Year and garnering Big Ten Freshman of the Year accolades is Emily Ogle (Strongsville, Ohio).
Joining Church and Rodriguez on the All-Big Ten team are second team honorees Emily Hurd (Sammamish, Washington), Frannie Crouse (Greensburg, Pennsylvania) Kori Chapic (Russell, Ohio) and Britt Eckerstrom (Germantown, Maryland). Maddie Elliston (Omaha, Nebraska) joins Ogle and Crouse on the All-Freshman Team. Additionally, Kindrah Kohne (Homer, New York) was honored as Penn State's Sportsmanship Award winner.
COACH OF THE YEAR - WALSH
Walsh captured the third Big Ten Coach of the Year honor of her eight-year Penn State career. At the helm of the Blue and White, she led the 2014 team to the program's third outright conference championship in four years and 16th Big Ten title in 17 seasons. Walsh's young club maintained a top-11 ranking every week during the regular season, besting five top-25 opponents en route to a 17-2 regular season record.
DEFENDER OF THE YEAR - CHURCH
Church's second Defender of the Year honor makes her one of the most decorated defenders in Penn State history. She becomes just the second Nittany Lion to capture two Defender of the Year awards after anchoring an outstanding Penn State backline that has posted eight shutouts and a total 0.68 goals against average (13 goals against). Over her four-year career, Church earned All-Big Ten honors every season and two NSCAA All-Great Lakes selections.
MIDFIELDER OF THE YEAR - RODRIGUEZ
Rodriguez earned her second player of the year honor after being named the 2012 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. The junior sets the tempo of the Nittany Lions' hugely successful midfield; in 949 minutes on the pitch over 14 games played, she has netted five goals and posted 28 shots. The Costa Rican Women's National Team member recently helped Las Ticas make history by becoming the first Central American team to earn a Women's World Cup bid.
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR - OGLE
Ogle, who becomes Penn State's first Freshman of the Year honoree since Rodriguez, has been one of the most integral Nittany Lions in her first collegiate season. Logging 1,495 minutes and starting every Penn State match, the midfielder has scored a trio of goals and posted five assists with four of her helpers coming in Big Ten play.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Northwestern (8-7-4, 3-6-3 Big Ten) earned a berth in the Big Ten Tournament in dramatic fashion, beating Minnesota in double overtime. The lengthy dual wasn't out of the norm for the Wildcats. Northwestern's Big Ten season was one of the longest; the team's six double overtime matches are tied for the most with Maryland. One of the Wildcats' extra time games was a stunning 1-0 win at No. 14 Rutgers, with the gamewinner scored by Addie Steiner. The sophomore has a team-best 10 goals, almost half of Northwestern's tallies this season. A steady presence between the pipes, freshman Lauren Clem has started every game for Northwestern recording nine clean sheets and a 0.84 goals against average.
SERIES HISTORY vs. NORTHWESTERN
Penn State leads the all-time series, 22-4-0. On Sept. 26, four different Nittany Lions scored and Salina Williford had a three-point performance en route to a 4-1 win.
BEAUTIES ON BOTH SIDES
The statistics certainly support a No. 6 national ranking for the Blue and White. Offensively, Penn State has been held to one-or-fewer goal just six times this season, netting 46 to lead the Big Ten (10 more than second-place Wisconsin). 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 season defensively since 2007.
Nationally, the Nittany Lions are fifth in won-lost-tied percentage, have the seventh-most assists, rank 15th in total points, 17th in total goals and 18th in scoring offense
SHUTTING OUT THE COMPETITION
The 2014 Nittany Lions have proven 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 eight goals 18 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.
RODRIGUEZ HELPS NATIONAL TEAM REWRITE HISTORY
Junior Raquel Rodriguez (San Jose, Costa Rica) and the Costa Rica Women's National Team made history by becoming the first Central American country to qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup after beating Trinidad & Tobago on penalty kicks in the CONCACAF Women's Championship semifinal match Oct. 24. The match marked the first time in CONCACAF Women's Championship history a match was decided on penalty kicks. During the tournament, Rodriguez scored three goals.
HIGH FLYING FRANNIE
Freshman Frannie Crouse (Greensburg, Pa.) has been a major reason for Penn State's success this season, making her mark in the program record books. The Nittany Lions' most prolific scorer this season, her 19 points and nine goals lead the team. For netting her ninth tally this season, She won her third Big Ten Freshman of the Week award for the final week of the regular season on Nov. 3, the most for any conference first-year this season. Crouse is also the first freshman in Penn State 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.
CHAPIC CHURNS OUT HONORS
After a career match on Senior Day to help Penn State win the Big Ten Championship, senior Kori Chapic (Russell, Ohio) was named the ESPNW National Player of the Week, the Big Ten Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week and was listed on the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week. In wins over Iowa and Nebraska this weekend, she had a six-point outing, having a hand in four of five Penn State goals scored to help the Blue and White secure its 16th Big Ten championship. Against the Hawkeyes on Senior Day, Chapic scored a pair of goals five-and-a-half minutes apart, leading Penn State to a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Iowa to capture the Conference title. It was the first two-goal match of her career, leading her to a career mark in single season goals (5). She also took a team-best five shots in that match. Versus the Huskers, Chapic assisted on the Nittany Lions' first and third goals. Overall, she played all 180 minutes of Penn State's matches over the weekend.
SCHAFER TOPS THE BIG TEN FRESHMEN FIELD
Megan Schafer (Langhorne, Pa.), a two-time Big Ten Women's Soccer Freshman of the Week, earned accolades on Oct. 20 and Sept. 3 . For her second title, 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. Her first title came on Sept. 3 after a stellar performance in the 3-1 win over UConn. She netted the first two goals of her collegiate career and became first freshman since 2010 to score a pair of goals in a single match.
VIRGINIA IS FOR CENTERBACKS
The Nittany Lions' backline has been one of its strongest points this season, led by centerbacks and Virginia natives Whitney Church (Ashburn, Va.) and Elizabeth Ball (Richmond, Va.). Church, a senior, was recently named the Big Ten Defender of the Year for the second time in her career. Ball, who came to University Park as two-time All-American striker, has logged 1,411 minutes in 18 starts.
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.
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.