Undefeated Women's Soccer Hosts Penn State on Sunday
9/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 25, 2009
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Coach Tom | Jill
The 6-0-2 Michigan State women's soccer team will host perennial Big Ten power Penn State this Sunday (Sept. 27) at DeMartin Stadium at noon. The game will be carried live on the Big Ten Network.
The Last Time Out: MSU played a pair of road games at Kent State and Eastern Michigan last weekend. The Spartans downed Kent State, 2-0, on Sept. 18 with goals from Laura Heyboer and Jordan Mueller and then tied Eastern Michigan, 1-1, on Sept. 20 to remain unbeaten.
Flietstra, Stingy Defense Leads League: As a team, the Spartans have allowed a league-low three goals in eight games so far this season. Goalkeeper Jill Flietstra leads the Big Ten in goals-against average (0.36) and save percentage (.893). Flietstra has two shutout streaks of at least 240 minutes this season as the first spanned 246:24 in three games (Oakland - UCSB) and the second covered action in four games (UCSB - Detroit) and lasted 252:58.
Spartans and Lions: Michigan State is 3-14 all time against Penn State. Last season, the Spartans went 1-1 vs. PSU, defeating them for the first time since 1995, 3-1, on Oct. 12, 2008, and then falling to the Nittany Lions, 1-0, on Nov. 7 in the semifinals of the Big Ten Championship.
Heyboer Catches On: After going goalless in consecutive games for the first time this season, sophomore forward Laura Heyboer scored goals in both games last weekend to give her a total of six on the season. Her 15 points rank second on the team and are tied for second in the conference.
Hill Missed: The Spartans will be without senior forward and leading scorer Lauren Hill today after she received a pair of yellow cards in last week's tie with Eastern Michigan. Hill, who leads the conference in goals (eight) and points (18), began the season scoring at least one goal in the Spartans' first six games.
Hill was named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Aug. 31 after registering seven points in the Spartans' first two wins of the year.
DeMartin Domination Continues: Michigan State's 3-1 win over Detroit on Sept. 15 set the school record for longest home unbeaten streak at 16 games. MSU went 9-0-2 at DeMartin Stadium last season and is 5-0 at home so far this season. The previous home-unbeaten streak was 15 games and began Oct. 18, 1988, with a 1-0 win over Kalamazoo College and spanned 15 games (14-0-1) through the entire `89 campaign.
Lineup Continuity: Four Spartans (Laura Heyboer, Megan Brown, Katelin Chaklos and Courtney Shegos) will all be making their 32nd consecutive starts today. In addition, MSU has four other players that have started at least 22 games since the beginning of the `08 season (Cara Freeman and Lauren Hill - 31, Lauren Sinacola - 30 and Kelsey Tait - 22).
In the Polls: The Spartans enter Sunday's game ranked 13th in Soccer America Poll, 24th by Soccer Times, and No. 13 by TopDrawerSoccer.com. MSU currently sits just outside the NSCAA/adidas top 25 at No. 26.
