UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 15, and top-seeded, Penn State women's soccer team (15-5-0) takes on the seventh-seeded Minnesota Golden Gophers (11-8-1) at noon on Sunday, Nov. 4, for the 2018 Big Ten Tournament title at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana.
FOLLOW ALONG
Sunday'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 MINNESOTA
The Minnesota Golden Gophers have an overall record of 11-8-1 and a Big Ten regular season record of 5-5-1.
The Golden Gophers enter the match against Penn State following a 2-0 win over Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal round. Against Nebraska, April Bockin, the 2018 Big Ten Forward of the Year, netted her fourth multi-goal game of the season to lead the Gophers.
On the year, Bockin has netted 31 points on 13 goals and five assists. Along with Bockin, Molly Fiedler has chipped in 14 points on three goals and eight assists.
In net in 2018, Maddie Nielsen has made 59 saves, has a goals-against average of 1.03, allowed 21 goals, has a save percentage of .738, and has recorded seven solo shutouts.
PENN STATE VS. MINNESOTA
Sunday's match marks the 29th meeting between the two teams with Penn State leading the all-time series, 22-5-1.
Just two weeks ago, Penn State defeated Minnesota, 2-0, to claim the 2018 Big Ten regular season title outright.
In the match, Kerry Abello recorded her first two-goal game to lead the Nittany Lions.
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 Minnesota 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 108-3-5 since the start of the 2012 season.
SECOND HALF TEAM
Halftime adjustments have paid dividends for the Nittany Lions in 2018. Offensively, Penn State has scored 24 goals in the second half of regulation compared to 12 goals in the first half.
Additionally, Penn State has recorded 156 shots in the final 45 minutes of regulation compared to 149 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 record of 33-11-5 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 57 shutouts.
TOP OFFENSE
The Nittany Lions boast one of the top offenses in the nation over the past few seasons.
Heading into the Minnesota match, Penn State has scored 443 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 501 followed by Stanford with 457 (Stats courtesy of the Virginia Sports Information Office).
CLOSE CONTESTS
Penn State has played 13 one-goal games in 2018. The Nittany Lions have gone 8-5 in those matches, which includes a pair of 2-1 overtime wins.
UP NEXT
The bracket for the 2018 NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament will be announced on Monday, Nov. 5, at 4:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.