Sept. 16, 2016
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FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. - The Penn State women's soccer team tied the Minnesota Golden Gophers, 1-1, in the 2016 Big Ten season opener for the two programs Friday night at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.
Neither team found the back of the net in the first half as Minnesota (6-2-1, 0-0-1) outshot Penn State, 8-2. Following the halftime break, the two teams combined for 17 shot attempts with Penn State leading Minnesota, 9-8.
Both teams scored within a 90-second span to bring the score to 1-1 in the 60th minute of play.
Junior Megan Schafer (Langhorne, Pa.) put the Nittany Lions (4-2-2, 0-0-1) on the scoreboard first in the 59th minute with her second goal of the season and the 21st goal of her Nittany Lion career.
From near midfield, Marissa Sheva (Sellersville, Pa.) played the ball past the Minnesota backline to Schafer. With the ball, from 17 yards out, Schafer took one touch and fired a right-footed shot past Minnesota goalkeeper Tarah Hobbs for the 1-0 tally at 58:06.
The Nittany Lion lead did not last long as Simone Kolander, the Big Ten leader in goals scored this season, scored her eighth goal of the season in the 60th minute of play to tie the match at one.
Penn State closed out the final 10 minutes of regulation with three shot attempts with two going on goal. Hobbs stood tall in net down the final stretch of regulation to tally her final two saves of the night.
Minnesota led Penn State by a shot margin of 2-1 in overtime, but neither team was able to tally a shot on goal during the two overtime sessions.
Freshman goalkeeper Amanda Dennis (San Diego, Calif.) finished the night with six saves for the Blue and White, while Hobbs recorded five saves for the Golden Gophers.
The Nittany Lions close out the opening weekend of Big Ten play Sunday at Wisconsin at 2 p.m. (EDT)
NOTES: Penn State leads the all-time series against Minnesota, 21-5-1...The last three meetings prior to Friday were each decided by a score of 1-0...Penn State is now 180-26-11 all-time in Big Ten conference play...Schafer tied Emily Hurd (2010-14) for 21st all-time at PSU in points with 52...Schafer also tied Stephanie Smith (2000-03) for 20th all-time at PSU in goals scored with 21...Sheva recorded her first point of the season...Minnesota led in shots, 18-12.