Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Penn State
Women's Soccer Loses at Penn State, 1-0
10/21/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 21, 2001
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The story for the Northwestern women's soccer team all season has been the play of its defense, and Sunday was no exception. The Wildcats held Penn State--who entered Sunday's match leading the Big Ten in scoring with 3.54 goals per game--to just 10 shots and a single goal. It marked the seventh straight game NU has allowed just a single goal, and the 12th time overall in 14 matches.
Unfortunately, that single tally proved to be enough for the Nittany Lions.
The Northwestern women's soccer team fell to Penn State, 1-0, allowing the sixth-ranked Nittany Lions to clinch their fourth straight Big Ten women's soccer championship.
Northwestern's record went to 4-9-1 (2-6-1 Big Ten), while Penn State improved to 12-2-1 (8-0-1 Big Ten).
Despite the loss, Northwestern remains alive for the eighth and final spot in the Big Ten Tournament thanks to Iowa's 3-2 win over Indiana. With seven points, the Wildcats need to beat Wisconsin next Friday night and hope that the Hoosiers loses to Purdue.
If both of those events occur, NU and Indiana will tie for eighth place with 10 points apiece, leaving it up to the Big Ten tiebreaking system. The two teams will match up through the first three tiebreakers. The first deviation would occur in the fourth tiebreaker, which is goal differential in all conference matches. NU would be the team to move into the tournament -- currently, both teams have a goal differential of -5 (NU 5-10, IU 13-18).
Stephanie Smith scored the PSU goal in the match's 62nd minute, with assists going to Christie Welsh and Bonnie Young. Earlier in the contest, Northwestern had a goal disallowed off a corner kick when a foul was called.
Penn State outshot the Wildcats, 10-3, and forced NU goalkeeper Susie McCreery (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) to make six saves. At the other end, Emily Oleksiuk had three stops for the Nittany Lions.
In addition to Friday night's match in Madison, the Wildcats are at home next weekend on Sunday, hosting Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne at 1 p.m.
Score By Half
Northwestern 0 0 - 0
#6 Penn State State 0 1 - 1
Scoring
PSU - Stephanie Smith (Christie Welsh, Bonnie Young), 61:20
Goalkeeper Saves
NU - Susie McCreery, 6
PSU - Emily Oleksiuk, 3
Shots
Penn State 10, Northwestern 3
Corner Kicks
Northwestern 7, Penn State 6
Fouls
Northwestern 13, Penn State 6
Offsides
Northwestern 2, Penn State 0
Cards
None
Records
Northwestern 4-9-1, 2-6-1
Penn State 12-2-1, 8-0-1
