Women's Soccer Weekend Preview
10/15/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
EAST LANSING, Mich.- Michigan State heads into the weekend on a two-game winning streak, after knocking off Nebraska, 3-1, on Oct. 5 and taking down Purdue this past Saturday, 2-0, in West Lafayette. The Spartans will look to improve on their overall record of 8-5-1 when they welcome in Ohio State on Thursday, and Big Ten leaders Penn State Sunday afternoon.
Last Time Out
The Spartans picked up their second Big Ten win, and first road win of the season on Saturday in West Lafayette taking down Purdue, 2-0. Fifth-year senior goalkeeper Courtney Clem made three saves to earn her fifth shutout of the season.
Freshman Phenom
Freshman forward Jamie Cheslik scored her second game-winning goal of the season Saturday night in a 2-0 decision at Purdue. With the goal, Cheslik now leads all Big Ten freshman with eight on the season. The Northville, Michigan native is also tied for fifth in overall Big Ten goal scoring and sixth in points with 18.
Clem making Stops
Fifth-year senior goalkeeper Courtney Clem continues to impress for the Spartans. The Williamston, Michigan native leads the Big Ten in saves with 77, and is third in the conference in save percentage (.875).
More on the Spartans
• The Spartans are now 7-0-0 when scoring first... They are 1-4-0 when the opposition scores first.
• The Spartans have outscored the opposition, 21-12, this season and have allowed just 12 goals through 14 games
• Redshirt Junior defender Mary Kathryn Fiebernitz has converted on all three of her penalty kick attempts this season ... Fiebernitz was 3-for-3 last season and has scored on all six career attempts.
• Seven different Spartans have combined to score this season... 29 different players have played for the Spartans this season; including three freshman.
Meet the Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State comes into East Lansing looking to snap a three-game winless streak. The Buckeyes are currently one point ahead of the Spartans in the Big Ten standings with a 2-4-2 conference record.
True freshman Sammy Edwards has started 13 games at forward and is currently leading the Buckeyes in scoring with four goals and nine points. OSU is also led by a pair of sophomores, forward Taylor Schissler and midfielder Alexis Degler both of whom have put up impressive numbers in their second year on campus.
The Buckeyes are coached by Lori Walker, who is in her 17th season. Walker boasts a 201-138-33 record at Ohio State, and has been able to get the best of the Spartans the last two seasons, winning 3-1 in 2012 and 3-1 in 2013.
Looking Ahead to Penn State
Penn State will come to East Lansing on Sunday after the Lions battle it out with Michigan in Ann Arbor Thursday, in a game that will determine first place. The Lions are currently sitting in first place in the league and ranked No. 7 in the country with an impressive 12-2-0 overall record.
PSU suffered their first loss of their Big Ten campiagn at home Saturday against Rutgers by a score of 1-0. This was the first regulation loss Penn State suffered all season and first overall loss since their double overtime loss Sept. 5 to North Carolina.
Penn State is led by forward Frannie Crouse, who trails only MSU's Jamie Cheslik for the conference lead among freshmen in goals and points, with seven and 15, respectively. Crouse has a cast of support with five teammates already with double-digit point totals.
Michigan State has lost its last two to the Nittany Lions by a score of 3-0, and 5-1, and will look to get back in the win column against the team from State College, Sunday at 1 p.m. on senior day at DeMartin Stadium.
Senior Day Sunday
Sunday's contest between Michigan State and Penn State will be senior day at DeMartin Stadium. Six players in total will be honored before the game for the Spartans.
Courtney Clem- The fifth-year senior captain has played 48 games in net for the Spartans over her career, making 211 saves and earning a lifteime save percentage of .810. Clem has been named Big Ten Defensive Player of the week three times in her career and is currently leading the Big Ten in saves this season with 77. Off the field, Clem is a three time Academic All-Big Ten selection.
Nicole Caruso-The Novi, Michigan, native has been a four-year starter for Michigan State at right-back. Caruso has started 54 games, scoring two goals and five assists in her career.
Megan Marsack- Has competed in 66 total games for the Spartans throughout her career. The midfielder from Macomb, Michigan has scored seven goals, including three game-winners, and registered 24 points in her four years. Marsack was voted Academic All-Big Ten last season.
Courtney Hammer- Hammer has appeared in seven games for the Spartans throughout her career. The Roswell, Georgia native is known as a versatile player who can fill in at any position on the field. Hammer was an Academic Big Ten selection in 2012, and 2013. She was also honored with the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar award in 2013.
Rachel Van Poppelen- The West Bloomfield, Michigan native has appeared in 47 games for Michigan State, recording five goals and 15 points. The forward has also collected two game-winning goals in her career.
Paige Wester- The forward has competed in 61 games in her career, recording four goals and 20 points. The Portage, Michigan native has played in at least 11 games each season.
Big Ten Broadcast
The match between the Spartans and the Buckeyes Thursday at 3:30 p.m. will be televised live by the Big Ten Network. This is the second time that BTN has aired a live broadcast from East Lansing this season. The first one came back on Sept. 12 when the Badgers defeated MSU in overtime, 2-1.
