Oct. 13, 2016
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State women's soccer team battled to a 2-2 double overtime draw with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights Thursday night at Jeffrey Field. The draw extends Penn State's unbeaten streak to 11 games (8-0-3).
"I am really proud of this team throughout their performance tonight," head coach Erica Dambach said. "Credit to Madison Tiernan as she continued to find the back of the net against us and we got a little unlucky on the other goal, but I like this 2016 Penn State team right now."
Following Thursday's contest, Penn State is 9-2-4 overall and 5-0-3 in Big Ten play. Rutgers is now 9-2-4 on the season and 4-1-3 in conference action.
The Nittany Lions got on the scoreboard during the 10th minute of play on Megan Schafer's (Langhorne, Pa.) fifth goal of the season. On the play, sophomore Charlotte Williams (Rochester, N.Y.) played a through ball past the Rutgers defense to Schafer on the right side of the penalty area. From 11 yards out, Schafer fired a shot past Rutgers goalkeeper Alana Jimenez and into the left side of the net for the 1-0 Nittany Lion tally at 9:07.
Before the end of the first half of play, Rutgers' Madison Tiernan tied the match at one on her eighth goal of the season at 42:33 on a shot from 25 yards out. The teams went into the locker room tied at one goal apiece.
After a Nittany Lion miscue near their goal, Taylor Aylmer put the Scarlet Knights up 2-1 during the 50th minute of play.
Rutgers then played for the next 17 minutes with a 2-1 lead before Frannie Crouse (Greensburg, Pa.) netted her team-leading 10th goal of the season in the 67th minute. On the play, freshman Emma Hasco (Upper St. Clair, Pa.) recorded her first career point on the assist.
The scoring play started after the Rutgers defense was unable to clear out a Nittany Lion free kick. From near the end line on the left side of the field, and a few yards out of the penalty area, senior co-captain Nickolette Driesse (Wayne, N.J.) swung the ball into the Rutgers penalty area. The ball was then cleared out to the right side of the penalty area, where Hasco played the ball to Crouse. Crouse then connected on a shot from 20 yards out and into the bottom-left corner of the net at 66:56.
The Nittany Lions continued to pressure the Rutgers defense down the final 20 minutes of the second half with six shot attempts. Jimenez stepped up for a pair of saves and the RU defense was there to block another two shot attempts.
Freshman goalkeeper Amanda Dennis (San Diego, Calif.) recorded five saves on the night for the Nittany Lions, including one on Tiernan in the 87th minute of play. Dennis then made one save in each overtime period to close out the game.
The Nittany Lions and Scarlet Knights each tallied three shot attempts apiece during the two overtime sessions, but were unable to find the game-winning goal.
Penn State hosts Purdue Sunday, Oct. 16, at 1 p.m. Prior to the game, the Nittany Lions will honor three senior members of the Penn State women's soccer program.
NOTES: The Nittany Lions own a record of 9-5-2 all-time against Rutgers...Penn State is now 408-105-33 all-time...Penn State owns a record of 185-26-13 in Big Ten play...Frannie Crouse moved into a tie for 17th all-time in points at Penn State with 72 (Taylor Schram, 2010-13)...Frannie Crouse moved into a tie for 12th all-time in goals scored at PSU with 31 (Bonnie Young, 1998-01 & Aubrey Aden-Buie, 2004-07)...Megan Schafer moved into a tie for 18th all-time in goals scored at PSU with 24 (Taylor Schram - 2010-13)...Penn State is 8-1-1 this season when scoring two-or-more goals...Penn State is 221-25-12 all-time at Jeffrey Field...Penn State is 61-5-6 at Jeffrey Field since the start of the 2011 season...Penn State outshot Rutgers, 18-12.