MSU Hosts 2002 Big Ten Women's Soccer Tournament
10/30/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Thursday, Nov. 7
Game 1: 10 a.m. - #2 Michigan vs. #7 Ohio State
Ohio State 1Michigan 1Ohio State advances on penalty kicks 3-2Post-Game Quotes
Ohio State coach Lori Walker:
"I think our team showed a tremendous amount of heart. We had a rough go of it early on in our season. I think today everything kind of came together for us. I'm very proud of how we fought and how we played. That is a very good Michigan team that we just managed to upset."
Michigan coach Debbie Rademacher:
"Obviously, it was a tough game for us. I thought we didn't play a very good first half, but we put together a good second half. We just couldn't put the ball away and Ohio State had some good chances. We are disappointed it came down to penalty kicks and we obviously didn't shine in those, so it is disappointing."
Game 2: Noon - #3 Purdue vs. #6 Indiana
Purdue 1 (OT)Indiana 0
Post-Game Quotes
Purdue head coach Robert Klatte:
"It was like every one of our Big Ten games. It was hard-fought, very physical and close. That's our 11th Big Ten game to be decided by a single goal and we've only played 11 games. Indiana has a great back four and they cause you a lot of difficulties in trying to get behind them and they've got some young players that are going to be really dangerous over the next couple years.
"I think the game ebbed and flowed. Whoever could control the midfield and won air balls really dictated where the game was played. We were lucky at the end that we were able to win a ball or two. We forced a throw-in and we were able to organize - we've worked on that all year - and we get a goal out of it. We're very happy and ecstatic to be going to the second round of the tournament seing that we never have previously. It's very exciting."
Indiana head coach Mick Lyon:
"It was a typical tournament kind of game - very tight. It was a case of who's going to take the opportunity to finish one of those rare chances. It was a well fought battle and could have gone either way.
"As far as my evaluation of our team's performance, I thought it was outstanding. We really stood up to the test and it took something a little bit special to get the result for Purdue."
Game 3: 3 p.m. - #1 Penn State vs. #8 Illinois
Illinois 4Penn State 3
Post-Game Quotes
Illinois coach Janet Rayfield:
"We haven't done anything the easy way this whole season. It's been hard. I think it was one of those things where it took us to score a goal before we started to believe it could happen. I think once we had belief, we were ok."
Penn State coach Paula Wilkins:
"I think we had a let down defensively in the second half. Illinois did a good job. They were down three goals and they never gave up. It's a credit to their program."
Game 4: 6 p.m. - #4 Michigan State vs. #5 Wisconsin
Wisconsin 1Michigan State 0
Post-Game Quotes:
Wisconsin head coach Dean Duerst:
"I give credit to Michigan State in that I think they're an awesome team. They really played with some confidence today.
"Our team, in the second half, changed gears a little bit and really started to knock the ball around, do the things we thought were important and step up the pressure a little bit more. We didn't give Michigan State as much time to play as we did in the first half. I think that helped us.
"It was a tremendous goal. It was a great little play between all three of our forwards. That's something we've been building on is to connect up top better.
"I think today's game is an example of two very good teams going at it. We were destined to come out with a least a goal in this game. We've been scoring a lot so I didn't think it was going to be a 1-0 game.
"I'm very proud of my team overall. Not only the effort, because you have to match Michigan State's effort, but then you have to try to get behind them and do some things behind them and I think we started to do that in the second half.
"We, in the second half, clamped down defensively. We really didn't give them many chances up top. More of their better chances came from wide players getting in behind."
Michigan State head coach Tom Saxton:
"First of all, give credit to Wisconsin because they are a very good team. Like any other sport, soccer is a game where you have to take advantage of your opportunities. We weren't able to capitalize on our chances, and when we had a little bit of a defensive breakdown, they were able to score the only goal of the game."
"The team was very excited tonight about hosting the Big Ten Tournament and playing under the lights, so that makes the loss a little bit more disappointing. But I certainly can't fault our team for the effort. We played hard, but we just didn't get the break we needed."
"I'd like to thank the athletic department and the university for the opportunity they've given us to host the Big Ten Tournament. Even though we didn't win tonight's game, I think it was a great night for college soccer and for Michigan State and the Big Ten Conference."
Friday, Nov. 8
Game 5: 3 p.m. - Ohio State vs. Purdue
Ohio State 1Purdue 1Ohio State wins on penalty kicks, 5-4 (7 rounds)
Post Game Quotes:
Ohio State Coach Lori Walker:
"I think my heart stopped for a little while. I'm just so happy for our team. I'm real pleased with how hard they've been playing and their ability to come back from tough situations and continue to endure. We felt very confident heading into penalty kicks. We have a great goalkeeper and I have a lot of faith in our shooters. It's a tough way to end a soccer game. That's a fantastic team but I don't know that either of our teams could have continued to play. I think penalty kicks was how it had to be decided."
Purdue Coach Robert Klatte:
"It's a hard way to lose a game but I'm sure Michigan is feeling the same. I think we played well enough to win. We created some opportunities and the goalkeeper made some good saves. That's a solid team, they don't give you many chances. I thought it was a really competitive game. It's a shame a game had to end that way but that's the way the rules are set up and as much as we'd like for it to be different, it's not. We'll go in to train on Sunday and watch the selection show on Monday and keep our fingers crossed."
Game 6: 6:30 p.m. - Illinois vs. Wisconsin
Wisconsin 1Illinois 0
Wisconsin head coach Dean Duerst:
"Today we knew that we would need to utilize some extra personnel. I thought we did that effectively. This game we really played well the first twenty minutes and then we started to lose the second ball. We started to lose things in transition and got away from how we play, which is two- and three-touch, finding our targets and running off of that. We really lost that for a 12-15 minute stretch. It allowed momentum to change. We addressed that at halftime and I think we adjusted very well in the second half. We had to find that rhythm again. We started to find some rhythm out wide and it opened Illinois up."
"I still thought in the first half, Illinois' keeper made some brilliant saves on Amy (Vermeulen) Amy had two chances and that's the momentum of this game. Once we got our goal, I think we started to gain even more confidence. Our players were more assured in the way in which they wanted to move the ball."
Illinois head coach Janet Rayfield:
"It was a big win for us last night, but we are disappointed not to be moving on tonight. I think tonight's game was a typical Big Ten game, a hard fought game with not a lot of scoring, unlike yesterday's game. It was a hard fought game and they got a restart goal. The nature of this game is that there's not a lot of scoring and you have to put away your opportunities. Tonight, both teams had opportunities. They finished one and we didn't."
Sunday, Nov. 10
1:00 p.m. - Championship Game
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
Ohio State 2Wisconsin 1
Ohio State head coach Lori Walker:
"It's a great hurdle to get over. To take our team into the NCAA Tournament and not have to sit around and wait for tomorrow's decision is great. I think for us that's the greatest peace right now because we felt left out last year. I'm just so excited for these players. They have had a lot of challenges with injuries and trying to bring a young team together. I'm just so happy for them."
"We try to keep it business as usual throughout the tournament. We have a routine that we practice all year. Yesterday we tried to keep them distracted. We took them to a movie and of course watched the Ohio State football game. The players were really relaxed. We met with them individually and all of them were extremely relaxed. We came here to win this tournament. I think it's very rare to step up and make that kind of statement, but I felt very confident in how this team was playing at the end of the year."
Wisconsin head coach Dean Duerst:
"I'm very, very proud of this team. They've shown themselves what they're made of, and now it almost leaves this lasting impression about what you can really do and what you can accomplish as a group. We're a heck of a team. I'm really satisfied, and it's unfortunate in the end where I don't think we played our best game. Ohio State played a beautiful game of soccer. It was a great tournament in terms of intensity, in terms of some upsets and in terms of us doing what we needed to do to get to a championship game. We just couldn't find the shutout today. That's what it takes to win tournaments, but I'm very proud of our kids and the effort we gave. I'm really happy for them to be able to get to this and attain this kind of level."
All-Tournament TeamAndrea Ridgeway, IllinoisKim Grodek, IndianaAbby Crumpton, MichiganAbby Shepherd, Michigan StateLisa Grubb, Ohio StateEmily Haynam, Ohio StateJen Miller, Ohio StateChristie Welsh, Penn StateAnnette Kent, PurdueKelly Conway, WisconsinLauren Schmidt, Wisconsin
Offensive Player of TournamentLisa Grubb, Ohio State
Defensive Player of TournamentJen Miller, Ohio State