UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 15, and top-seeded, Penn State women's soccer team (14-5-0, 9-2-0 Big Ten) takes on the fifth-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini (11-7-1, 6-5-0 Big Ten) in the semifinal round of the 2018 Big Ten Tournament on Friday, Nov. 2. The match is slated for an 11 a.m. start at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana.
FOLLOW ALONG
Friday's match will be aired live on the Big Ten Network with Dean Linke (play-by-play) and Kate Markgraf (analyst) on the call. Live stats can be found on GoPSUsports.com.
TICKET INFORMATION
• All tickets are general admission ($12 adult/$7 student-youth/$1 veterans-active military and children ages five and under).
• General admission tickets can be purchased in advance through the Grand Park web site (grandpark.org) or on-site at ticket office (red ticket trailer) outside the northwest entrance to the stadium … will open one hour prior to the first game.
LOOKING AT ILLINOIS
The Illinois Fighting Illini enter the match against Penn State following a win in penalty kicks over the Wisconsin Badgers on Oct. 28. After playing to a 2-2 draw, Illinois topped Wisconsin in penalty kicks by a margin of 3-0.
On the year, Illinois has an overall record of 11-7-1 and has a Big Ten record of 6-5-0.
Offensively, Illinois is led by Katie Murray who has 20 points on eight goals and four assists. Along with Murray, three other members of the team have tallied at least 10 points.
In net, Jaelyn Cunningham has played all but 14:22 on the year. In 2018, Cunningham has made 64 saves, has a goals-against average of 1.03, allowed 20 goals, and has posted six shutouts.
PENN STATE VS. ILLINOIS
Friday's match marks the 32nd meeting between the two programs with Penn State leading the all-time series, 27-4-0.
Earlier this season, Penn State defeated Illinois, 2-1, in overtime, in Champaign, Illinois, on Sept. 22. In the match, the Nittany Lions gave up a goal in the 14th minute, but Frankie Tagliaferri netted goals in the 74th minute and 91st minute to secure the victory.
BREAKOUT SEASONS
Heading into the 2018 season, the trio of Kerry Abello, Shea Moyer, and Kristin Schnurr had a combined one point. In 2018, the trio have tallied 48 points.
Prior to the Illinois match, Abello has 19 points, Schnurr has 17 points, and Moyer has 12 points.
STRIKE FIRST
Penn State has been very successful when scoring the first goal over the past few seasons. When scoring first, Penn State is 107-3-5 since the start of the 2012 season.
B1G TITLE No. 19
With Penn State's 2-0 win over Minnesota on Oct. 21, the Nittany Lions won the 2018 Big Ten regular season title outright.
The 2018 title is the 19th in program history and marks the 15th time Penn State won the title outright.
SECOND HALF TEAM
Halftime adjustments have paid dividends for the Nittany Lions in 2018.
Offensively, Penn State has scored 23 goals in the second half of regulation compared to 12 goals in the first half. Additionally, Penn State has recorded 148 shots in the final 45 minutes of regulation compared to 139 shots in the first 45 minutes.
Defensively, Penn State has allowed 10 goals during the first half of play, while it has allowed only one goal in the second half of regulation.
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The 2018 Big Ten Tournament marks the 23rd appearance for the Nittany Lions.
Overall, Penn State owns a 32-11-5 record in the Big Ten Tournament. Penn State has won seven titles, which includes titles in 2015 & '17.
PROTECTING THE NET
Since the start of the 2014 season, Penn State goalkeepers have combined for 56 shutouts.
TOP OFFENSE
The Nittany Lions boast one of the top offenses in the nation over the past few seasons.
Heading into the Illinois match, Penn State has scored 442 goals since the start of the 2011 season, which ranks third in the nation.
Virginia leads the nation in goals scored since the start of 2011 with 500 followed by Stanford with 455 (Stats courtesy of the Virginia Sports Information Office).
CLOSE CONTESTS
Penn State has played 12 one-goal games in 2018. The Nittany Lions have gone 7-5 in those matches, which includes a pair of 2-1 overtime wins.
BIG TEN HONORS
With the Big Ten regular season in the books, nine Nittany Lions were honored by the Big Ten.
For Penn State, Erica Dambach was named the Coach of the Year, Emily Ogle was tabbed the Midfielder of the Year, and Kaleigh Riehl garnered Defender of the Year honors.
The All-Big Ten first team featured Ogle, Riehl, and Frankie Tagliaferri. The All-Big Ten second team saw Alina Ortega Jurado and Charlotte Williams.
In addition to the first team and second team honors, Kerry Abello was named to the All-Big Ten third team.
Along with the All-Big Ten plaudits, Kim Dubs was placed on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and Laura Suero received the Sportsmanship Award for Penn State.
UP NEXT
The winner of Penn State/Illinois will face the winner of Nebraska/Minnesota for the Big Ten Tournament title at noon on Sunday, Nov. 4, live on the Big Ten Network. The Big Ten Tournament final will take place at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana.
The 2018 Penn State women's soccer season is presented by the Student Book Store.