Nov. 22, 2015
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With a 4-0 victory over Ohio State Sunday afternoon at Jeffrey Field, the Penn State women's soccer team will play in the NCAA Elite Eight for the 11th time in program history and the third time since 2012. The Nittany Lions will host the West Virginia Mountaineers Saturday, Nov. 28, at 4 p.m. at Jeffrey Field.
"Well I just want to say congratulations to Ohio State," head coach Erica Walsh said. "They have had a great run this year and a great result on Friday against Virginia Tech. I thought they came out in the first half and gave us a lot of trouble in our buildup and I thought their game plan was outstanding. In the second half we found ways to break them down and started to loosen up a little bit and our rhythm got a whole lot better. I am really proud of this team, obviously we have found our stride a bit here, 15 goals in the last three games with zero goals against. I think we are playing the best soccer of the season and our depth has been outstanding. Our reserves coming off the bench today gave us a huge boost, and exactly where you want to be going into an Elite Eight match."
The two Big Ten teams played a tightly-contested battle in the first half of play, as both defenses limited the scoring opportunities for the opposing offenses.
The Buckeyes (13-7-3) had their best chance to take the early lead in the match off a corner kick in the 19th minute. Nikki Walts swung the ball into the penalty area and the ball fell to Nichelle Prince. Prince's shot hit the left post and bounced back into play keeping the 0-0 score intact.
After peppering the OSU defense with nine shot attempts, the Nittany Lions (19-3-2) finally found the back of the net in the closing minutes of the first half on their 10th shot attempt.
For the third-straight match, and the ninth time out of the past 14 matches, Megan Schafer (Langhorne, Pa.) tallied a goal for the Nittany Lions.
From midfield, freshman Ellie Jean (Coventry, Conn.) played the ball to Schafer, who was near the top of the OSU penalty area. With the ball, Schafer moved up seven yards before netting her team-leading 13th goal of the season under OSU keeper Jillian McVicker in the 43rd minute.
At the break, Penn State led OSU in shots, 11-2.
The Penn State attack recorded three goals in the second half of regulation on 13 shot attempts.
The Nittany Lions added to their lead on Raquel Rodriguez'(San Jose, Costa Rica) fifth goal of the season. After an OSU foul 42 yards out from goal, Emily Ogle (Strongsville, Ohio) placed the ball into the box off a set piece. Rodriguez leaped for the ball from just inside the penalty area and headed the ball home. McVicker misplayed the ball and the ball crossed the goal line giving the Nittany Lions a 2-0 lead 51 seconds into the second half.
Five minutes later Ogle added to the Nittany Lion lead with her sixth goal of 2015.
After McVicker saved Frannie Crouse's (Greensburg, Pa.) shot from inside the penalty area, the Nittany Lions moved the ball around looking for an open player. From the left side of the penalty area, Charlotte Williams (Rochester, N.Y.) found a wide-open Ogle just outside the penalty area. Ogle, from outside the top of the penalty area, placed the ball under the crossbar and over the out-stretched McVicker for the 3-0 Nittany Lion tally. Ogle also tallied a goal and an assist against UAlbany in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last week.
Looking to get on the board in the second half, the Buckeyes were unable to get past the swarming Nittany Lion defense. The Buckeyes, averaging 13.7 shots per game, tallied five shot attempts in the contest.
The Nittany Lions tallied one more goal in the 75th minute on Haleigh Echard's (Lebanon, Pa.) second goal in as many games. Nickolette Driesse (Wayne, N.J.) played the ball across the field to a wide-open Echard. Echard then fired a shot from the upper-left corner of the penalty area on goal. Her shot hit the right post and bounced into the back of the net.
In the match, Penn State tallied 24 shots, which included 12 shots on goal.
Senior Britt Eckerstrom (Germantown, Md.) recorded two saves for Penn State's fifth-straight clean sheet and the 12th of the season. The Nittany Lions have tallied five-straight shutouts for the first time since the 2006 season.
The 2015 squad moves into a tie for fourth all-time in PSU history with 2003, '05 and '07 for shutouts in a single season.
The Nittany Lions are also moving up the charts in the all-time Penn State offensive charts. The 2015 team ranks seventh all-time in points (182), eighth all-time in goals (59) and third all-time in assists (64).
For the first time in program history, the Nittany Lions have opened the NCAA Tournament with three-straight shutouts. Also, the 15 goals by the Nittany Lions in the 2015 NCAA Tournament ranks second in the PSU record books (17 - 2005).