Sept. 30, 2016
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State women's soccer team shut out Illinois, 2-0, Friday night at Jeffrey Field. With the shutout victory, the Nittany Lion defense has tallied five shutouts over the past seven matches and the win also moves Penn State's unbeaten streak to eight matches (7-0-1).
"Obviously I'm excited about the result tonight," head coach Erica Dambach said. "It was a good shutout in tough conditions and I think it is really challenging to keep a good team like Illinois off the scoreboard in these types of conditions. But I give the backline and Amanda Dennis credit. I thought we struggled a little bit in the first half to put the pieces together, but we were much better in the second half."
The No. 14 Nittany Lions improve to 8-2-2 on the year and 4-0-1 in Big Ten play, while Illinois falls to 3-9-1 and 0-4-1 in conference action.
Junior Frannie Crouse (Greensburg, Pa.) netted her team-leading eighth goal of the season in the 13th minute. From 30 yards out, Haleigh Echard (Lebanon, Pa.) played the ball past the Fighting Illini defense and into the penalty area to Crouse. With the defense beat, Crouse moved up a few yards, before putting the ball past goalkeeper Claire Wheatley for the 1-0 Nittany Lion tally at 12:23.
The Nittany Lions looked to extend their lead in the 32nd minute on a header from Elizabeth Ball (Richmond, Va.) on a corner kick. On the Nittany Lion corner kick, Nickolette Driesse (Wayne, N.J.) swung the ball into the penalty area, where Ball headed the ball towards the left post, but an Illinois defender was there to head the ball out of danger.
Sophomores Marissa Sheva (Sellersville, Pa.) and Charlotte Williams (Rochester, N.Y.) combined for a give-and-go to put the Nittany Lions up 2-0 in the 66th minute of play. From outside the penalty area, Sheva played the ball to Williams, who moved up field, before she found Sheva alone on the right side of the penalty area. From nine yards out, Sheva fired the ball towards the left post and into the back of the net for her first goal of the 2016 campaign.
On the night, the Nittany Lion defense allowed only three shot attempts by the Fighting Illini, all of which were in the first half.
The Nittany Lions hit the road for a pair of matches at Indiana (Oct. 6) and Maryland (Oct. 9).
NOTES: The Nittany Lions improve to 407-105-31 all-time...The Nittany Lions own a record of 25-4-0 all-time against Illinois...Penn State has won four-straight games in the all-time series against Illinois...Penn State improves to 184-26-11 all-time in Big Ten conference play...The Nittany Lions own a record of 221-25-11 all-time at Jeffrey Field...Penn State is 61-5-5 at Jeffrey Field since the start of the 2011 season...Penn state is now 100-6-4 in Big Ten games at Jeffrey Field...The Nittany Lions are 7-1-0 when scoring two or more goals this season...Penn State is 6-1-1 at home in 2016...Freshman Amanda Dennis recorded her fourth solo shutout...Frannie Crouse ranks 15th all-time at Penn State in goals scored with 29...Frannie Crouse is tied with Tani Costa (2009-13) for 19th all-time at Penn State in points with 68...Penn State outshot Illinois, 21-3.