Oct. 19, 2017
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 9 Penn State women's soccer team (10-3-2, 6-1-2 B1G) returns to Jeffrey Field to host the Purdue Boilermakers (9-6-1, 4-4-1 B1G) for its final home match of the 2017 regular season on Friday, Oct. 20. The match is slated for a 7 p.m. start.
FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can follow along with live video and live stats on GoPSUsports.com for free.
ATTENDING JEFFREY FIELD
Admission and parking for women's soccer regular season events are free. Fans are reminded that there is a no bag policy in place on stadium grounds.
PROMOTIONS
- White Out the Jeff - Shaker Giveaway
- Armed Forces Night - Halftime military themed obstacle relay race
- Pre-Game Autograph Session with former Penn State Football players Matt and Chris Bahr
- Student Enter-To-Win for two VIP Passes for ESPN College Gameday
LOOKING AT PURDUE
Purdue enters the match against Penn State sporting an overall record of 9-6-1 and a Big Ten record of 4-4-1.
With two matches left in the regular season, Purdue is eighth in the Big Ten standings with 13 points followed by Iowa (11 points).
Following the match against Penn State on Friday, Purdue returns home to West Lafayette, Ind., to close out the regular season against Maryland on Wednesday, Oct. 25.
Offensively, Maddy Williams leads the Big Ten in shots (66), is second in points (28), goals (10), and assists (eight). Williams has also netted five game-winning goals this season, which is tied for the Big Ten lead.
Among the Big Ten leaders, Purdue ranks second in points (94), goals (31), and is tied for second in assists (32).
Defensively, Katie Luce has played all but 20:23 minutes on the season in net for the Boilermakers. Luce has made 44 saves, tallied a goals-against average of 1.18, allowed 19 goals, posted a save percentage of .698, and has recorded five solo shutouts.
SERIES HISTORY vs. PURDUE
Friday's matchup between the two programs marks the 19th meeting all-time with Penn State leading the series, 16-1-1.
Penn State has won 13-straight contests against Purdue, which includes a 1-0 victory last year at Jeffrey Field.
LAST TIME OUT
The Nittany Lions are coming off a 1-0 overtime victory at Maryland on Sunday, Oct. 15.
Sophomore Laura Freigang netted her second game-winning goal of the season at 94:02 to capture the 1-0 victory for Penn State.
Defensively, Rose Chandler made one save on the afternoon for her sixth solo shutout of the season.
WEEKLY HONORS
Following her first career two-goal game in a 3-1 victory against No. 8 BYU, junior Marissa Sheva was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week on Aug. 22. Her Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honor was the first of her career.
A week later, Sheva netted her second two-goal game of the season in a 4-2 win at Arkansas.
For her two-goal outing at Arkansas, Sheva was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week.
After a pair of victories over Michigan and Michigan State, a pair of Nittany Lions brought home weekly honors.
Brittany Basinger was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week for netting one goal and adding one assist on the weekend, while Megan Schafer was named the Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week for scoring four goals in two games.
THE FINAL STRETCH
With two matches left in the Big Ten regular season, the top five teams in the standings are separated by six points.
Ohio State currently leads the table with 21 points followed by Penn State (20) and Minnesota (19).
The top eight teams will make the 2017 Big Ten Tournament with the top four teams hosting a quarterfinal match on Oct. 29 at campus sites.
THE POLLS
In the most recent polls, Penn State sits at No. 9 (TopDrawerSoccer & United Soccer Coaches) and No. 10 (Soccer America). The Nittany Lions are also No. 13 in the NCAA RPI.
PROLIFIC ATTACK
Since the start of the 2011 season the Penn State women's soccer team has scored the second-most goals in the country (388). UVa leads the nation in goals scored during that stretch (439). (Stats courtesy of UVa Sports Info.)
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Seniors Frannie Crouse and Megan Schafer have ascended the Penn State all-time charts during their Nittany Lion careers.
Crouse ranks 12th in points (86), 11th in goals (35), 10th in game-winning goals (13), is sixth in shots on goal (104), is 11th in shots attempted (219), and T-26th in assists (16).
Schafer ranks 16th in points (77), T-15th in goals (30), T-14th in game-winning goals (11), is 21st in shots attempted (137), and is T-24th in assists (17).
Along with Crouse and Schafer, a quartet of Nittany Lions have also etched their names into the PSU record books.
Haleigh Echard has netted 45 shots on goal during her career, which ranks 20th.
Salina Williford has tallied 43 shots on goal during her career, which ranks tied for 22nd.
Emily Ogle's 14 goals rank 23rd all-time, while her four penalty kicks made are third-most in program history.
Junior Charlotte Williams is tied for 24th in assists (17), is T-12th in shots on goal (65), and is 22nd in shots attempted (136).
COMING UP CLUTCH
Seniors Frannie Crouse and Megan Schafer have combined for 24 career game-winning goals.
Crouse's 13 game-winning goals rank 10th all-time at PSU, while Schafer's 11 game-winning goals are tied for 14th.
LATE-GAME HEROICS
On Sept. 17, Laura Freigang captured a 1-0 victory for the Nittany Lions in a double overtime thriller over Illinois.
Freigang's goal with 42 seconds left in the second overtime session marked the latest goal in a game for Penn State since Nov. 7, 2010, when Ali Schaefer scored a goal with 17 seconds left in double overtime to lift the Nittany Lions to a 1-0 victory over Michigan.
Almost a month later, Freigang netted her second game-winning goal of the season, again in overtime, on Oct. 15.
Against the Maryland Terrapins, Freigang captured a 1-0 victory for Penn State with her goal at 94:02.
TOUGH TEST EARLY
The Penn State women's soccer team will embark on a tough stretch during its non-conference season. The Nittany Lions will open the season against No. 8 BYU (Aug. 18) before hosting Hofstra (Aug. 20).
After the opening weekend of the season, Penn State then travels to No. 17 Arkansas (Aug. 25) and then to Morgantown, W.Va., for a clash with No. 1 West Virginia (Sept. 2).
Following a two-game road trip, the Nittany Lions return home to host No. 6 North Carolina (Sept. 7) at Jeffrey Field and then the non-conference slate comes to a close with a trip to No. 11 Virginia (Sept. 10).
THREE-IN-A-ROW
With matches against No. 6 West Virginia, No. 6 North Carolina and No. 8 Virginia, Penn State women's soccer played three-straight matches against teams ranked in the top-10 in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
The three-match top-10 stretch is the first of its kind for PSU since the 2005 NCAA Tournament.
WELCOME BACK
The Nittany Lions return 22 letterwinners to the program for the 2017 season, including seven starters from the 2015 College Cup Final.
Of the 108 points tallied as a team last season, the Penn State offense returns 97 of those points.
Offensively last season, Frannie Crouse paced the Nittany Lions with 27 points on a Big Ten-best 12 goals and she added three assists. In addition to Crouse, Megan Schafer posted 17 points on six goals and five assists, while Charlotte Williams netted 16 points on six goals and four assists.
In net, Rose Chandler returns to the team after sitting out last season after joining the U.S. U-20 Women's National Team for the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. Along with Chandler, Amanda Dennis is back for her sophomore season. As a true freshman last year, Dennis went 12-5-4, recorded seven solo shutouts, posted a goals against average of 0.92, and tallied 59 saves.
#PSU2021
The Penn State women's soccer class of 2021 is comprised of five members. Though it is a small class, it is a highly touted class; according to TopDrawerSoccer, the Nittany Lion freshman class is ranked No. 4 overall.
Kerry Abello, Casey Ballow, Shea Moyer, Frankie Tagliaferri, and Emma Thomson make up the Penn State freshman class this fall.
The quintet bring numerous accolades and experience with the U.S. Women's National Team youth program to the Nittany Lions.
THE B1G SLATE
The 2017 Big Ten regular season schedule features Penn State playing six road matches and five matches at Jeffrey Field. Penn State opens the conference slate with fellow 2016 Big Ten champion No. 23 Northwestern on Sept. 14 at Jeffrey Field. The opening weekend of conference action continues with the Blue & White hosting Illinois on Sept. 17.
The Nittany Lions then head on the road for three matches against Iowa (Sept. 22), No. 22 Nebraska (Sept. 24), and Ohio State (Sept. 30). Following Penn State's road trip, the Nittany Lions return home to host Michigan (Oct. 6) and Michigan State (Oct. 8).
The final stretch of conference play begins with a pair of matches at No. 21 Rutgers (Oct. 12) and Maryland (Oct. 15). Penn State then returns home for its regular season home finale against Purdue (Oct. 20) before heading to Madison, Wis., to close out the regular season against Wisconsin (Oct. 25).
Due to a rotating schedule, Penn State will not play Indiana or Minnesota during the 2017 regular season.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Nittany Lions have posted an all-time record of 231-26-12 at Jeffrey Field, which includes a Big Ten Conference record of 106-6-5. Since the start of the 2011 season, Penn State has a record of 71-6-6 at Jeffrey Field.
Penn State kicked off its 2017 campaign with the fifth-best crowd in program history at Jeffrey Field. Against No. 8 BYU on Aug. 18, 3,570 fans came out to witness the Nittany Lions capture a 3-1 victory.
Among the national leaders in attendance, Penn State ranks fifth in overall attendance (13,321) and fourth in average attendance (1,903).
OH CAPTAINS, MY CAPTAINS
Defenders Elizabeth Ball and Brittany Basinger have been named the captains of the 2017 Penn State women's soccer team.
Heading into her senior year, Ball has played in 72 matches, which includes 71 starts, scored six goals and added one assist.
Basinger will be a redshirt senior in 2017 as she received a redshirt during the 2014 season. Heading into 2017, she has posted 71 starts in 71 games played, netted 14 points on four goals and six assists.
PICKED TO DEFEND
Prior to the start of the 2017 season the Nittany Lions were picked to win the Big Ten regular season title.
Since the beginning of the coaches' preseason poll in 2003, the Nittany Lions have been picked to win the conference every season.
The 2016 season saw Minnesota, Northwestern, and Penn State all tie for the league title.
DEPENDABLE DEFENSIVE DUO
Seniors Elizabeth Ball and Brittany Basinger have been a mainstay on the Nittany Lion backline for the past few seasons.
Heading into the Purdue match, Ball ranks eighth all-time at PSU in minutes played (7,065), while Basinger is 15th (6,448).
PRESEASON HONORS
Heading into the 2017 season, six Nittany Lions have received preseason honors.
The Big Ten announced its players to watch list with Elizabeth Ball, Brittany Basinger, and Frannie Crouse garnering honors.
TopDrawerSoccer announced its Preseason Top-100 list and its Preseason Best XI Teams.
On TopDrawerSoccer's Top-100 list, Emily Ogle is No. 5, followed by Kaleigh Riehl at No. 7, Crouse is No. 18, Maddie Elliston is No. 43, and Ball rounds out the Nittany Lion contingent at No. 55.
Ogle and Riehl were also named to the TopDrawerSoccer Best XI First Team, while Crouse was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Best XI Second Team.
Along with the Big Ten and TopDrawerSoccer honors, Crouse and Ogle were named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List.
FOR CLUB AND COUNTRY
The 2017 Penn State women's soccer roster is bolstered with numerous Nittany Lions with national team experience with their respective countries.
Last fall, six Nittany Lions competed at the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, as five Penn Staters represented the United States and Laura Freigang was a member of the German National Team. For the United States, Rose Chandler, Maddie Elliston, Ellie Jean, Emily Ogle, and Kaleigh Riehl donned the Red, White & Blue.
Along with the Penn State presence at the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, a handful of Nittany Lions have taken part in competitions/training camps for their respective national teams at different age levels since the start of the calendar year.
UP NEXT
No. 9 Penn State heads to Madison, Wis., to close out the 2017 regular season against Wisconsin on Wed., Oct. 25. The match is slated for an 8 p.m. (EDT) start at the McClimon Soccer Complex.