Sept. 14, 2010
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State women's soccer team returns home in search of its 14th win in 15 tries against local rival Bucknell Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. The Nittany Lions will celebrate Heroes Night at Jeffrey Field where Penn State will honor servicemen, police officers and firefighters at the game.
Penn State (1-5-1) seeks to extend its 14-game unbeaten streak (13-0-1) against the Bucknell (1-6-0) when the two teams clash in Happy Valley. Overall, Penn State looks to extend its 23-game unbeaten mark against Pa. teams dating back to 1997.
As part of Heroes Night, the National Guard will provide at Humvee vehicle for fans to see up close. Also, members of the Penn State Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC will be on site handing out free women's soccer posters and magnets. Additionally, the Air Force and Army will also be giving out other giveaways to the crowd such as footballs, t-shirts, water bottles, pens and coffee mugs.
Invited also to the proceedings are the Navy/Marine ROTC and both Army Reserve Units from Lock Haven and Bellefonte to the match. At halftime, members of the Air Force ROTC and Army ROTC will play a half time game.
Fans are encouraged to bring supplies to donate towards care packages for U.S. troops, specifically Penn State ROTC alumni, who are overseas. Food items that may be donated include beef jerky, granola bars, hard candy, sunflower seeds and any other snacks that won't melt in high heat. Other personal items that can be donates are personal hygiene products, magazines, cards, footballs and baby wipes.
The complete game notes can be found HERE.
GAME NOTES
LAST TIME OUT: Penn State is coming off a tough weekend at the Nike Portland Invitational. The Nittany Lions had a comeback fall just short in a 2-1 loss to Washington at Merlo Field on Friday. Maya Hayes tallied a late goal and Christine Nairn's 90th minute blast narrowly missed from sending the game into overtime when it hit the crossbar. PSU returned to Merlo Field on Sunday to face No. 4 Portland. Hayes scored on the second shot of the game from Penn State off a Taylor Schram through ball to take the lead 40 minutes in. After a Portland penalty kick tied things up before halftime, Hayes once again gave the Pilots defense trouble, breaking free into the penalty area before being dragged down earning a spot kick for PSU. Nairn coolly put away the shot to give the Nittany Lions a 2-1 lead with 48 minutes gone and hopes of an upset well in reach. Unfortunately, Portland had too much firepower and scored three straight times from the 53rd to the 66th minute, improving to 8-0-0.
SCOUTING THE BISON: Bucknell is currently riding a five-game losing streak after a 2-1 overtime loss at Saint Francis (Pa.) on Sunday and a 3-0 blanking by Binghamton on home Friday. Christa Matlack once again leads the attack as she has scored three of the team's five goals and assisted on another. In net two `keepers, Colleen Garrehy and Sandita McDermott, have split time for the Bison. Garrehy is 1-1 with a shutout in 180 minutes of play, making 11 saves with three goals against. McDermott has seen the most action lately making seven saves in the loss to SFU while previously having to spring for 12 saves against Binghamton and 13 versus No. 24 Rutgers, a 3-0 loss.
SERIES HISTORY: Penn State has had the better of the Bison in the overall series history, sporting a 13-0-1 record. The lone tie came in last year's game at Emmitt Field in Lewisburg. Kathryn Sutton, who graduated last spring, played a career game, making 11 saves in a game that saw the Nittany Lions out-shoot Bucknell, 30-10. At Jeffrey Field, PSU is 9-0-0, while out-scoring the Bison, 41-6, which included a 4-2 win in 2008.
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PENNSYLVANIA DOMINANCE: Since starting its program in 1994, Penn State has become the premier women's soccer program in Pennsylvania. All-time, the Nittany Lions are an impressive 28-2-1 against its Keystone foes, with the only team ever defetating PSU being Villanova. In fact, the Lions are riding a 13-year unbeaten streak since its last loss, a 2-1 defeat at `Nova in 1997. PSU is currently enduring a 22-0-1 stretch, which includes a 13-0-1 mark against Bucknell.
HEROES NIGHT: Wednesday night will be Heroes Night at Jeffrey Field, where Penn State will honor those servicemen who give so much for everyone's way of life. Members of the U.S. Army, Air Force as well as local policemen and firefighters will be honored at the Bucknell game. Additionally, members of the Penn State Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC will be on hand to part take in halftime games and hand out posters and magnets at the field.
CONNECTICUT RECAP: PSU wrapped up its two-game Connecticut road swing in disappointing fashion when UConn's Jessica Shufelt scored the game-winner in overtime, capping PSU's third straight loss, 3-2, on Sunday, Sept. 5. The Nittany Lions received an early goal by Christine Nairn just 63 seconds into the contest, the second fastest Penn State goal in program history after Tiffany Weimer's 56-second goal vs. USC in 2006. UConn scored the next two before Hayley Brock notched her second of the year to send it to overtime. Krissy Tribbett made a career-high five saves in the contest. Two nights earlier, braving the elements of Hurricane Earl, the Nittany Lions dominated possession, offensive opportunities and the entire run of play, but couldn't slip a goal by Yale. The Bulldogs capitalized on a through ball and came away 1-0 victors on a dreary Friday night.
INVITATIONAL REDUX: The Nittany Lions hosted the fifth annual Penn State Invitational last weekend, going 0-1-1. Friday's game saw an exciting tilt between two top 15 teams in Penn State and Virginia as the Nittany Lions took a lead 54 minutes into the game on a Hayley Brock marker off a helper from Tani Costa. Virginia equalized in the 88th minute to send it to overtime where the game ended in a 1-1 draw. On Sunday, PSU took the lead for the third straight time in 2010 when Danielle Toney scored her second of the season, only to see it be equaled by William & Mary minutes later. A 74th minute free kick goal from 40 yards out saw the Tribe leave Jeffrey Field with the win.
| Penn State Women's Soccer Thanks its Fans! |
PACKING THE JEFF: Penn State and Virginia entertained 3,921 at Jeffrey Field, a new women's soccer single-game attendance record at the facility. A strong showing from the student section of Nittany Nation made their voices felt throughout the matches, lifting the Nittany Lions. The previous record was 3,208 set in Aug. 2006 in a match against UCLA, a 2-1 Penn State win. Last year, Penn State ranked ninth in the nation in average attendance (1,198) and tops in the Big Ten.
GOAL FOR 13,000: Penn State has put together an ambitious promotion plan into place to see 13,000 fans see a women's soccer game at Jeffrey Field. Last season, the Lions set a new single-season attendance record with 1,138 people per game. A total of 14,378 joined the NIttany Lions, second most in the team's history in raw numbers. The 14,711 in 2005 still stands as the most. 13,000 in nine games (1,444 per game) would break last year's single-season record.
EXORCISING THE MOUNTAINEERS:  West Virginia has had Penn State's number since 2007. No more. Penn State broke its four-game skid against the Mountaineers with a thrilling 2-1 overtime win over the 24th ranked WVU squad. A 22nd-minute goal by Danielle Toney was equalized by Bri Rodriguez in the 34th minute. The two teams went into overtime, mostly due to WVU goalkeeper Kerri Butler's outstanding play (nine saves). Tani Costa took a Hayley Brock delivery, cut back and slotted a left-footed shot home for the victory with 49 seconds left in the first OT period. It was Penn State's first overtime win since Oct. 2008, first win over WVU since Nov. 2005 and the first win in Morgantown since Oct. 2003. The goal was Costa's first in college play in her collegiate debut.
HOME AGAIN: The Nittany Lions return to Jeffrey Field for a 1:00 p.m. Sunday clash against Dartmouth. Come out and celebrate U.S. Youth Soccer Day with the Nittany Lions. Also, wear your favorite jersey and win a prize! The Dartmouth game will be shown live on BigTenNetwork.com.
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--NITTANY LIONS--