Big Ten Network : Women's Soccer Top Stories

Tough battle brings UW's season to an end

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:54:00 +0000

NEWTON, Mass. -- Wisconsin's NCAA tournament run ended Friday night at Newton Field when Boston College edged the Badgers, 1-0, in the Sweet 16. "I'm disappointed with the loss, but I am extremely proud of my players and how far they have come this season," said third-year head coach Paula Wilkins. "I think that Boston College is a very good team with some great players that can attack 1v1. They are very dynamic and obviously caused some problems, and you can understand why they won the ACC." The Badgers battled throughout, but the second-seeded and No. 7-ranked Eagles proved too much and out-shot Wisconsin, 21-7. UW hung with the Eagles for 61 minutes before the Eagles' Brooke Knowlton took a shot from 22 yards out and placed it in the top corner of the net to seal the win. Victoria DiMartino switched the point of attack and collided with UW's Taryn Francel, drawing the foul and knocking the ball out. The foul called was a BC advantage, and Knowlton played through to drill the ball to the back of the net. The Eagles outshot the Badgers 10-3 in the first half, but put only two shots on goal. UW's only shot on goal came on a free kick, when Lindsey Johnson launched a ball to BC Jillian Mastroianni. The scoreless first period saw 10 fouls, with six coming against BC. UW's other shot on goal came off the foot of Leigh Williams from about 20 yards out. UW's other scoring chances came off two of Johnson's flip throw-ins that were placed perfectly high and inside the box. However, UW couldn't convert on either opportunity. The game ended with 26 total fouls, including 16 on BC. The Eagles also held a 3-2 advantage on corner kicks. UW's Michele Dalton made seven saves in the outing, Mastoianni had two. Wisconsin ended its season with a 10-6-6 record and its best NCAA tournament finish in 16 years.

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.

Wisconsin off to Sweet 16 with win over UCF

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

It only took one goal for Wisconsin to get past third-seeded Central Florida Sunday afternoon at the McClimon Soccer Complex. Although the 1-0 score doesn't show it, Wisconsin handled the 13th-ranked UCF Knights to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1993. Roxanne Carlson came off the bench for Wisconsin in the final minutes of the first half and made it count. With only 21 seconds left in the first half, Carlson sprinted down the field to connect on a low pass from sophomore Laurie Nosbusch who fed the ball from the far corner. Carlson slotted the the ball to the near post for the game-winning goal. "There are no words," said Carlson on scoring the game-winning goal. "I looked over at our bench and got so excited to see everyone so happy. It was kind of an unreal thing. It was really cool." Wisconsin outshot the Knights 19-6, including eight shots on goal for the Badgers. The Badgers played a complete game attacking on offense and creating some dangerous chances inside the box. Central Florida's Aline Reis kept the Knights in striking distance with eight saves, including many impressive kick-saves on some point-blank shots by the Badgers. One of UW's many chances came in the second half when Erin Jacobsen took a free kick from the top of the box that bent to the near post. Reis made a diving save to keep the Badgers from going up by two. "In our locker room there was a great buzz, a great energy," said third-year head coach Paula Wilkins. "I was afraid we would come out and just defend for the last 45 minutes. And I'm glad we didn't come out and do that. We created a couple more chances in the second half and didn't get the result, but we didn't come out and just defend. I think that was important." Wisconsin's Michele Dalton finished with two saves for her seventh shutout of the season, however the Badger defense stifled UCF's offense rarely giving up a scoring opportunity. The second round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament was an aggressive battle between the two teams tallying 29 total fouls which included three yellow cards. Wisconsin will now face Boston College in the third round, however the details on when and where the game will be played have not yet been announced. Wisconsin Notes: In Wisconsin's 15th NCAA appearance, the Badgers move to 12-14-1 … UW snapped a six-game losing streak during the second round of the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the sweet 16 for the first time since 1993 when the Badgers advanced to the quarterfinals… UW's nine-game unbeaten streak is the longest since 1996 when the Badgers went 13-straight games without a loss (10-0-3)… Roxanne Carlson's game-winner was her first career goal… Nosbusch added an assist in that game for her sixth of the season… Nosbusch leads the team with 18 points, six goals and six assists… this is the Badger's ninth shutout of the season and seventh game won with a score of 1-0… 13 of UW's games this season were determined by one goal… Wisconsin is now the only team in the Big Ten in the NCAA Tournament after Penn State was upset by Virginia losing 6-2

Badgers advance to second round after thrilling penalty kick win

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:36:00 +0000

MADISON, Wis. -- It goes down as a tie officially, but Friday's result was every bit as good as a win for the Wisconsin women's soccer team. The Badgers remain alive in the NCAA Tournament after two diving saves by sophomore Michele Dalton lifted UW past Arizona State in a thrilling shootout at the McClimon Complex and into a second-round matchup with Central Florida. The first round of the tournament proved to be exciting, as the Badgers played down to the wire. After UW's ninth overtime of the season, the score remained knotted 1-1 and forced penalty kicks to decide the advancing team. Wisconsin went down in the count early when Sun Devils goalkeeper Katie Cochran knocked down Erin Jacobsen's first attempt. After each team made the next three attempts, before Dalton stopped Courtney Tinnin's shot to knot the score at three. Roxanne Carlson made UW's fourth penalty kick to give UW a 4-3 advantage, putting the pressure on Dalton and ASU's final shooter, Jill Shoquist. Dalton dove to the left, swatting down Shoquist's shot before the players and fans rushed the field. "There's no words to describe it," said an emotional Dalton. "What I was thinking at that moment and what I'm feeling right now, it's surreal. Paula [Wilkins] talks about living in the moment and that was a moment I will never forget, ever. It was such an emotional thing and I'm glad we won. " The Badgers' late success came only because of an early goal, as the Badgers jumped out to a 1-0 lead after a score at the 1:39 mark. Lindsey Johnson made a perfect serve on a flip throw-in to set up Leigh Williams, who was at the back edge of the 6-yard box to covert the score. "It panicked me to be honest," said head coach Paula Wilkins about the Badgers' first goal. "We don't normally score that early. I thought there was a lot of game to be played and I knew the wind would make a big difference in the second half. "At halftime I told the team the biggest thing is this is the end of somebody's season and that the next 45 minutes would be very tough. It's a learning process for our players still, but a great learning process and I'm glad we got the result. It's exciting for them but I hope we've learned from that for Sunday." Wisconsin came out strong in the first half, but found itself defending for most of the game after that. After outshooting the Sun Devils 7-5 in the opening period, Arizona State came out hungry with nine shots in the second half. ASU's Aissa Sanchez evened the score at 1-1 in the 71st minute with a shot into the right side netting from inside the 18-yard box. The Sun Devils held the momentum and out-shot the Badgers, 9-4, in the second half. In all, ASU finished the game with 19 shots to Wisconsin's 14. Dalton had seven saves in goal for the Badgers, while Alyssa Gillmore had six for Arizona State. Wisconsin's NCAA run continues at 1 p.m. Sunday, when the Badgers face third-seeded Central Florida at McClimon. The Knights advanced to the second round by shutting out Milwaukee in a 3-0 win earlier Friday.

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.

OSU drops 3-1 decision to Oregon State

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:13:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio - No. 15 Ohio State dropped a 3-1 decision to Oregon State in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday evening at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. With the loss, the Buckeyes' season ends after posting a 14-4-2 record and a program best 7-2-1 record in Big Ten play. In an evenly-matched first half, the Buckeyes struck first when Lauren Granberg's cross deflected off an Oregon State defender and into the net for an own goal to put Ohio State up 1-0 in the 19th minute. Less than eight minutes later, Caitlyn Martin had a chance to extend the lead but her volley from the left wing sailed wide right. The Beavers would answer back in the 28th minute when Courtney Wetzel drilled a free kick from 25 yards out that deflected of Buckeye goalkeeper Lauren Robertson's hand and into the back of the net to draw even at one goal apiece. Ohio State almost took the lead in the 36th minute when Courtney Jenkins nailed a volley from 20 yards out but Oregon State keeper Colleen Boyd was able to make the diving save. Less than a minute later, the Beavers were able to capitalize when Melissa Peck lofted a shot from the right wing over Robertson to give Oregon State the 2-1 leading heading into the half. Oregon State outshot the Buckeyes 6-4 and held a 2-1 advantage in corner kicks in the first half. It marked the third time Ohio State was down at the half all season. The Beavers were able to extend the lead to 3-1 in the 60th minute when Jessica Velazquez deflected home a bending corner from Wetzel. The Buckeyes were unable to muster many chances the rest of the way as they suffered just their second defeat at home in 2009. For the game, the Buckeyes were outshot 10-9. It was the second time all season the Buckeyes were outshot.

MSU falls to Santa Clara in OT heartbreaker

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:02:00 +0000

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - For 90 minutes the Michigan State women's soccer team played the fourth-seeded Santa Clara Broncos even. Despite being heavily outshot, the Spartans were able to force overtime, but a goal by the Broncos' Anessa Patton 1:08 into the extra session gave SCU a 1-0 win on Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Championship. MSU, which made the NCAA Championship in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history, ends the season 11-5-4. The Broncos (14-6-1) were able to hold the Spartans shotless in the first half, but MSU goalkeeper Jill Flietstra made three saves to keep the game even. Senior Lauren Hill had the Spartans' best scoring chance of the game off a long through ball but the SCU defense recovered in time to keep her from getting a shot off. Flietstra came up big again in the second half for MSU, making six more stops to send the game into overtime. Patton's overtime goal came at the 91:08 mark off a through ball from Jenny LaPointe. The Broncos will face either USC or Oklahoma State in the second round of the tournament on Sunday. MSU's 11 wins in 2009 marked the eighth time in the last 10 seasons it has won at least 10 games.

Purdue falls in first round of NCAA Tournament

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:21:00 +0000

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - The Purdue women's soccer team saw its NCAA Tournament run end with a 2-0 loss to Central Michigan on Friday evening at Alumni Stadium. "This was a disappointing result," head coach Robert Klatte said. "We had some good looks at goal in the first half. Giving up the goal on the corner kick really put us on the back foot. We were playing a talented, hard-working and battling side, and we didn't convert the couple of chances we had. The unfortunate call on the penalty kick in the second half puts it out of reach, and we were just risking, risking and opening ourselves up trying to find a way back into the match." Purdue (12-6-3) controlled possession for much of the first half. The Boilermakers put multiple scares on Central Michigan's goal but were unable to find the back of the net. Purdue held a 10-4 lead in shots, a 3-2 lead in shots on goal and a 2-1 corner kick edge at halftime. Central Michigan (17-3-3) got on the board with 13 seconds left in the first half on a corner kick following an exceptional save by senior co-captain Jenny Bradfisch to push the ball over the goal. Claire Horton took the corner kick from the left side of the offensive attack, and Bradfisch, in an attempt to punch the ball away, ended up redirecting the ball into the back of the net. The Chippewas stretched their lead in the 55th minute when they were awarded a penalty kick after a foul was called on the Boilermakers at the top of the penalty box. Liesel Toth stepped up and blasted a shot into the left side of the net for a 2-0 lead. Central Michigan extended its unbeaten streak to 18 straight, a stretch that dates back to Sept. 6. Purdue's senior class, consisting of Bradfisch, Sylvia Forbes, Jessica Okoroafo, Loredana Riverso and Katie Seeger, finished its career with the most wins of any class in program history. The quintet's 58-20-12 record betters the previous mark of 57 put up by last year's class and gives the 2009 seniors a .711 winning percentage, which also is the highest of any class to come through the Purdue soccer program. The quintet also leaves holding seven individual career records. Okoroafo's 35 goals, 16 game-winning goals, 91 games played and 250 shots stand alone atop the record book, as does Bradfisch's 0.81 goals-against average. Okoroafo also tied the program record with 83 games started, and Bradfisch tied the program record with 42 wins. Forbes also tied the NCAA record for the fastest goal scored when she netted a ball four seconds into Purdue's 3-2 victory at sixth-ranked Texas A&M on Aug. 28. The 2009 Boilermakers rank third in program history with their 39 goals and 383 shots. The team tied the program record for most consecutive wins to start a season with its 5-0 start, becoming just the second Purdue team ever to win five in a row before suffering a loss. Purdue also extended one of the longest streaks in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers earned 10 wins for the 10th consecutive season, a streak bettered only by Penn State's current run of 16 in conference history. Klatte is the first Big Ten coach to oversee 10 straight seasons of double-digit win totals, bettering the previous record of nine set by former Michigan coach Debbie Rademacher, who won 10 straight games every season from 1996-2004. The Boilermakers also went 8-1-2 at the Varsity Soccer Complex, tying the school record for fewest home losses in a season. Purdue outscored its opponents 27-8 at home in 2009, and its plus-17 home goal differential is the second-highest mark in program history. The record of plus-34 home goal differential was set in 2007. "I think this is a very disappointing end to a really great year," Klatte said. "We overcame a lot as a team, and I think the difficult part is for the seniors. I told the team before the game that every team except for one is going to end their season with a loss, and you just try to make it last as long as possible. We will move forward. We have a lot of young players that this is a fantastic experience for, and we can build off of this. As a team, I think things are bright, but I also want to recognize the contribution that this group of five seniors has had to the program. We will go home, regroup and train. Next year starts tomorrow." Purdue was selected to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in program history and the fourth time in the last five years.

PSU seniors highlight All-Big Ten Team

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:17:00 +0000

The Big Ten office announced the 2009 All-Big Ten and All-Freshman women's soccer teams, as well as individual award winners Wednesday. Penn State seniors Katie Schoepfer and Alyssa Naeher were tabbed Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively, after leading the Nittany Lions to their Big Ten record-tying 12th-consecutive conference championship. PSU newcomer Christine Nairn takes home Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors while Erica Walsh earned the nod from her peers to garner Coach of the Year laurels. The selections marked the second Penn State sweep of the postseason honors and the first since the conference divided the award for Player of the Year into separate offensive and defensive accolades in 2004. Schoepfer becomes the first Nittany Lion to receive Offensive Player of the Year laurels since Tiffany Weimer captured the award in back-to-back seasons from 2004-05. The veteran forward capped off her stellar career in Happy Valley leading the conference in shots (87) and points (30), while completing the regular season rating among the top two in every offensive statistical category and tying for game-winning goals with four. For her efforts, the Waterford, Conn., native was selected first team All-Big Ten for her third-straight season. Joining Schoepfer as the only two unanimous selections on this year's All-Conference teams is Freshman of the Year Nairn. The Bowie, Md., native finished her first collegiate regular season with 23 points and seven goals, while also topping the Big Ten leaderboard in assists with nine. Her athletic prowess helped complete PSU's offensive triple threat that fueled the Nittany to a 12-5-2 overall record and an 8-1-1 conference mark. Naeher garners her second Defensive Player of the Year laurel after taking home the award as a sophomore in 2007. For the year, the senior goalkeeper boasts an .832 save percentage in 19 games, conceding 16 goals against 79 saves. Her 0.84 GAA is accompanied by six shutouts in 2009 while facing the 10th-toughest schedule in the country. She becomes only the fourth Nittany Lion to earn the defensive accolade since its inception and the first-ever individual to repeat in the category. Penn State collects its seventh Big Ten Coach of the Year award as Walsh captures her third-consecutive conference title after replacing five-time Coach of the Year winner Paula Wilkins in 2007. The individual award marks the first for the Nittany head general, who now owns three Big Ten crowns while posting at least eight wins in each of her Big Ten campaigns. The conference office also announced honorees from each team for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, the student-athletes must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. Honorees for women's soccer are Illinois' Krystin Miller, Indiana's Jessica Boots, Iowa's Heather Windsor, Michigan's Alex Jendrusch, Michigan State's Megan Brown, Minnesota's Sara Clancy, Northwestern's Ali Rubnitz, Ohio State's Cassie Dickerson, Penn State's Melissa Hayes, Purdue's Katie Seeger and Wisconsin's Ashley Hedges. These eleven student-athletes are now candidates for the Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award, as the conference office will honor one male and one female student-athlete from each institution at the end of the school year. Offensive Player of the Year: Katie Schoepfer, Penn State Defensive Players of the Year: Alyssa Naeher, Penn State Freshman of the Year: Christine Nairn, Penn State Coach of the Year: Erica Walsh, Penn State FIRST TEAM Forward Laura Heyboer, Michigan State KATIE SCHOEPFER, Penn State Danielle Toney, Penn State Midfield Cara Freeman, Michigan State Ashley Bowyer, Ohio State CHRISTINE NAIRN, Penn State Lauren Montenegro, Purdue Defense Jennie Clark, Minnesota Cassie Dickerson, Ohio State Sylvia Forbes, Purdue Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, Penn State SECOND TEAM Forward Lauren Hill, Michigan State Katie Bethke, Minnesota Laurie Nosbusch, Wisconsin Midfield Molly Rouse, Minnesota Lauren Steuer, Ohio State Alev Kelter, Wisconsin Defense Kelly Lawrence, Indiana Jackie Carron, Michigan Lexi Marton, Penn State Liz Secue, Purdue Goalkeeper Lauren Robertson, Ohio State 2009 Women's Soccer All-Freshman Team* Forward Shayla Mutz, Illinois Tiffany Cameron, Ohio State Vanessa Ibewuike, Purdue Paige Adams, Wisconsin Midfield CHRISTINE NAIRN, Penn State Alev Kelter, Wisconsin Monica Lam-Feist, Wisconsin Defense Jade Grimm, Iowa Bri Westlund, Northwestern LEXI MARTON, Penn State Lindsey Johnson, Wisconsin Goalkeeper Cat Parkhill, Minnesota * Additional honorees due to a tie. Unanimous selection in ALL CAPS Sportsmanship Award Honorees Krystin Miller, Jr., Illinois Jessica Boots, Sr., Indiana Heather Windsor, Sr., Iowa Alex Jendrusch, Sr., Michigan Megan Brown, Sr., Michigan State Sara Clancy, Sr., Minnesota Ali Rubnitz, Sr., Northwestern Cassie Dickerson, Jr., Ohio State Melissa Hayes, Sr., Penn State Katie Seeger, Sr., Purdue Ashley Hedges, Sr., Wisconsin

Big Ten champ PSU, four others, make NCAA tourney

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 20:50:00 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The No. 22 Penn State women's soccer team learned its road to the Women's College Cup on Monday as the fourth-seeded Nittany Lions will take on Colgate on Friday at Jeffrey Field at 7:30 p.m. Penn State makes its 14th straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and will host a game at Jeffrey Field for the 29th time. The Nittany Lions were one of five Big Ten teams to make the tournament. Ohio State and Wisconsin are hosting pods, while Purdue travels to Notre Dame and Michigan State plays at Santa Clara. Penn State is the only Big Ten squad to earn a national seed. "First of all, we have to do our homework on Colgate," Head coach Erica Walsh said shortly after the bracket was revealed. "We have to do our work against a good Patriot League team, one that I'm familiar with in Colgate. They are a talented bunch that we need to prepare for." The Nittany Lions are 28-13-1 all-time in their previous 13 trips to the tournament, including three Women's College Cup appearances (1999, 2002, 2005). An eight-time quarterfinalist, Penn State has hosted 28 games at Jeffrey Field going 23-5-0 overall, while outscoring its opponents 71-19. Colgate enters Friday's match with an 11-6-3 overall record, going 5-1-1 in the Patriot League. Colgate needed two overtime wins at home in order to capture the Patriot League Tournament title. The Raiders are led by Jillian Kinter who scored four goals and three assists for 11 points. Goalkeeper Ashley Walsh started all 20 games sporting a .891 save percentage with a 0.75 goals-against average. The only common opponent the two teams have is Bucknell, who tied Penn State 0-0 in Lewisburg, Pa. on Sept. 23. Colgate beat the Bison 2-1 in dramatic fashion to earn the No. 1 seed in the Patriot tournament. "We just have to make sure the focus is on Friday," Added Walsh. "We will be prepared for a well-organized Colgate team, [Penn State] has faced them a couple of times in the past, and I have seen them even a few more times from my time at Bucknell and Lehigh. [Colgate head coach] Kathy Brawn has been there a long time and has built quite a program. The Nittany Lions haven't dropped a game since Sept. 27, a 3-2 overtime decision at Michigan State. The nine-game unbeaten mark matches a nine-game stretch in 2007, when Penn State won nine-in-a-row. The Nittany Lions haven't had a 10-game unbeaten streak since a school-record 26-game stretch from Aug. 26, 2005 to Aug. 25, 2006. In the four-team pod, ACC foe Virginia and Big East team St. John's were placed in the University Park bracket, and will face off against each other at 5:00 p.m. prior to the Penn State-Colgate match. The winner out of the four-team pod will play the winner of the No. 1 UCLA bracket, which includes the Bruins, San Diego, San Diego State and Boise State. "I'm excited to potentially get the opportunity to play some different teams [from out west]," Walsh said. "That's what the NCAA Tournament is all about and I think this bracket feels more like an NCAA bracket than just a regional competition."

Nittany Lions secure outright Big Ten title with 2-0 victory over Michigan

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 14:07:00 +0000

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—After celebrating at least a share of their 12th-straight Big Ten championship on Friday at practice, the No. 22 Penn State women's soccer team made sure there was no share of this year's crown by defeating Michigan 2-0 on Sunday. The Nittany Lions dominated from beginning to end behind goals from Katie Schoepfer (Waterford, Conn.) and Jackie Molinda (Pittsburg, Pa.). "This team is really good," Walsh remarked afterwards. "They had a great October and are really deserving of the title." Penn State (12-5-3, 8-1-1 Big Ten) extended its unbeaten streak to nine games with the win over Michigan (6-9-5, 1-4-5 Big Ten), which was the fifth-straight in the series. The Nittany Lions dominated in nearly every facet of the game, out-shooting Michigan, 21-3, and 9-0 in shots on goal. PSU's onslaught began in the first half, where it registered 11 shots in the stanza, finally capitalizing when Jess Rosenbluth's (Gladwyne, Pa.) back pass to the top of the penalty area found Schoepfer, who slotted the ball home in the 36th minute. Schoepfer broke a two-game scoreless drought with her 11th goal of the season. "Both goals were off good buildups," Walsh said. "It was a classic Schoepfer turn and a low, hard shot to the far post." Penn State continued to pressure the Wolverines and goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer (seven saves) as the Nittany Lions had three balls hit the post and another get the crossbar throughout the proceedings. Penn State finally broke through with an insurance goal late in the second half as Nikki Watts' cross found Molinda and she scrambled to knock the ball home in the goal area. The tally was Molinda's first of the season, and she's the third freshman on the team this year to record a goal. The other two are Christine Nairn (Bowie, Md.) and Maddy Evans (Glenside, Pa.). "Jackie played extremely well," Walsh added. "She did more than the goal, before the game [assistant coach] Michael Coll said to the team that the players off the bench need to give us a spark. Nikki [Watts] had a wide ball and played a left-footed ball into the goal mouth and Jackie crashed the goal there to finish it." For the game, PSU was the aggressor as evidenced with 18 more shots than the Wolverines and an 8-2 edge in fouls. Michigan took three corners to Penn State's two and was caught offside twice, while the Lions were flagged just once. Penn State moves to 15-5-3 all-time against Michigan, the most-played series in PSU women's soccer history. The Nittany Lions also upped their all-time record to 7-1-2 in Ann Arbor. The Nittany Lions haven't dropped a game since Sept. 27, a 3-2 overtime decision at Michigan State. The nine-game unbeaten mark matches a nine-game stretch in 2007, when Penn State won nine-in-a-row. The Nittany Lions haven't had a 10-game unbeaten streak since a school-record 26-game stretch from Aug. 26, 2005 to Aug. 25, 2006. Penn State awaits to hear its destination Monday night on ESPNews when the NCAA Selection Show reveals the bracket on ESPNews at 8:00 p.m. The Nittany Lions are in prime position to earn a national seed and possibly host the first two rounds as it currently sits 10th in the NCAA RPI, top in the Big Ten and among the best in the northeastern region. First and second round games are set for Friday, Nov. 13 and Sunday, Nov. 15, respectively.

Spartans edge Buckeyes in women's soccer

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 17:33:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The No. 11 Buckeyes dropped a tight 1-0 decision to Michigan State Friday afternoon in East Lansing. Ohio State will now have to wait until Sunday for the result Penn State's contest at Michigan. If the Nittany Lions lose in Ann Arbor, the Buckeyes and Penn State will share the Big Ten Conference championship. "Soccer is a cruel sport," head coach Lori Walker said. "I credit Michigan State for capitalizing but while this loss is painful, it could be the best thing for us." The loss was the first for the Buckeyes since Oct. 4 at Penn State. In a physical first half of play, the Buckeyes almost got on the board early but Caitlyn Martin's header off a corner sailed just high seven minutes into the game. Four minutes later, Tiffany Cameron had an opportunity from the right wing but Michigan State goalkeeper Jill Flietstra made the diving save on her shot from 10 yards out. The best Ohio State chance came in the 21st minute when Lauren Steuer's bending shot from the top corner of the box deflected off the top of the crossbar and out of bounds. For the half, Ohio State outshot the Spartans, 6-3, and held a 6-1 advantage in corner kicks as the game remained scoreless at the intermission. The Spartans came out of the break strong, recording their best opportunity less than three minutes into the second half when a volley by Olivia Stander hit the crossbar and sailed high. Michigan State would get on the board in the 57th minute when Lauren Hill controlled a long ball from Cara Freeman at the top of the box then turned and fired a shot past a diving Lauren Robertson to take the 1-0 lead. The Buckeyes almost knotted up the score in the 71st minute when Karin Sendel nailed a shot from just inside the 18 that deflected of the right post and out of play. With less than ten minutes less to play, Steuer played a corner back post but the header by Ashley Bowyer sailed high. For the game, the Buckeyes outshot the Spartans, 11-6, and held a 9-1 advantage in corners but were unable to find the back of the net. The Buckeyes close out the regular season at 14-3-2, 7-2-1 in the Big Ten, and will wait to find out their NCAA tournament fate as postseason play begins Friday, Nov. 13.

No. 23 Purdue tops Iowa in double overtime, 3-2

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 16:37:00 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The 23rd-ranked Purdue women's soccer team earned its second overtime win in five days Saturday with a 3-2 victory over Iowa at the Varsity Soccer Complex. "We're very happy with the result," head coach Robert Klatte said. "I think it certainly was a learning-lesson game for us. I think we can grow and get better from it. To go up 2-0 and rest on our laurels a bit in the second half and have Iowa find their way back into the match and equalize at the death is not only gut-wrenching, but it's disappointing. However, we are happy with the way the team responded and came back. Once we were determined to go back forward again we had opportunities. Liz Secue is someone who has played forward plenty in her club days and made a nice play to turn the corner and get a deflection." Purdue (12-5-3, 5-3-2) jumped on the board first when freshman Jessica Warren found the back of the net in the 40th minute. The Avon, Ind., native intercepted the ball at the top of the penalty box and unleashed a shot across the box and into the left side of the net. The goal was her third this season and second this week after scoring the game-tying goal in Purdue's 2-1 win in double overtime at Indiana on Tuesday. The Boilermakers took their one-goal lead to the locker room at halftime and wasted little time adding to the advantage. Freshman Remi Gibba scored her first collegiate goal at 46:20 when she took a serve from the right side off the foot of senior Katie Seeger and popped it over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. Freshman Vanessa Ibewuike earned her team-leading fifth assist of the season by playing the ball wide to Seeger. Iowa (9-11-0, 1-9-0) refused to give up and continued to push forward. Twelve minutes after Gibba's goal, the Boilermakers were called for a foul in the box to give the Hawkeyes a penalty kick. Alex Seydel stepped up and made the kick to cut the deficit to one. Iowa then tied the game at 87:56 when Nicole Selvin crossed a ball from deep on the right side to Morgan Showalter, who was able to head the ball into the open net and knot the score. Purdue went on the attack immediately in the extra frame. The Boilermakers took five shots and were awarded one corner kick in overtime. The game-winning goal came with less than four minutes to play in the first overtime. Defender Liz Secue secured the ball at midfield after Iowa cleared away Purdue's corner kick and ran all the way down the right side of the field. As the junior from Bath, Ohio, neared the end line, she turned the corner and played a ball into the front of the net that deflected off a Hawkeye defender and rolled across the goal line. Goalkeeper Jenny Bradfisch made four saves while earning her 42nd career win, which ties her with Lauren Mason for the Purdue record. In addition to Secue and Bradfisch, Sylvia Forbes, Lauren Montenegro and Brookley Rogers all played the entire 96 minutes. All five athletes also were on the field for all 110 minutes played at Indiana. "I think it's important that we had this win to make it to the NCAA Tournament," Bradfisch said. "Hopefully, we will be in next weekend and continue to do well. Tying the record is awesome. I didn't know, and it's pretty cool. Mason was a great goalie, and to be up there with her is definitely an honor." Saturday marked the final home game for Bradfisch, Forbes, Jessica Okoroafo, Loredana Riverso and Seeger. The seniors garnered the 58th win of their Purdue career, which makes them the winningest senior class in program history. The quintet's .711 winning percentage also is the highest of any class to ever come through the Purdue women's soccer program. "I'm very proud of the effort and intensity and consistency that the five young women have brought us," Klatte said. "To find them all out on the field today is fantastic. We're hoping that we can get Oak back and be able to contribute even more over this next weekend if we are so blessed to keep playing. I think the importance and competitiveness that the five young women have brought to the program in the past four to five seasons cannot be overstated." The Boilermakers wrapped up their home schedule with an 8-1-2 mark at the Varsity Soccer Complex, making them the fourth Purdue team to drop just one game at home. Purdue outscored its opponents 27-8 at home in 2009, and its plus-17 home goal differential is the second-highest mark in program history. The record of plus-34 home goal differential was set in 2007. The Boilermakers have played two consecutive overtime games for just the sixth time in program history and had both games in a seven-day span for the fourth time. Purdue improved to 9-8-24 all-time in overtime games with the victory. The NCAA Tournament bracket is set to be announced Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPNews. The 64 teams selected begin competition at 16 campus sites Friday.

Dagley's first career goal lifts NU over Illinois, 1-0

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 21:28:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Caroline Dagley (San Rafael, Calif./The Branson School) scored the first goal of her career as Northwestern women's soccer closed its season with a 1-0 victory over Illinois Friday at Lakeside Field. Dagley's goal, in the 47th minute of the match, came on the Wildcats' first shot of the game. Jessica Palo (Ames, Iowa/Ames) played a ball into the box from the left side that was passed on by Jill Dunn (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) to Dagley, who made a long run down the right side of the field and struck for the score. Carolyn Edwards (Lincolnshire, Ill./Stevenson) made a career-high 11 saves in the match to make the lead hold up for Northwestern (7-10-2), which beat its in-state rival for the second consecutive time. Edwards made six saves in the first half, as Illinois opened the match with a strong wind at its back. The 'Cats offense did not take a shot in the first half. Northwestern nearly extended its lead with seven minutes remaining when Jennifer Baumann (Waukesha, Wis./Catholic Memorial) drilled a shot on target, but Illinois' Alexandrea Kapicka managed to punch it over the net for a save.

No. 23 Purdue takes down IU in double OT

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 22:35:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The 23rd-ranked Purdue women's soccer team pulled off an exciting 2-1 victory over Indiana on Tuesday evening at Armstrong Stadium. "It was a tightly-contested match,"" head coach Robert Klatte said. "We certainly were disappointed to go down at the start of the second half after I thought we really had a good performance in the first half. We controlled most of the possession and had the ball in their end of the field. We were just unable to convert any chances, which is something that has been symptomatic with us over the last couple of weeks." Purdue (11-5-3, 4-3-2) scored with 21 seconds remaining in the second overtime to grab victory from the clutches of a tie. After a foul was called on Kellie Phillips 20 yards away from the goal, Jessica Stellhorn stepped up and delivered a ball into the box from the right side. Sylvia Forbes outran her defender to the ball and headed it into the back of the net for the game-winning score. Forbes scored her sixth goal this season, which is a new career high for the senior from Whitby, Ontario. The assist is the eighth career game-winning helper for Stellhorn, who moved into second place alone on the program's all-time list in that category. The record of nine was set by Annette Kent from 2000-03. Stellhorn also recorded the first multiple-assist game in her time as a Boilermaker. "It was exhilarating to score," Forbes said. "I couldn't have felt any better than that. In a game like that, to go out in score in double overtime and having your team just jump you, it can't get better than that. We worked so hard tonight, and I think it was an all-around team effort. Finally, we were able to capitalize on something in overtime. It feels amazing." Indiana (10-6-2, 2-5-2) got on the board first after a first half that saw no goals scored. Carly Samp took the ball down near the end line on the left side of the offensive attack and slotted a ball back into the box to Chloe McKay. McKay then put a shot from 15 yards out into the top right corner of the net to give the Hoosiers a lead just 25 seconds into the second half. The Boilermakers responded quickly as freshman Jessica Warren knocked in the second goal of her first collegiate season. Stellhorn passed the ball from the right side to Warren, who took the pass at the top of the box, spun and rifled a shot into the right side of the net. The Avon, Ind., native has made both of her goals count this season, with her first being the difference in Purdue's 1-0 win over Michigan on Oct. 15. "We got a great strike from Jess Warren, who really had a fantastic look just moments earlier that the goalkeeper had to parry away,"" Klatte said. "Her goal put it back even, and then it was a seesaw battle for a while. There were some dangerous moments in the overtime period because neither team wanted to end up with a tie. I think both teams really felt that a win was necessary to move forward toward the NCAA Tournament. We've spent time training those free kicks, and we got a beautiful service from Stellhorn and a fantastic early run by Sylvia Forbes. She smashes it into the back of the net, and we take the Boot home with us. I think this win goes a long way toward getting us to the NCAA Tournament." Purdue grabbed its first overtime win this season to improve to 1-1-3 when games extend into the extra period. The Boilermakers kept the Golden Boot, the traveling trophy given to the winner of the rivalry game, while improving to 10-1-3 all-time against the Hoosiers. Purdue extended its unbeaten streak against Indiana to 13 matches and has not lost since the team's first contest in 1999. The 110th-minute goal is the latest scored in program history and secured just the second double-overtime win for the Boilermakers. The only other time Purdue won a game that went into the second overtime was in 2005, when the Boilermakers beat Northwestern 2-1 on a goal in the 102nd minute. Senior co-captain Jessica Okoroafo broke the program's record for career shots when she aimed a ball toward the goal in the 22nd minute. The shot was Okoroafo's 246th as a Boilermaker, which broke a tie on top of the school's all-time list with Kent. Okoroafo broke a school record for the third consecutive game after breaking the career goals scored record Wednesday and the career games played record Sunday. The Boilermakers are now tied for fourth in the Big Ten with 14 points. Indiana remains in a three-way tie for eighth in the conference with the loss. Purdue wraps up the regular season Saturday against Iowa on Senior Day. Kickoff from the Varsity Soccer Complex is set for 1 p.m. ET. Live results and a radio broadcast can be found at purduesports.com.

Jacobsen's late goal gives UW win over NU

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 23:29:00 +0000

MADISON, Wis. – Erin Jacobsen waited until the last minute, but her late goal sealed a 2-1 victory for the Wisconsin women's soccer team Monday as the Badgers topped Northwestern at Lakeside Field to clinch third place in the Big Ten Conference. The win, which helped Wisconsin avoid going to overtime for the ninth time, allowed the Badgers to conclude their regular season on a seven-game unbeaten streak, thanks to Jacobsen's 89th-minute score. After battling for 66 scoreless minutes, Jacobsen turned and connected on a right-footed shot from 30 yards out to improve the Badgers' record to 9-5-5 (5-1-4 Big Ten). The Wildcats dropped to 6-10-2 (3-5-1 Big Ten). ""I thought Northwestern did a great job,"" said head coach Paula Wilkins. ""The game could have gone either way; Northwestern played us hard all over the field. Our players keep finding ways to win games. This young group keeps figuring it out and I continue to be impressed with what they can do."" Paige Adams tallied her third goal of the season to put the Badgers on the board first. In the 14th minute, Laurie Nosbusch played the ball into the right side of the box and Adams beat Northwestern keeper Carolyn Edwards to the lower left to give the Badgers the 1-0 lead. Northwestern responded less than 10 minutes later on a goal by Alicia Herczeg in the 23rd minute of play. Caroline Dagley fed the ball to Herczeg, who put it past a diving Michele Dalton in the UW goal. The first half played out evenly. Northwestern had five shots to Wisconsin's four, with each keeper picking up one save. After going the first half without a corner kick, the Badgers had five corners in the second half. Dalton finished the outing with three saves and Edwards finished with two. The physical match saw 21 fouls called, along with four yellow cards. The Badgers finished with nine shots to the Wildcats' eight. The Badgers' third-place finish in the Big Ten marks the program's best finish since the 2000 season, when UW took second place in conference. The Badgers will now play the waiting game until Monday, Nov. 9, when selections for the NCAA tournament are announced live on ESPNews, starting at 7 p.m.

Penn State dismantles Purdue on Senior Day

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 14:17:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.—There was plenty of emotion at Sunday's match against Purdue and Penn State's seniors shined, downing Purdue by a 4-0 score at Jeffrey Field on Senior Day. Danielle Toney (Northville, Mich.) tallied two markers, but it was Melissa Hayes (Cave Creek, Ariz.) and Tara Davies (Cape May Court House, N.J.) who stole the show with their first goals of 2009 to put away the Boilermakers. After a sluggish opening 11 minutes, where Purdue (10-5-3, 3-3-2 Big Ten) controlled the ball and had some scoring chances, but Penn State (11-5-2, 7-1-1 Big Ten) broke out a counter attack to take a 1-0 lead 12:05 into the match. Toney and Christine Nairn (Bowie, Md.) connected on a give-and-go sequence about 30 yards, setting Toney up for a breakaway shot she put into the lower right portion of the net. Sixteen minutes later, Penn State would continue its pressure when Nairn tapped a pass to Jess Rosenbluth (Gladwyne, Pa.) who one-touched a pass to a wide open Hayes in the goal mouth for a 2-0 lead at 28:18. The two teams would go into the half time by the same score as PSU out-shot Purdue 12-5. The second half would prove to be much like the first, as the Boilers once again took control of the early play, but showed nothing for it. In the 62nd minute, Davies made a streaking play down the left wing and was 15 yards from net on the end line where she chipped a gorgeous ball into the far post for her first collegiate goal. The former forward in high school provided fans with a fantastic celebrating, somersaulting and flipping after the third Nittany Lion goal. Ten minutes later, the Nittany Lions attacked again when a Nikki Watts (Hungerford, England) and Nairn set up Toney on another breakaway and the junior forward slotted home the fourth and final goal of the game in the 72nd minute. Toney now leads the Big Ten in scoring with 12 goals on the year. Alyssa Naeher (Seymour, Conn.) stood tall once again in net, making two saves in 81 minutes in her final regular season game at Jeffrey Field. She was one of seven seniors honored prior to the match joined by Davies, Hayes, Watts, Alli Rago (Fairfield, Conn.), Maura Ryan (Doylestown, Pa.), and Katie Schoepfer (Waterford, Conn.). Penn State held advantages in shots (18-15), shots on goal (9-2), corner kicks (1-0), offsides (6-2) and fouls (12-3) for the game. Purdue recorded five saves to PSU's two in the game. Nairn's three assists are the most by a Penn State since Hayes notched three against Bucknell in 2007. Additionally, the 4-0 win is the worst loss Purdue has suffered all season and gives Penn State a league-leading 27 goals in conference play. The Nittany Lions now run their unbeaten streak to eight straight games including six straight wins at home. They are tied atop the Big Ten standings going into the final week of play with Ohio State, who won against Indiana on Sunday. Penn State concludes the regular season with an away match at Michigan on Sunday at noon. A win secures at least a share of the Big Ten title for Penn State for the 12th consecutive year.

Spartans register much-needed win over Iowa

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 16:56:00 +0000

IOWA CITY, Iowa - The Michigan State women's soccer team got a much-needed win on Sunday, defeating Iowa, 3-2, in overtime. Just over three minutes into the first overtime, the Spartans got a corner kick that Hannah Peterson sent high into the penalty area. Cara Freeman got a head on the ball and sent it over the hands of Hawkeye keeper Emily Moran for the winning goal and a 3-2 MSU victory. "Coming off of Friday's setback, it was a huge game for us," said Spartan head coach Tom Saxton. "We didn't have our legs today, but we did have our heart and character." With the win, MSU picked up its 10th win of the season and is now 10-4-4 and 2-4-2 in the Big Ten. The Spartans have now won at least 10 games in eight of the last 10 seasons. Freshman Olivia Stander got things going for MSU in the 23rd minute. Her unassisted goal came from the left side and beat Moran in the far right corner of the net. "It was nice to get an early goal," Saxton said. "It was pretty windy and that helped but we needed a break." Lauren Hill picked up her team-leading ninth tally of the year just before halftime to give MSU a 2-0 lead. Hill took a pass from Kelsey Tait and then chipped it into the net from six yards out. "That was a critical goal," said Saxton. "We had a ton of chances on Friday but they just weren't going in. Getting two first-half goals against Iowa was important, we realized good things can happen and we capitalized on our chances." Down 2-0 to start the second half, the Hawkeyes (9-10, 1-7) quickly cut into the MSU lead as Keli McLaughlin scored at the 47:44 mark. Iowa's Alex Seydel tied the game with just over 10 minutes to play in regulation, converting a penalty kick, to send the game into overtime. "You could see the determination in our player's eyes," Saxton said. "Cara has had so many close calls this year so I was happy for her and the whole team. It was their heart and character that got it done." MSU will wrap up the regular season on Friday (Nov. 6) when it hosts Ohio State at 3 p.m.

Michigan beats Illinois for first Big Ten win

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 16:52:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- A header from senior Alex Jendrusch (Troy, Mich./Athens) in the 74th minute delivered the University of Michigan women's soccer team its first Big Ten win of the season as it defeated Illinois, 1-0, on Sunday at the Illinois Soccer Stadium. Michigan was outshot by a 21-4 margin, giving sophomore/freshman Haley Kopmeyer (Troy, Mich./Lahser) plenty of work. She used a career-high 11 saves to record her sixth shutout of the season, establishing a new rookie record and delivering the win. The Wolverines got one shot on goal, but it was all they needed as Jendrusch broke the scoreless stalemate in the 74th minute, heading home a crossing pass from junior Amanda Bowery (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester) 12 yards out. Following the goal, the frantic pace in the U-M defensive zone calmed as Kopmeyer had to make just two saves in the game's final 16 minutes. Michigan will put a wrap on the 2009 campaign on Sunday (Nov. 8) against Penn State at noon at the U-M Soccer Complex. Prior to kickoff, the Wolverines will honor their three-member senior class.

No. 15 Ohio State thrashes No. 23 Indiana, 6-0

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 14:24:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Behind a goal and two assists from junior Lauren Steuer, No. 15 Ohio State defeated No. 23 Indiana, 6-0, Sunday afternoon. The six goals tied the Buckeyes' highest scoring output this season. With the win, the Buckeyes tie the 1996 team for the second-most wins in school history. "I am so proud of this team," head coach Lori Walker said. "It is great to get a win on senior day but we have to finish the regular season strong at Michigan State." In a first half played mostly deep in the Indiana end, the Buckeyes had multiple chances early. Indiana goalkeeper Lauren Hollandsworth made a diving save on a shot by senior Ashley Bowyer in the 10th minute. Six minutes later, Hollandsworth stopped Bowyer again, this time making another diving save on a Bowyer header off a corner from Steuer. However, Steuer and Bowyer would hook up in the 23rd minute when the co-captain drilled home a shot from six yards out off a Steuer corner to put the Buckeyes up 1-0. Less than two minutes later, sophomore Paige Maxwell doubled the Ohio State lead when she scored her team-leading sixth goal of the season on a perfectly placed shot from the left wing. Neither team was able to muster any more solid chances as the Buckeyes went into the break with the 2-0 lead. Ohio State outshot Indiana 9-2 for the half and held a 7-0 advantage in corners. The Buckeyes did not let up to start the second half as freshman Lauren Granberg's header off a Bowyer free kick in the 47th minute sailed just wide left. Steuer added to the Ohio State lead in 52nd minute when her left-footed corner deflected off an Indiana defender and into the back of the net. Less than ten minutes later, Granberg finished off her sixth goal of the season off a rebound of a Steuer shot to increase the Ohio State lead to 4-0. With just over 15 minutes remaining, freshman Kayla Eckman tallied her second goal of the season when she trapped a Colleen Brady free kick in the box and finished from eight yards out. With just under a minute left to play, Genna Brand capped of the scoring on a shot from 10 yards out off an assist from freshman Karin Sendel. For the game Ohio State outshot Indiana 21-3 and held a 10-0 corner kick advantage. The Buckeyes (14-2-2, 7-1-1 Big Ten) will have a chance to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title for the first time in program history when they head to East Lansing to take on Michigan State Friday at 3 p.m.