Sept. 17, 2017
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With 42 seconds remaining in double overtime, sophomore Laura Freigang (Oppenheim, Germany) netted her second career game-winning goal to help the No. 8 Penn State women's soccer team capture a 1-0 victory over the Illinois Fighting Illini Sunday afternoon at Jeffrey Field.
"What we just talked to our team about was just how impressive Illinois was today to be honest," head coach Erica Dambach said. "That was a team that suffered a bad defeat on Thursday against Ohio State, 7-0. They came out today and played 14 players and ran their hearts out and how impressive they were in this. Obviously, we are just thrilled to put one in the back of the net late, but hopefully we can learn from the fact that any team in this conference, we say it day in and day out, any team in this conference can play with any other team regardless of who it is and when it is. But you've got show up with your A game."
With the win, Penn State improves to 6-2-0 on the year and 2-0-0 in Big Ten action, while Illinois falls to 3-7-0 in 2017 and 0-2-0 in conference play.
Penn State recorded a pair of chances early in the made, as the Illini made two saves on Charlotte Williams (Rochester, N.Y.) in the 12th minute of action.
From 12 yards out, Williams fired a shot on goal, but an Illinois defender was there to clear the ball out before it crossed the goal line at 11:35. Fifteen seconds later, Williams went to chip the ball over Illinois goalkeeper Jaelyn Cunningham, but she was there to bat the ball out of the air.
The two teams went into halftime tied at 0-0 with Penn State outshooting Illinois, 8-1.
In the 56th minute, Penn State goalkeeper Rose Chandler (Atlanta, Ga.) came off her line to make a one-on-one save on Kelly Maday. From 13 yards out, Maday fired a shot on goal, but Chandler was there to make her lone save of the afternoon.
During the final minutes of regulation, Penn State looked to find the game-winner, but the Illinois defense was able to hold off a pair of PSU corner kicks. With the clock winding down in regulation, Cunningham stepped up to make a save on Frannie Crouse (Greensburg, Pa.), which was her fifth of the day.
The first overtime period had Penn State outshooting Illinois, 4-0, including three shots on goal from Williams. Similar to the first overtime period, Penn State outshot Illinois, 4-0, in the second overtime period and then the 27th, and final, shot attempt for the Nittany Lions provided to be difference maker.
On the game-winning goal, defender Maddie Elliston (Omaha, Neb.) played the ball to Freigang into the box from midfield. Freigang then played the ball to herself, turned and buried a right-footed shot past Cunningham from 16 yards out to clinch the 1-0 victory for Penn State.
In net, Chandler made one save on the day, while Cunningham tallied a 10-save outing.
The Nittany Lions begin a three-match Big Ten road trip next weekend. Penn State heads to Iowa City, Iowa, to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday, Sept. 22. The match is slated for an 8 p.m. (EDT) start at the Iowa Soccer Complex.
NOTES: Penn State improves to 26-4-0 all-time against Illinois...The Nittany Lions outshot the Illini, 27-2...Penn State improves to 229-26-12 all-time at Jeffrey Field, including a mark of 104-6-5 in Big Ten play...Penn State is 5-0-0 at home this year...The Nittany Lions recorded their fourth shutout of the year...Penn State recorded its first double overtime victory since Sept. 20, 2013 (Northwestern - 3-2)...Freigang's first game winning goal came in a 2-0 victory against Ohio State on Oct. 26, 2016.