Big Ten Network : Penn State Top Stories

Clark sets record as Penn St. drops Michigan St.

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:38:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- It didn't take long for Penn State to start lobbying for a BCS bid. Daryll Clark passed for 310 yards and four touchdowns Saturday as the Nittany Lions (No. 14 BCS, No. 13 AP) wrapped up their regular season with a 42-14 victory against Michigan State on Saturday. Clark set a school record with his 23rd TD passes this season and set the career record with 42. He also moved to the front of a line of folks in Nittany Lion Nation hoping for an at-large slot in the lucrative Bowl Championship Series. "Yes we do," Clark said when asked if Penn State (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten) deserved a BCS slot. Penn State may be a long shot. Clark noted the Nittany Lions have lost twice -- to BCS automatic qualifier Ohio State and fellow at-large hopeful Iowa -- but says his team deserves credit for bouncing back to finish the season strong. Coach Joe Paterno also made his team's case, in good-natured fashion. "What do you want me to say?," Paterno asked reporters outside Spartan Stadium. "Pick us. Maybe I could get on the phone and call somebody and say, 'you owe me one,' or 'you might find a horse's head in your bed'." Michigan State (6-6, 4-4) also is bowl-bound and may have a long wait to figure out the exact bid. But the Spartans were stinging after getting routed by Penn State in Saturday's second half. The game was tied 7-7 at halftime. "Obviously, we're disappointed," said Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins, who threw for 155 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. "We worked very hard and expected to come out and play well. In the second half, we didn't do that." Evan Royster gained 114 yards on 13 carries for Penn State. Graham Zug and Andrew Quarless each caught two TD passes. The Land Grant Trophy -- a 4-foot-tall, 50-pound hunk of wood adorned with a Nittany Lion, Spartan and other images -- stays with Penn State. Penn State also has back-to-back seasons of at least 10 wins for the first time since the early 1990s, but the Nittany Lions lost any chance to share the Big Ten championship before kickoff. Ohio State claimed the crown outright by beating Michigan earlier in the day. The Nittany Lions have a shot at an at-large BCS bid, but Iowa -- which beat Penn State earlier this season -- finished with an identical 10-2 record. Only two teams from any conference can play in the BCS. Orange Bowl representatives were at Saturday's game. Penn State could be a prime candidate for the Capital One Bowl or the Outback Bowl if it gets left out of the BCS. Penn State grabbed a 14-7 lead just over a minute into the half with the help of a trick play. Wide receiver Curtis Drake took a handoff and rolled right, throwing a 14-yard touchdown pass to Quarless in the back of the end zone. It capped a 55-yard, three-play drive aided by a roughing the passer penalty. Penn State increased its lead to 21-7 midway through the third quarter. Clark rolled to his right, planted and threw back across the field to the left sideline -- finding Joe Suhey all alone for a 30-yard TD pass. Penn State's Nick Sukay intercepted Cousins' pass on the next series, setting up the Nittany Lions at the Michigan State 32. Clark fired a TD pass to Zug on the very next play, giving Penn State a 28-7 lead with 5:22 left in the third.

No. 1 PSU sweeps IU, wins 7th straight outright crown

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:33:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The No. 1 Penn State women's volleyball team clinched their 13th overall and seventh consecutive outright Big Ten title with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 26-24) sweep of Indiana. The Nittany Lions have extended their winning streak to 94 straight matches. Junior Arielle Wilson (Broadview, Ill.) led all players with 13 kills attacking at a .667 clip. She tied with classmate Fatima Balza (Merida, Venezuela) with six total blocks. Junior Blair Brown (Purcellville, Va.) also posted double-digit kills with 10. Senior setter Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) paced the Nittany Lions offense with 39 assists and tallied four kills on five errorless swings. Junior libero Alyssa D'Errico (Byron, N.Y.) led the team in digs with 13. The Hoosiers were on the board first in set one, but Wilson answered immediately for the Nittany Lions with a kill. Penn State took its first lead, 4-3, after back-to-back kills from Glass. The lead was short-lived after two Indiana kills and two PSU errors but the Hoosiers up by two, 8-6. The Nittany Lions continued to trail until a solo stuff by Glass and an ace from junior Jessica Ullrich (Winfield, Ill.) gave the Lions an 11-10 edge. The Hoosiers tied it at 11-11, but a Balza kill and an Indiana error put the Nittany Lions up by two, 13-11. PSU grabbed its largest lead of the set, 16-13, at midpoint of the frame thanks to two-straight Dorton kills and another IU error. Penn State maintained the lead until the Hoosiers moved ahead for a 21-19 advantage forcing a PSU timeout. Hodge nailed a kill following the break and two straight Penn State stuffs gave the Lions a 22-21 advantage. After an Indiana timeout, two Hoosier errors and a solo block by Hodge gave PSU a 25-22 first set win. Wilson opened set two for the Nittany Lions tipping the ball for a kill. The two teams remained close until Penn State went on a 9-3 run for a 15-9 lead. Wilson had two kills and three stuffs in the run, including two joint blocks with Dorton. Indiana's Mary Chaudoin tried to slow Penn State's momentum with a kill, but two Hodge kills, an IU error and a Balza block increased PSU's lead to eight, 19-11. Two straight kills by the Lions had the Lions leading 21-12 and Indiana taking a timeout. After the break, Glass tallied a kill and Wilson registered three to close out the second set 25-16. The third set was similar to the second with the squads staying neck-and-neck until Penn State took an 11-8 lead after a block with Wilson and Dorton, a Brown kill and an ace from junior Cathy Quilico (Thousand Oaks, Calif.). Soon after however, Indiana was ahead, 12-11, after tallying four straight points. The score tied four times before a PSU error and an Indiana kill gave the Hoosiers an 18-16 advantage. Soon after, Penn State was back in the lead, 20-19, courtesy of a Glass kill and a joint stuff from Glass and Wilson. After an Indiana timeout, the Hoosiers tied it up, 20-20, with a kill from Ashley Benson. The Hoosiers managed to take the lead, 23-22, forcing a Penn State timeout. After IU tallied an additional point for a 24-22 lead, head coach Russ Rose called a second timeout. The Nittany Lions managed to tie the set, 24-24, thanks to an IU service error and a Dorton kill. A block by Brown and Balza and a kill from Brown secured a third set victory for the Nittany Lions, 26-24. Penn State is back in action on Friday, Nov. 27 versus Michigan State at 7 p.m. in Rec Hal. The Nittany Lions will celebrate senior night on Saturday, Nov. 28 when they host Michigan at 7 p.m. Live stats and live audio will be available for both matches via a link at GoPSUsports.com. Penn State's match with Michigan will be taped and will air on the Big Ten Network on Sunday, Nov. 29 at 6 p.m. For more information on the Penn State women's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State women's volleyball 2009 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets At Hershey.

Penn State defeats Purdue, 3-1

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:19:00 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The top-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team clinched at least a share of the 2009 Big Ten title with a 3-1 (29-31, 25-17, 25-17, 25-20) victory against Purdue (12-16, 4-13). Penn State has now won 93 straight matches and is now in sole possession of second place among all Division I winning streaks. A defeat of Indiana on Saturday would give Penn State its 13th overall and seventh consecutive outright Big Ten title. Senior Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) led all players with 24 kills. She now has 2,009 kills and is only the second Penn State to reach 2,000 kills in her career. Junior Arielle Wilson (Broadview, Ill.) and freshman Darcy Dorton (Muncie, Ind.) also tallied double-digit kills with 10 apiece. Senior setter Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) paced the Nittany Lion offense with 48 assists and also finished second on the team with 11 digs. Junior Fatima Balza (Merida, Venezuela) was a wall at the net with a match-high eight total blocks, while junior Blair Brown (Purcellville, Va.) finished the night with six. Junior libero Alyssa D'Errico (Byron, N.Y.) led the team with a career-high tying 18 saves. Penn State attacked at a .306 clip, while holding the Boilermakers to just .119. The Lions finished the match with 61 kills, 5 assists, two aces, 50 digs and 13.5 total team blocks. Purdue totaled 48 kills, 43 assists, one ace, 43 digs and 10.0 team blocks. Despite Purdue tallying the first point of the night, Glass set Balza for a kill that ricocheted off the arm of a Boilermaker putting the Lions on the board. Purdue took a two-point lead, 5-3, after a kill by Carrie Gurnell and PSU error, but a Hodge kill and a Boilermaker error had the teams tied at 5-5. Wilson gave Penn State its first lead with an ace, 6-5. The two squads traded points until Penn State went on a four-point run for its largest lead of the set, 16-13. Purdue worked to within one, 16-15, but an error and Brown kill had Penn State leading, 18-15. The Nittany Lions maintained at least a two-point lead until a PSU service error and another Gurnell kill had the Boilermakers within one, 22-21. After a Penn State timeout, Hodge notched a kill for a two-point edge. However, a Gurnell kill and a PSU error had the set tied, 23-23. Hodge put Penn State in set-point position with a kill, but a kill from Ariel Turner and a Purdue stuff had the Boilermakers leading 25-24. The two teams went back and forth until a Kristen Arthurs kill and block by Turner and Tiffany Fisher gave the Boilermakers a 31-29 first set win. The second set was close early, until a Wilson kill and a stuff by Glass and Wilson gave Penn State a 7-5 edge. Following a 6-2 Penn State run, the Nittany Lions led 16-10. Two PSU errors had Purdue within four, 16-12, but the Lions posted three straight points for a 19-12 lead. Two kills by Hodge, one each from Dorton and Glass and another block by Wilson and Glass gave Penn State a convincing 25-17 set two win. Penn State hit .483 in set two, as opposed to the .275 attack percentage it registered in set one. The Nittany Lions jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the third set thanks to kills from Hodge and Glass and an ace by Glass. Back-to-back stuffs by Balza and Brown increased Penn State's lead to five, 8-3. Following a Purdue timeout, the Boilermakers managed to stay within five until an 8-1 Penn State run had PSU's lead in double-digits, 19-8. Hodge and Wilson each had two kills in the run. Two Lion errors cut Penn State's lead to single-digits, but another Hodge kill and a Boilermaker error had Penn State back ahead by 11, 21-10. Purdue worked within seven, 24-17, but Wilson closed out the third set for Penn State with a kill. A solo stuff by Turner had Purdue on the board first in the fourth set, but a monster Wilson kill and a Purdue error had Penn State in the lead, 2-1. A PSU error and an Arthurs kill put Purdue back in front, 3-2. The Nittany Lions capitalized off three Boilermaker errors and kills by Glass and Hodge for an 8-3 advantage. Two kills by Purdue had the Boilermaker within four, 9-5. By midpoint of the set, the Lions led 15-8 and Purdue took a timeout. Penn State increased its lead to eight, 19-11. The Boilermakers went on a four-point run to come within three, 23-19, thanks to two PSU errors, two Purdue kills and a Boilermaker stuff. Kills by Brown and Hodge closed out the set for Penn State, 25-20.

Tulane edges Nittany Lions, 63-60

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:40:00 +0000

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP)—Tulane's Kevin Sims made a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 19 seconds to play and the Green Wave held on to beat Penn State 63-60 Friday in the second round of the Charleston Classic at Carolina First Arena. Aaron Holmes led Tulane (1-2) with 17 points and Kris Richard added 11. Talor Battle scored 17 points for Penn State (2-2). Tulane led by 10 with 7:57 to play, but Penn State battled back, despite shooting 27.6 percent from the field. The Green Wave shot 36 percent from the field. Penn State led 25-24 after a closely contested first half in which neither team led by more than five points. Tulane will play at 12:30 p.m. Sunday against the winner of Friday's game between Davidson and La Salle. Penn State will play at 10 a.m. Sunday against the loser.

Lady Lions stampede Bison

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:32:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.; November 19, 2009 — The Penn State Lady Lions (3-0) shook off the cobwebs of the hour-long bus ride to Lewisburg to turn in a dominating performance in a 77-62 win over Bucknell (0-3) Thursday night at Sojka Pavilion. Penn State landed four players in double figures for the second-straight game to move to 3-0 for the fourth-straight season. Sophomore Zhaque Gray (Chicago, Ill.) and freshman Nikki Greene (Diboll, Texas) paced the Lady Lions with 11 points apiece. Gray also chipped in three rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Greene had three rebounds, three steals and a career-best three blocks. Freshman Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.) turned in her second consecutive double-digit scoring performance with 10 tallies to go along with four assists. Senior Tyra Grant (Youngstown, Ohio), who did not play in the first half, stretched her consecutive double-figure scoring streak to 15 games with 10 points. Junior Julia Trogele (Devon, Pa.) added eight points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. The Lady Lions got off to a quick start with back-to-back baskets by Meredith Monroe (Olney, Md.) and Gray to take a 4-0 lead just over a minute into the game. Penn State would make it a 7-2 margin before the Bison scored four consecutive points to cut the lead to 7-6 with less than 17 minutes left in the half. However, the Lions bounced back with a 7-0 thanks to four points by Trogele and three points by Greene to make it an eight-point game (14-6) with 14 and a half minutes on the clock. The lead remained eight for the next several minutes until the Bison went on a 5-0 run to cut the Lady Lion lead to three points at 18-15 with 10:42 left in the half. Gray sparked an 11-0 run for the Lady Lions with a three-pointer, which was followed by a basket by Bentley and four consecutive points by Renee Womack (Lansdale, Pa.). Gray capped the run with another bucket to make it 29-15 with seven and a half minutes to play. Bucknell sliced the lead to nine points with two and a half minutes left, but Penn State ended the frame with back-to-back baskets by Womack and Bentley to head into the locker room with a 39-27 lead. Gray and Womack led Penn State in the opening half with eight points and three rebounds apiece. Greene chipped in five points, two rebounds and a block, while Monroe and Trogele each chipped in two blocks in the opening frame. The lead remained steady at the start of the second half until a three-point play for Rachel Voss and a basket by Morgan Wrightson cut the Lady Lion lead to eight, but a layup by Greene stopped the Bucknell spurt and pushed the lead back to 10 (47-37) with just under 17 minutes left. Grant followed with her first basket of the game before Bentley knocked down a pair of free throws and Gray drained her second three-pointer of the game. Grant capped the 12-0 Lady Lion run with an old-fashioned three-point play to extend Penn State's lead to 20 points (57-37) with 14:23 remaining in the game. After an exchange of points, the Bison scored three straight points to cut the lead to 17 (59-42), but the Lady Lions responded as Grant was fouled on a three-point attempt. She made the first two shots, but came up short on the third. Marisa Wolfe (Ford City, Pa.) pulled in the rebound and knocked down a 12-footer to make it a 63-42 Lady Lion lead with 12:33 left in the game. The Lady Lions added to their lead with a three-pointer by Emily Phillips (South Bend, Ind.) and a layup by Janessa Wolff (Park Rapids, Minn.) to push the margin to 26 points (68-42) with just over 10 minutes left. The Bison would not go quietly as they reeled off a 13-1 run thanks to a nearly five-minute field goal drought for Penn State that included six turnovers. With the score 71-57 and four minutes remaining, Trogele knocked down a pair of free throws and Bentley scored on a jumper to make it a 75-57 game. Bucknell outscored the Lady Lions 5-2 in the final three minutes to make it a 77-62 win for the Lady Lions.

UNC-Wilmington knocks off Penn State 80-69

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:09:00 +0000

CHARLESTON, S.C.(AP) - Chad Tomko scored 21 points and North Carolina-Wilmington made 10 of 16 3-point shots to knock off Penn State 80-69 on Thursday. The Seahawks (2-1) held the Nittany Lions to 32.3 percent from the field (21-for-65) in the first round of the Charleston Classic. Penn State (2-1) got 29 points from Talor Battle, who made 11 of 12 free throws. The Nittany Lions were 22-for-27 from the foul line for the game. The Seahawks led 40-31 at halftime after shooting 61.5 percent from the field, including 7-for-11 from 3-point range. Six players had at least one 3-pointer for UNC-Wilmington and eight scored in the first half. Penn State, meanwhile, struggled against the Seahawks' defense, shooting 35.5 percent from the field in the first half, including 2-for-10 from 3-point range. Will Ohuaregbe was the only other UNC-Wilmington player in double figures with 12 points.

New Penn St. tix plan to account for seat location

GENARO C. ARMAS — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:46:00 +0000

STATE COLLEGE, Pa.(AP) Penn State plans to adjust its season-ticket pricing guidelines in 2011 to account for where people sit in Beaver Stadium. Some fans might have to fork over more money to the booster club to stay in their seats, or can pay the same amount but possibly be moved to a less desirable location - say someone going from seats on the 40 to behind the end zone. Other season-ticket holders could be just fine - again, depending on if their donation to the Nittany Lion Club is commensurate to where they want to sit. The actual price of the tickets, currently $55, wouldn't change under the plan to be officially unveiled in a letter to season-ticket holders in the next week, said Greg Myford, Penn State's associate athletic director for business relations and communications. What would change is that seat location would be a new criteria to giving levels to the Nittany Lion Club, along with the number of tickets and parking. The Patriot-News of Harrisburg first reported the new policy, including up to a $600 fee per seat in between the 40-yard lines. Currently, Nittany Lion club members must contribute at least $100 a seat to renew their season tickets, regardless of location. Myford declined to comment on the dollar amounts in the Patriot-News report, though he said the new policy didn't amount to a personal seat license. "The primary difference is, usually associated with the seat license is some kind of long-term commitment,'' Myford said this week. ``We do our tickets annually, each and every year. Fans determine how many seats they want to buy, they donate accordingly, and that will continue.'' Myford said schools like Ohio State, Michigan, Texas and Florida already have similar plans in place. "The other key component, when it comes down to the primary reasons for doing it, it's finances, and it's fairness,'' Myford said. "We need to come up with a way that allows us to properly align and allocate our tickets with how someone is willing to support athletics on an annual basis, and currently we don't do that.'' All but two Big Ten schools - Indiana and Northwestern - charge minimum donations for the right to buy season tickets, according to a survey Wednesday in The Altoona Mirror. Penn State is in the middle of the Big Ten in terms of season-ticket prices. One ticket at the 45-yard line would cost $540 for an eight-game schedule; the most expensive ticket is the $1,950 at Ohio State, which includes a $1,500 minimum donation. The Penn State plan would also shuffle the student section from its current location in one quadrant of the stadium from the 40 to the south end zone, to wrapping around the entire end zone, bookended at about the 10-yard lines. That would open more desirable seats to season-ticket holders. Myford said possibly 800 more seats could be added to the student section, and that the hope is it would create a more intimidating atmosphere for opponents. Penn State's athletic department is self-supporting and does not use tuition dollars or other university funding to pay for its large athletics program, which runs 29 sports. Of those sports, only football and men's basketball operate at a profit. Revenues from football are used to help pay for other sports. The most recent filing with the Department of Education shows Penn State athletics had nearly $96 million in revenues, and roughly $77 million in expenses last year. The expense figure does not include $11.3 million of debt service. Remaining dollars are used for capital improvement projects or put in reserve, the department said in the government filing. Myford said things like fan requests to upgrade stadium concessions stands and restrooms would be the kinds of projects Penn State would look at in the future. Once athletic director, coach Joe Paterno said the school has more pressure to support scholarships in women's sports, as well improving facilities like the softball field. "We don't get a nickel from the university for anything,'' Paterno said. "(Athletics) is completely self-supporting. So they've got to do something or we've got to cut back sports, and we don't want to do that. But, that's not my bout.''

Preview: Penn State-Michigan State

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:33:00 +0000

Penn State needs help to earn a share of a second consecutive Big Ten championship, but it may only need to beat Michigan State to find itself with a chance at grabbing an at-large BCS invitation. Another impressive performance from quarterback Daryll Clark would certainly help. The most productive game of Clark's career came against the Spartans last season, and the senior will try to bounce back from a pair of uneven performances Saturday and help the 14th-ranked Nittany Lions boost their BCS hopes in East Lansing. Clark, a first-team all-Big Ten selection in 2008, led Penn State (9-2, 5-2) to a Big Ten title and the Rose Bowl last season, but threw three of his six interceptions in its two defeats. Clark's two worst games this season also happened in losses. He threw three interceptions in a 21-10 loss to Iowa on Sept. 26, and went 12 for 28 for 125 yards and an interception Nov. 7 as Penn State fell 24-7 to Ohio State. The senior was unremarkable again Saturday against Indiana, throwing interceptions on the Nittany Lions' first two possessions, part of a four-turnover first half for coach Joe Paterno's team. Clark settled down from there, throwing for 194 yards and a touchdown, and Navorro Bowman's interception return for a score broke a 10-all tie as Penn State won 31-20. "We had to eliminate all the stupid mistakes that I did at the beginning of the game," Clark said. "There were a lot of things that I was able to do the entire football game, I just had a lot of mistakes. It messed us up a little bit." The Nittany Lions are 12-0 the past two seasons when Clark doesn't throw an interception. Penn State needs to win and have Ohio State lose at Michigan to earn a share of the conference title, but its BCS hopes are alive. Paterno's team is 14th in the BCS standings, the lowest it can finish to be considered for a BCS at-large bid. A fan base that historically packs bowl venues make the Nittany Lions an attractive option to BCS organizers - provided they first beat the Spartans (6-5, 4-3). Clark threw for 341 yards and set a career high with five touchdowns - four passing - in Penn State's 49-18 rout of Michigan State last year. Clark is second in passer rating (139.7) in the Big Ten behind the Spartans' Kirk Cousins (149.7), who has done an outstanding job of limiting his mistakes. The sophomore has thrown 10 touchdowns and one pick in his last five games, tossing three TDs Saturday at Purdue in a 40-37 victory that made Michigan State bowl eligible. "We're 2-0 in the month of November," coach Mark Dantonio said. "We'll try to make it 3-0 when Penn State comes in. And the number seven, for those who are spiritual, means completion. Finishing is something we've made a lot of since the end of last season." Senior receiver Blair White leads the Big Ten with eight touchdowns and the Spartans lead the conference in total offense (413.7 yards per game), but they'll be facing a Nittany Lions defense ranked fourth among Football Bowl Subdivision teams in points allowed (11.6 ppg) and ninth in total yards (272.0). Historically, however, Penn State's defenses haven't fared well in East Lansing. Paterno's team has allowed an average of 36.5 points and 448.3 yards in losing four of six at Spartan Stadium since 1997. Michigan State rallied from a 24-7 third-quarter deficit to win 35-31 on Nov. 17, 2007, Penn State's most recent visit. Clark won't have backup tailback Brandon Beachum (knee) and likely won't have receiver Chaz Powell (shoulder), but the Nittany Lions' biggest concern may be on special teams, where both players contributed. Penn State lost two fumbles fielding punts in the first half against the Hoosiers, and special teams problems plagued it in both losses. The Lions are 107th in punt return average (5.2 ypg), 113th in kickoff returns (18.4), and they allow 16.5 yards per punt return - third-worst in the nation. The Spartans, meanwhile, are seventh nationally in kick return average (26.8 ypg). Paterno, who ranks third in Brown University's history for punt-return yardage, joked he might take matters into his own hands to fix the special teams' issues. "I'm going to try to go out there and show those guys how I used to catch punts and run for touchdowns every time I got my hands on the ball," Paterno said. "(We'll) see if we can beat Michigan State on a punt return."

Former Penn State athletic director, 87, dies

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:12:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Ed Czekaj, Penn State Director of Athletics from 1969-80, passed away Monday at The Village in State College. He was 87. A three-year letterman on the Penn State football team in the 1940's, Czekaj (Check-eye), returned to his alma mater in 1953 and held several positions in Intercollegiate Athletics. He was promoted to Director of Athletics in 1969, a position he held until in 1980. He retired from Penn State in 1982. The personable and engaging Czekaj was known for his colorful suits and sports coats that he frequently wore to Penn State athletic events while Director of Athletics and after, when he and his wife, Ginny, who survives, retired in State College. "Ed Czekaj was a fantastic and highly-respected ambassador for Penn State," stated Tim Curley, Penn State Director of Athletics. ""He was instrumental in helping Coach Paterno move the football program forward, to set the table for the great success the program had in the 1970's and into the 80's. He oversaw the tremendous expansion of women's sports at Penn State, well before Title IX and the creation of NCAA Championships and other opportunities for female student-athletes. Ed and Ginny continued to be very supportive of all our teams after he retired. Ed was a wonderful person to be around and will be missed." "There wasn't anyone more loyal to Penn State than Ed Czekaj," said Coach Joe Paterno, who succeeded Czekaj as Athletic Director from 1980-82. "As a player and as an administrator, he was a very, very strong leader of Athletics at Penn State. He was a wonderful person and a good friend." A native of Mount Pleasant, Pa., Czekaj came to Penn State in 1943 as part of the historic V-12 program that sent servicemen who were athletes back to college until they could be integrated into the armed forces. He was a starting end and the Nittany Lions' kicker in 1943 before going into battle in World War II. Czekaj returned to Penn State in 1946 and resumed his role as the team's kicker and played offensive and defensive end. He was a senior on the 1947 Penn State team that earned a 9-0 record, posting six shutouts en route to a berth vs. No. 3 Southern Methodist in the 1948 Cotton Bowl. Czekaj, as well as his SMU counterpart, Heisman Trophy winner Doak Walker, each missed PAT kicks in the game, which ended in a 13-13 tie. Czekaj and Walker were able to laugh about the missed extra points when they met at later Cotton Bowls and other college football events. The 1947 squad, coached by Bob Higgins, won the first of Penn State's 27 Lambert Trophies for Eastern football supremacy, and finished No. 4 in the polls. The '47 Lions allowed a mere 3.8 points per game, which remains a school record. Czekaj earned his degree in education in 1948 and worked in the athletic department at Johns Hopkins until 1951, when he went to Korea with the U.S. Marines. He returned to Penn State in 1953 and served as assistant manager of athletics, ticket manager, business manager and Associate Athletic Director into the 1968-69 academic year. When Czekaj replaced Ernie McCoy as Athletic Director, Penn State was already among the national leaders in women's sports with eight varsity programs. Czekaj was instrumental in further expansion. By 1970, Penn State offered one of the most extensive women's athletics programs in the nation, with 11 sports, two years before Title IX legislation. By 1975-76, Penn State offered 16 women's sports, six years before the NCAA began sponsoring Championships for female student-athletes. Swimming and diving (1969), track and field/cross country (1975) and volleyball (1976) were among the women's varsity sports Penn State added while Czekaj was Athletic Director. "As the women's programs were growing, Ed and Della (Durant) oriented all of us to Penn State, the Athletic Department, and in the larger context, women's athletics nationally," said Ellen Perry, who was the coach of the Penn State women's swimming and diving team as it became a varsity sport in 1969 and later was an Associate Athletic Director at the University. ""Ed was a great ambassador for Penn State and helped establish many relationships and friendships with bowls across the country." During Czekaj's tenure as Athletic Director, he oversaw four expansions of Beaver Stadium, raising the capacity from 46,3284 to 83,770 for the 1980 season The unique 1978 expansion saw the stadium cut into sections and raised eight feet by hydraulic jacks. Precast concrete seating forms were then inserted within the inner circle of the stadium, where a running track had been located, adding more than 16,000 seats the facility. Czekaj is survived by his wife, Ginny, two children, Leanne and Randy, and two grandchildren, Nicholas and Madison Czekaj. The Wetzler Funeral Service, Inc. in Bellefonte is handling the arrangements A memorial mass will be held Saturday, November 21 at 9:30 a.m. in the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center on the Penn State campus.

Second-half run lifts Penn State past Robert Morris

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:28:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A night when Robert Morris focused its inspired defense on stopping Talor Battle, Penn State had to find other scoring options. The Nittany Lions responded with a strong second-half surge led by sophomore Chris Babb (Arlington, Texas) and freshman Tim Frazier (Houston, Texas) to propel Penn State past Robert Morris, 80-61, on Monday night at the Bryce Jordan Center. Frazier and Babb made nine of the Nittany Lions' 12 three-pointers to lead Penn State with 19 and 15 points, respectively. Penn State (2-0) jumped all over the Colonials (0-2) in the opening minutes of the second stanza, using an 23-4 run highlighted by four Babb three-pointers to stretch a one-point halftime lead into a 20-point margin, 57-37, with 13:52 remaining. Contributing to the run was a layup by Andrew Jones (Philadelphia, Pa.) a break-away dunk by Battle and a Frazier three. Babb, who shot a career-best 5-of-9 from three, scored 12 of his career-high 15 in the six-minute spurt. Penn State's second-half performance only got better as the Lions continued to make one three-pointer after another, going 12-for-26 from the arc in the game, and shooting 59 percent in the second half. The Lions eventually opened a 24-point lead at 63-39 midway through the period as Frazier drained his fourth three-point goal of the game. Frazier was scoreless in the Lions' opener on Friday, but made up ground quickly hitting 4-of-5 from three and adding three assists and two rebounds in 30 minutes of action mostly spent running the point. Battle, who posted 27 points in the season-opener, was held to eight on the the night, but added seven assists and six boards to make up for a 2-of-9 night shooting. Jeff Brooks (Louisville, Ky) continued his early season strong play posting 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting and adding five boards and two assists. D.J. Jackson (Farrell, Pa.) chipped in with eight points and seven rebounds for the Nittany Lions. Penn State shot 51.9 percent on the night and won the rebounding battle 38-31. The 12 three-pointers by Penn State was a season high and the most made by the Nittany Lions since a school record-tying 15 that were made against Hartford last December at the BJC. Robert Morris, which is coming off back-to-back Northeast Conference titles and a 2009 NCAA Tournament appearance, was led by 11 points from Russell Johnson and 10 from Velton Jones. The Colonials shot 37 percent from the floor and 2-of-16 from three. Despite trailing for most of the first half, Penn State was able to pull ahead when Battle scored his first field goal of the evening on a fast-break layup to end the half. The bucket gave the Lions a 34-33 advantage at the intermission. In the first half, Robert Morris used a methodical offense and staunch defense to keep the Nittany Lions out of their offensive rhythm. The Colonials forced seven Penn State turnovers scoring nine subsequent points off the PSU miscues, and sent plenty of help at Battle when ever he attacked. Nevertheless, Penn State shot a respectable 12-for-27 from the field and hit five treys to stay on pace with Robert Morris, who shot 11-for-28 from the field. Highlighting the Colonials' strong play in the first half was Lijah Thomson who slammed home a missed Garry Wallace three-pointer with a minute remaining in the stanza, momentarily silencing the Bryce Jordan Center crowd of 6,286. The Colonials led by as many as six, 11-5, following a Jimmy Langhurst three at the 14:56 mark. Robert Morris led for eight minutes until a Brooks lay-up tied the game and a Frazier three gave Penn State a 20-19 lead with 8:51 to play. Frazier led the Lions scoring attack early dropping two three-pointers along with another jumper and a free throw for his nine points in the half. Penn State hits the road for the first time this season when the Nittany Lions travel to the Charleston Classic, Nov. 19-22. The Lions open the tournament by taking on UNC-Wilmington onThursday. The ESPNU telecast will be shown live at 4:00 p.m. with the Nittany Lions set to take on Miami (Fla.) or Tulane in the second game on Friday. The final game of the three-game tournament will take place on Sunday, Nov. 22 against either South Florida, South Carolina, La Salle or Davidson.

Penn State awarded seventh national seed

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:49:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's soccer team (12-7-2) was awarded a seventh seed and earned a first round bye for the 2009 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship when the tournament field was revealed on Monday evening live on ESPNews. The Nittany Lions will face the winner of the Loyola (Md.)-Maryland match-up on Sun., Nov. 22 at 1 p.m. at Jeffrey Field. "It's been three years in the wilderness," said head coach Barry Gorman. "But this is just rewards for the year that this team has had. They earned a seventh seed, so hats off to them." Penn State is coming off a strong showing at the 2009 Big Ten Tournament, advancing to the title game after beating Michigan (1-0) and Michigan State (3-0) on back-to-back days. The Nittany Lions fell to Ohio State, 1-0, in the championship contest in heartbreaking fashion, surrendering a goal in the final minute of regulation time. Sophomore forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.), PSU's leading scorer with 28 points, was named offensive most valuable player of the tournament. Penn State posted a 7-0-2 record at Jeffrey Field this year, its first undefeated season in University Park since 2000 (7-0-0). The Lions were dominant at home, outscoring opponents by a 24-4 margin. Defending national champion Maryland (12-5-2), which received an at-large bid, finished fourth in the ACC in 2009. The Terrapins were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament by Virginia (1-0). Loyola (Md.) (11-7-3) defeated Niagara, 1-0, in double overtime, to claim the 2009 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship and secure the Greyhounds' their third consecutive NCAA postseason berth. Penn State's 2009 appearance in the NCAA Championship is its first since 2005, when it was seeded 11th after going undefeated in conference play and capturing its third Big Ten Championship. The Lions downed Seton Hall, 1-0, in the second round before dropping a 3-1 decision to Creighton. Under Gorman, the Nittany Lions are 10-10-2 in NCAA Championship competition. Overall, the Penn State program possesses a 24-27-1 record in NCAA postseason play. Tickets are $7 for adults and $3 for student, youth and senior citizens and will be sold at the gate beginning one hour prior to the game.

Penn St. sets sights on 10-2 finish

Joe Juliano; Inquirer Staff Writer — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Some of the more disenchanted members of Nittany Nation may be wondering why Penn State is even bothering to continue its season now that a Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl bid are no longer at stake. Penn State went 0-2 at home against Iowa and Ohio State, the only two nationally ranked teams on its schedule. The Lions were shut out in the second half of both games. The only use fans had for their white T-shirts after the games was to dab the tears from their eyes. But coach Joe Paterno has news for those mourning the season: It's not over yet. While there's no Rose Bowl and probably not a BCS bowl in their future, the Nittany Lions still can finish the regular season with 10 victories. The Lions (8-2 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) start that drive today at Beaver Stadium in their home finale against Indiana and can finish it off next weekend at Michigan State. Then it's probably a bowl game in Florida, not a bad place to be on Jan. 1. "You know, 8-2 isn't a disaster," Paterno said this week. "That's where we are, all right? Obviously, when you lose to a couple of good football teams at home, you don't score a point against either one of them in the second half, you've got concerns. "But I still think we have a bunch of kids that want to go out there and do well. For me to go out there and do anything but encourage them, that's just not my style. We'll practice hard this week and see how good we are. I'm not going to get into what expectations people have." Those expectations, naturally, started out with the thought the Lions would be in the mix for the national championship. That dream turned into a faint flicker after the rain-soaked loss to Iowa and was snuffed out completely last week by Ohio State. Now, the Lions must take satisfaction where they can find it. "Winning those last two games would make it a success for us," linebacker Sean Lee said. "Will we accomplish our goal of winning a national title? No. But we can win our last two games and go to a bowl. I know every game we've played our hearts out and, to me, that means we've been successful." Quarterback Daryll Clark called a 10-2 finish "our main goal right now, and we'll be extremely disappointed if we're not able to do it." It can be argued that, of all the Nittany Lions, Clark wants to erase the bitter taste of the loss to the Buckeyes most. "Either we go into the tank and lose those last two games or we work hard and win," Clark said. "The coaches aren't going to allow us to do that. With the leadership on this football team, we're going to make sure that everyone . . . focuses on Indiana." They had better. The Hoosiers (4-6, 1-5) may be the conference's unluckiest team, losing three league games by three points or fewer. They had chances to win at Michigan and at Iowa. "Our guys have played pretty well in those environments this year," Indiana coach Bill Lynch said. "They played well at Michigan and Iowa. Fortunately, our guys have been [at Beaver Stadium] and understand what they are getting into." The Hoosiers run the pistol offense, with a running back standing 3 to 4 yards behind the quarterback, who is lined up in the shotgun. Quarterback Ben Chappell is second in the Big Ten in passing yards at 237.7 per game, and receiver Tandon Doss has 65 catches for 843 yards and four touchdowns. Defensively, senior end Jammie Kirlew is one of the best in the Big Ten, with 13.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and five forced fumbles. The Hoosiers, with the league's top kickoff-return man in Ray Fisher, could give the Lions' beleaguered special teams some problems. So Penn State will have its hands full today as it tries to chase down a reset but attainable goal. "I think if we end up 10-2," Paterno said, "that's a pretty good year - if we end up 10-2." Contact staff writer Joe Juliano at 215-854-4494 or jjuliano@phillynews.com . Copyright 2009 Philadelphia Newspapers, LLCAll Rights Reserved

Penn State loses Beachum to knee injury

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:52:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State running back Brandon Beachum (Youngstown, Ohio) will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a serious knee injury in Saturday's 31-20 victory over Indiana. A sophomore, Beachum tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during Penn State's kickoff return to begin the second half, according to Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli, Penn State Director of Athletic Medicine. Beachum will have surgery within the next two weeks and rehabilitation will take a minimum of nine months, according to Sebastianelli. Beachum has played in every game this season on offense and special teams and has been an effective runner, receiver and blocker. He is fourth on the team in rushing with 113 yards on 24 carries (4.7) with one touchdown. Beachum scored on a two-yard run in the Nittany Lions' 34-13 win at Northwestern, gaining 25 yards on just four carries. He also has three receptions for 29 yards. The former Cardinal Mooney High School standout played as a true freshman last season after enrolling in the University in January, 2008. No. 14 (BCS) Penn State (9-2, 5-2) will travel to face Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 21 in the annual battle for the Land Grant Trophy. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET at Spartan Stadium. ABC will regionally televise the regular season finale and ESPN will air the game outside the ABC coverage area to the rest of the nation. The Spartans are 6-5 (4-3 in Big Ten) after rallying to win at Purdue, 40-37, last Saturday.

Virginia rallies to oust Penn State, 6-2

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:06:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The No. 16-ranked Penn State women's soccer team held a 2-0 lead through nearly an hour of play, but Virginia unleashed a barrage of goals in 20 minutes to take the NCAA Second Round match, 6-2, at Jeffrey Field on Sunday. Jess Rosenbluth (Gladwyne, Pa.) and Ali Schaefer (Las Vegas, Nev.) scored their first goals of the season for the Nittany Lions. Penn State (13-6-2) looked strong as the Nittany Lions took a 2-0 lead into halftime. PSU broke a scoreless tie in the 21st minute when Katie Schoepfer (Waterford, Conn.) found Rosenbluth on the left wing. Rosenbluth struck a strong right-footed shot from 10 yards out that found the inside right post and the back of the net for the 1-0 lead. That goal broke some early momentum for the Cavaliers (10-5-6) who took the first six shots of the afternoon. Sixteen minutes later, a series of corner kicks led to the second goal when Christine Nairn's (Bowie, Md.) curling left-footed cross found Schaefer all alone on the back post to tuck it in for a two-goal advantage in the 37th. Penn State looked dangerous right before halftime when an early ball from Katie Schoepfer (Waterford, Conn.) found Nikki Watts on the far post, but her header skimmed the edge of the post with 10 seconds left in the half. Early in the second half, Virginia's Lauren Alwine had a chance just two minutes into the stanza that was saved about eight yards from net by Alyssa Naeher (Seymour, Conn.). Naeher, who suffered a PCL knee injury this spring, had her brace on her left knee broken and play was stopped for several minutes while trainers taped her knee. In the midst of Naeher going down, Schoepfer had received a long ball and a breakaway opportunity, but her shot was easily saved by Chantel Jones (four saves). Virginia would have another shot by Colleen Flanagan go wide in the 50th minute, but the feet of the Cavaliers were silent until the 60th minute. Alwine struck for an unassisted goal as she hit a perfect shot off the far post to cut the lead in half. After a chance by Alli Rago (Fairfield, Conn.), UVa's Sinead Farrelly received a Caitlin Miskel pass, turned and fired an unstoppable blast from 15 yards to tie things up in the 65th minute. With momentum clearly on the Cavaliers' sides, the Nittany Lions nearly got one back but a breakaway attempt by Schoepfer was stopped when UVa's Morgan Stith tackled Schoepfer 12 yards from net, but a foul was not called. On the other end, Virginia's Caroline Miller gathered a pass from Erica Hollenberg and slotted a laser of a shot to the upper right-hand corner of the net from 20 yards out for the Cavaliers' first lead of the day in the 73rd minute. Less than two minutes later, Hollenberg would put a shot away from the end line after a quick pass from Farrelly set up the score for a 4-2 lead. Things got worse for Penn State as 106 seconds later as Miller stunned the Lions again with a blast from the middle of the penalty area that Naeher (four saves) couldn't control as she deflected it into the net. Virginia's Meghan Lenczyk would cap the scoring when her shot, which looked to be going wide, was knocked in by Penn State's Emma Thomson (Nottinghamshire, England) in the 80th minute. The six goals were the most given up by Penn State in program history, as Virginia out-shot the Nittany Lions 22-16 overall for the game, including 14-9 in the second half. Corner kicks were in favor of the Cavaliers, 6-5, while saves were even at four apiece. Virginia recorded 10 fouls, while Penn State had four, all of which came in the second half. The Nittany Lions' season ends as a successful one on record as Penn State captured its 12th-straight Big Ten Championship and 15th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The game was the final one for seniors Tara Davies, Maura Ryan, Naeher, Rago, Schoepfer, and Watts. Virginia moves on to play the winner of the UCLA/San Diego State game.

Top-seeded OSU beats PSU, wins Big Ten crown

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:15:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Ohio State men's soccer team is making a case for the renaming of the Hoosier city to Bluem-ington. Head coach John Bluem and the No. 25-ranked and top-seeded Buckeyes captured the 2009 Big Ten Tournament title with a 1-0 win over Penn State Sunday afternoon on Yeagley Field at Armstrong Stadium. David Tiemstra scored the game-winning goal with 43 seconds remaining in regulation to give Ohio State its second tourney title in three years and its third overall, as well as the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes are now 12-4-4 on the season, while Penn State drops to 12-7-2. "I am breathless. What a hard fought game," Bluem said. "We did not have a good first half today. Penn State, to their credit, were very good all day long today. They gave us fits. They shut us down completely. It took a great effort by Tiemstra to steal a win. I was already thinking about penalty kicks." Tiemstra, a native of Clarendon Hills, Ill., also scored the game-winner vs. Michigan to lead the Buckeyes to the regular-season championship Nov. 7. This is the first time in program history Ohio State has won both the regular-season and tournament championships. Tiemstra and Doug Verhoff were named to the All-Big Ten Tournament Team, while Verhoff earned Defensive Most Valuable Player honors. Penn State's Jason Hertzog was the offensive MVP after netting a hat trick to lead the Nittany Lions over Michigan State in the semifinal. The Buckeyes will find out their NCAA Tournament fate at 5:30 p.m. Monday. The selection show will air live on ESPNews. This will mark Ohio State's seventh appearance in the national tournament, all coming under Bluem's reign.

Penn State overcomes slow start to beat NJIT

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:36:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Lady Lions (2-0) overcame a sluggish start and turned in a solid second half performance en route to a 79-57 win over NJIT (0-1) Sunday at the Bryce Jordan Center. Freshman Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.) led four Penn State players in double figures with 16 points. The Lady Lions are 2-0 for the fourth consecutive season. After being shutout in her first collegiate game, Bentley was stellar for the Lady Lions, narrowly missing a double-double with a team-high 16 points via a 6-for-11 effort from the field and nine assists. She also had two steals and two rebounds. Sophomore Zhaque Gray (Chicago, Ill.) added 14 points and a career-best six rebounds. Junior Julia Trogele (Devon, Pa.) accounted for 14 points, nine rebounds and two assists in just 23 minutes of action. She was 4-for-7 from the field and 5-for-5 from the free throw line on the game. Trogele has made her first nine free throws this year and her last 12 shots from the charity stripe, dating back to last season. Senior Tyra Grant (Youngstown, Ohio) also reached double-digits with 11 points, while classmate Meredith Monroe (Olney, Md.) added seven points and six rebounds off of the bench. Freshman Nikki Greene (Diboll, Texas) put the Lady Lions on the board with a bucket 32 seconds into the game, but the Highlanders scored the next three points of the game to take a 3-2 lead with 18:40 left in the first half. However, the Lady Lions responded quickly as Gray three-pointer kicked off a 9-2 run to put the Lady Lions ahead 11-5 with just over 15 minutes left in the first half. Bentley scored her first career points during the run, while Janessa Wolff (Park Rapids, Minn.) and Monroe added two points each. The Highlanders put together a run of their own, scoring 11 consecutive points to take a 16-11 lead with 11 minutes remaining in the opening period. NJIT would extend the lead to as many as eight (24-16) with 7:50 on the clock before Penn State reeled off a 15-2 run over the next four minutes to take a 31-26 lead with four minutes to play in the half. Bentley was the sparkplug for the Lady Lions during the run as she scored on basket and assisted on four others. Marisa Wolfe (Ford City, Pa.) accounted for four tallies during the run and Gray added her second three-pointer of the game to pace the Lions. After an exchange of points, the Lady Lions finished the half with five straight points by Trogele thanks to an old-fashioned three-point play and a pair of free throws to take a 38-30 lead in the locker room. Gray led the Lady Lions with eight points in the first half, while Trogele added seven points and three rebounds. Jessica Gerald had a game-high 13 points in the opening frame to lead NJIT. NJIT drained a three-pointer on its opening possession of the second half to slice the Lady Lion lead to five (38-33). Following a layup by Gray, NJIT scored on their next two possessions to move within three points (40-37) with 16 and a half minutes left. The Lady Lions stepped up their defensive effort, holding the Highlanders without a score for the next four minutes. During that span, Penn State scored nine consecutive points to take a 49-37 lead with 12:48 on the clock. Bentley scored four of the Lions' nine points during the run, while Grant and Trogele added two points each and Monroe chipped in one free throw. With just under 12 left in the game and the Lady Lions leading by 10 (51-41), Bentley scored five consecutive points to single-handedly push the Penn State lead to 56-41 with 10 minutes to play. The lead remained around 15 until a layup by Monroe with six minutes left started an 8-0 for the Lady Lions to push the lead to 22 (72-50) with four minutes left and secure the win for Penn State. GAME NOTES: The Lady Lions are 2-0 for the fourth consecutive season…Tyra Grant had 11 points giving her double-digit scoring efforts in her first two games this season. Dating back to last season, Grant has 14 consecutive double-digit scoring games…Alex Bentley recorded her first career points and double-digit scoring game with a 16-point effort…Bentley additionally dished out a career-high nine assists vs. the Highlanders…With the victory, the Lady Lions improve to 38-8 in home openers, including an 11-3 record in home openers at the Bryce Jordan Center…Zhaque Gray notched her fourth career double-digit scoring effort, knocking down 14 points…Gray reached the 100-point plateau for her career. She now has 101 career points…Gray grabbed a career-high six rebounds, surpassing her previous mark of three at Iowa on Feb. 1, 2009…With a 14-point effort, Julia Trogele recorded her 13th double-digit scoring game…Trogele is 9-for-9 from the free throw line this season, and has made her last 12 free throws dating back to last season…Gizelle Studevent had her first career points in a Lady Lion uniform scoring four…The Lady Lions had four players scoring in double-digits for the first time since Feb. 22 when Penn State defeated Illinois, 67-56.

Penn St., Bowman rally past Indiana, 31-20

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:24:00 +0000

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State nearly made Senior Day one to forget for its seniors. Linebacker Navorro Bowman had a momentum-turning 73-yard interception return for a touchdown, Evan Royster scored twice and the sloppy Nittany Lions overcame four first-half turnovers -- including two fumbles on special teams -- to defeat Indiana 31-20 on Saturday. Senior quarterback Daryll Clark added a 13-yard touchdown pass to Royster but threw two picks and didn't look sharp in his final game at Beaver Stadium. A pair of standout juniors -- Bowman and Royster -- made sure their older teammates went out on top. After Collin Wagner's field goal bounced off the right upright in the third quarter, Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell engineered a nice drive into Penn State territory -- until his screen pass was tipped in the air by running back Trea Burgess. Bowman snatched the ball at his own 27, then rumbled down the field with an escort of blockers for a touchdown to give Penn State its first lead, 17-10 with 6:54 left in the third quarter. Bowman ended the Hoosiers' next drive by tipping away a third-down pass over the middle, the linebacker pumping his arms as he trotted back to the sideline. Bowman has been mentioned as a potential early entry into next spring's NFL draft, and he made plays Saturday sure to be added to his already-impressive highlight reel. Penn State turned to the run on the ensuing drive, with Royster and backup tailback Stephfon Green softening up Indiana's Big Ten-worst defense before Royster rushed in from two yards out for a touchdown and 24-10 lead with 14:57 left. Royster finished with 95 yards on 17 carries and 39 yards receiving on four catches. Indiana responded with a nice drive to the Penn State 21, but the Nittany Lions' defense came up big again on third down when safety Nick Sukay leveled receiver Mitchell Evans at the goal line, causing the Hoosiers to settle for a field goal. The Hoosiers have made a habit this season of hanging tough early in road games before letting leads slip away. They have led at Michigan, Northwestern and Iowa before findings ways to lose. It happened again Saturday. Penn State (9-2, 5-2 Big Ten) tried to help Indiana (4-7, 1-6) by fumbling away two punt returns in the first half. Coach Joe Paterno's D also had trouble early with Indiana's no-huddle attack, falling behind 10-0 on Ben Chappell's 26-yard touchdown pass to Damarlo Belcher midway through the first quarter. Chappell finished 32 for 51 passing for 298 yards, plus one interception and two TDs, while Belcher had nine catches for 95 yards. Clark's TD pass to Royster near the end of the first half tied the game at 10. Clark was 17 for 28 for 194 yards, along with 29 yards rushing and a score on seven carries. Then defensive end Jerome Hayes, back deep as a blocker, had a nice run on a short kickoff to start the second half before fumbling at midfield. The ball was recovered by Penn State, but the 100,000-plus in attendance let out a collective groan over more special teams mistakes by the Nittany Lions, a season-long theme. But momentum finally turned Penn State's way about eight minutes later thanks to Bowman's big play. He finished with 12 tackles.

Penn State beats Bloomsburg in home opener

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:28:00 +0000

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 15 in the initial NWCA Coaches Poll, downed Bloomsburg 23-15 in the home opener for head coach Cael Sanderson's squad. Over 4,000 Penn State faithful watched as Penn State's young line-up won six of ten bouts for the win. Senior Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah), ranked No. 5 at 157, downed No. 2 Matt Moley of Bloomsburg in the day's signature bout. Junior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 8 nationally, put Penn State up 4-0 early with a four-point tech fall at 125, downing BU's Jason Guffey 22-7. Lion freshman Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) was up 11-5 at 133 in his Penn State debut but got caught with a quick pin at 133 as BU's Dan Gaylord got the fall at the 5:28 mark to put the Huskies up 6-4. Bloom's Frank Hickman picked up a win at 141 and BU quieted the Nittany Lion fans and led 9-4 after three bouts. But two Nittany Lion All-Americans sent the Penn State faithful into a frenzy in the next two bouts. Sophomore Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) posted a 12-3 major over BU's Josh Roosa a 149, setting up the dual's marquee match-up at 157. Penn State senior Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah) thrilled the Lion crowd with a superb 3-2 win over Bloomsburg's Matt Moley. Sanderson was ranked No. 5 at 157 while Moley entered the bout ranked No. 2. The decision gave Penn State an 11-9 lead heading into intermission. All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 9 at 165, pushed Penn State out to a 14-9 lead with a 2-1 win over No. 19 Rick Schmelyun. Bloomsburg, however, was not done. The Huskies countered with an 11-5 win from Nate Graham at 174 and a 4-0 win from Derek Coffey at 184 to give BU a 15-14 lead with just two bouts left to wrestle. Sophomore Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) was re-ignited the Penn State fans, however, with a thrilling late takedown in a 3-1 win over Bloomsburg's Jake Dabashinky, putting Penn State back on top 17-15. Sophomore Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 20 at HWT, put the exclamation point on the win by pinning Bloomsburg's Zach Walsh at the 4:42 mark, giving Penn State a 23-15 win. Penn State won six of the ten bouts and notched 20 takedowns to Bloomsburg's 11. Penn State had five bonus point in the bout while Bloomsburg picked up three on the quick pin at 133. Penn State is now 1-1 on the year while Bloomsburg falls to 2-1. The Nittany Lions trek to Binghamton, N.Y., to take part in the Sprawl and Brawl Duals on Sunday, Nov. 22. Penn State will face Rutgers (9:45 a.m.), Harvard (11:30 a.m.) and Edinboro (3 p.m.) at Binghamton University.

Penn State stays hot, sweeps Northwestern

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:26:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 1 Penn State women's volleyball team (28-0, 16-0) secured their 92nd straight victory Saturday evening with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-20) sweep of Northwestern (14-14, 5-11) in front of a standing-room-only crowd of 5,312 in Rec Hall. It was the fourth-largest crowd to attend a PSU women's volleyball match. The Nittany Lions are now tied for second in the NCAA record books for consecutive wins with the North Carolina women's soccer team (1990-94). The Nittany Lions were led by senior Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.), who posted a match-high 15 kills. Junior Blair Brown (Purcellville, Va.) finished second on the squad with nine kills. Senior setter Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) paced the Nittany Lion offense with 37 assists, while junior Cathy Quilico (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) made 10 saves. Sophomore Katie Kabbes (Raleigh, N.C.) led the team at the net with five total blocks and also tallied four kills. Penn State attacked at a .360 clip and held the Wildcats to a meager .083. The Nittany Lions totaled 42 kills, 40 assists, 28 digs and 11.0 total team blocks. Northwestern recorded 32 kills, 29 assists, 30 digs and 5.5 total team blocks. The Nittany Lions wasted no time in the first set jumping out to a 5-0 lead before the Wildcats could get on the board. A block by Glass and junior Arielle Wilson (Broadview, Ill.), a kill by Hodge and an NU error had Penn State ahead, 8-1. The Wildcats fought to within six, 11-5, but kills from Wilson, freshman Darcy Dorton (Muncie, Ind.) and Brown gave Penn State a 14-6 advantage. After a Northwestern timeout, the Wildcats found some momentum and five kills combined with three PSU errors had NU within three, 17-14. Penn State cut off the Wildcats with a Hodge kill and a NU attack error sent the Wildcats to the bench a second time. The timeout slowed the Nittany Lions enough to allow Northwestern to come back to within three, 21-19. Penn State called a timeout to regroup and two Hodge kills, another from Dorton and a Northwestern error would secure the first set for PSU, 25-20. Two Northwestern errors put Penn State up 2-0 to start off the second set. However, a kill from Alexandra Ayers and two PSU errors had the teams tied at 3-3. Northwestern took its first lead of the match, 4-3, after another error, but the Wildcats would commit an error of their own to allow Penn State to tie it at 4-4. Back-to-back Northwestern kills put the Wildcats up by two, 6-4, but two Kabbes kills and a Wildcat error had the Nittany Lions back in charge, 8-7. Penn State increased its lead to four, 12-8, when Northwestern called a timeout. The break did little to slow PSU as the squad only increased its lead to six, 17-11, when Northwestern took a second timeout. Kabbes notched a solo block following the timeout, but Sabel Moffett posted a kill to keep Northwestern within six. Penn State held Northwestern to just 14 points in the second set as errors by the Wildcats sent the Nittany Lions surging ahead to a set two win. Northwestern's Brittany Gray posted the first point of the third and final set of the match, but she followed it with an error to put the Nittany Lions on the board. Errors would plague the Wildcats early giving Penn State a 7-3 lead. The teams traded kills until a huge block by Wilson and Dorton forced Northwestern to take a timeout. Trailing by six, 11-5, the Wildcats followed the short break with two straight kills to come within four, 11-7. Dorton slowed NU with a kill, but by midway through the frame, Northwestern was within three, 14-11. Two consecutive Penn State kills and a block by Kabbes and Brown gave the Nittany Lions some breathing room, 17-11, and had Northwestern calling its second timeout. A block by Hodge and Brown and a Hodge kill moved the Nittany Lions ahead by eight, 19-11. Despite it seeming like Penn State had firm control, Northwestern rallied and were soon within three, 23-20. Penn State called a timeout and kills from Glass and Dorton gave Penn State a 25-20 third set triumph. Penn State is back in action at Purdue on Friday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. The Nittany Lions then travel to Indiana on Saturday, Nov. 21 for a 7 p.m. meeting with the Hoosiers. PSU returns home to close out the regular season the weekend of Nov. 27 with matches against Michigan State and Michigan.

Penn State storms past Colgate, 5-0

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:39:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.—The No. 16-ranked Penn State women's soccer team cruised to a 5-0 win over Colgate Friday night at Jeffrey Field. The fourth-seeded Nittany Lions used a natural hat trick from Katie Schoepfer (Waterford, Conn.) to propel them to the largest NCAA Tournament victory since 2005. "Obviously, I'm proud of the team," Head coach Erica Walsh remarked after the game. "I'm really proud of the way that they finished off the game. I spoke to them at halftime. I thought it was a bit of a 'B' effort in the first half in our ability to complete passes and to concentrate and get the ball where we wanted it to go. But I thought the response in the second half was quite good. The effort was there." After a furious start by Colgate, who notched two shots on goal in the opening 10 minutes, Schoepfer quickly quelled any thoughts of an upset when she uncorked a 35-yard blast into the upper-right-hand corner in the 18th minute. Melissa Hayes (Cave Creek, Ariz.) assisted on the outstanding goal. "I don't know that I've ever scored one from that far out before," Schoepfer said. "I didn't really expect it. I kind of fell over while I was shooting and so I didn't really see it go off my foot or where it was going. Then I looked up and it was in. That was pretty exciting." Three minutes later, Danielle Toney (Northville, Mich.) was dragged down in the box by Colgate's Calista Victor and a penalty kick was awarded to Penn State. Schoepfer stepped up, poised to score her second of the night, but she sent the ball sailing high, her first penalty kick miss of the season. It would take 17 more minutes before Schoepfer could redeem herself as she took a Nikki Watts (Hungerford, England) pass and sent a missile to the net, which hit the bottom of the crossbar and went in for a 2-0 PSU lead in the 39th minute. The Nittany Lions came out of the locker room feisty and looking for more and Schoepfer would cap the natural hat trick in the 58th minute. With Hayes supplying the assist on a beautiful long ball that found Schoepfer near the penalty spot, the senior forward slotted it home in the lower right side of the net for her 14th goal of the year. Two and a half minutes later, the scoring continued when Watts had her second assist when her cross found the chest of Toney for the junior forward's 13th goal of the season. From there on out, the Penn State subs played out the string of the game. Jackie Molinda (Pittsburgh, Pa.) tallied her second goal of the season off a great combination of passes from Rachel Lamarre (Montreal, Quebec) and Jess Rosenbluth (Gladwyne, Pa.). The star of the game, Schoepfer, recorded Penn State's 18th shutout in women's soccer history. Also, it's the first time since the 2005 season that a Nittany Lion notched two hat tricks in the same season, when Tiffany Weimer tallied hat tricks against Washington (Aug. 26) and Texas A&M (Nov. 19). For the second half Penn State out-shot Colgate, 20-0, en route to a 34-5 shot advantage, its largest disparity in shots this season. The Colgate goalkeepers combined for nine saves, while Penn State's Alyssa Naeher (Seymour, Conn.) stopped four shots in net, all in the first half. The Lions held a 5-2 edge in corner kicks and fouls were 6-5 in favor of Colgate. Both teams were whistled offside one time each. Penn State moves on to play Virginia in the NCAA Second Round on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. The game will be a match-up of two teams that played a 1-0 game in favor of the Nittany Lions on Aug. 21.