Thursday, September 29
University Park, Pa.
7 PM
Michigan State University
at
Penn State
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell
Women’s Soccer Faces No. 6 Penn State on the Road
9/28/2022 6:24:00 PM | Women's Soccer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Michigan State women's soccer hits the road for a top-10 test against the preseason Big Ten-favorite and sixth-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, as the Spartans head to Jeffrey Field for a 7 p.m. kick on Thursday, Sept. 29.
HEAD COACH JEFF HOSLER SAID...
"Penn State is an incredible team with championship pedigree and tradition. We will have to be focused, sharp and stay true to our identity in order to get the result that we are hoping for. Our group is ready for this, and all that's left to do is go out and play our game."
KICKIN' IT
The Spartans return to work following a dominant 3-1 performance at home in their last time out against the Purdue Boilermakers on Sept. 25. MSU is riding a five-game unbeaten streak dating to a scoreless draw with Oakland on Sept. 8. In the interim, the Green & White have booked wins over then-No. 19 Colorado and Illinois, highlighted by a pair of hat tricks from senior forwards Camryn Evans and Lauren DeBeau. Prior to the result against Purdue, MSU also registered a scoreless tie with Iowa on Sept. 22. The Spartans have earned five Big Ten Weekly Honors this season, needing only one more to set a new program record.
SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS
Veteran head coach Erica Dambach leads sixth-ranked Penn State into Thursday night's matchup boasting a 7-1-2 overall record coupled with an undefeated 2-0-1 start to B1G play. The Nittany Lions are coming off their best two performances of the season, stunning then-No. 4 Rutgers by a 2-0 margin on Sept. 22, before dismantling Illinois by a 5-0 score on Sept. 25. PSU took home three-of-four available Big Ten Weekly Honors on Sept. 27, with senior forward Penelope Hocking highlighting the group with three goals in two games. In goal, senior keeper Katherine Asman paces the squad with 33 saves, and stands as the reigning Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week following shutouts against Rutgers and Illinois.
STORY OF THE SERIES: PENN STATE
Michigan State trails Penn State by a 5-24-0 margin heading into the 30th all-time meeting between the two programs Thursday night. Penn State has won each of the last five meetings in the series and has never dropped a contest on Jeffrey Field, boasting an unblemished 11-0-0 mark. The Spartans last published a win over PSU on Oct. 22, 2016, when the Green & White upset the then-16th ranked Nittany Lions by a 3-1 margin on Senior Day. That win was the last Michigan State ranked victory prior to this season's upset of No. 19 Colorado. MSU dropped a hard-fought 2-1 decision to Penn State last year at DeMartin Stadium after building up a 1-0 lead before the half.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
Michigan State owns a 7-1-3 overall record through 11 games, allowing only five goals, matching the best 11-game defensive stretch in program history set in 2008 and 2009. Since MSU began sponsoring women's soccer in 1986, the 2022 edition of the Green & White is off to the best defensive start in school history. The Spartans rank 17th in the nation in shutout percentage at .636 and are rated second in the Big Ten behind Indiana (.800). In save percentage, the MSU tandem of Lauren Kozal and Belle Okoroafo have compiled a .865 mark, which places the Spartan keepers as the 21st most effective unit in the nation and second-best in the B1G behind Indiana (.889).
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Thursday evening's top-10 conference clash will be streamed live to a worldwide audience via B1G+. Authenticated subscribers can access the live simulcast of each game via the B1G+ app on their computers, mobile phones, tablets, smart TVs and other connected devices. Live stats provided by Penn State University are available here.
FOLLOW THE SPARTANS
Visit MSUSpartans.com for more information on Michigan State women's soccer. Fans can keep up to date with the Spartan women's soccer team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter by following @MSU_WSoccer.
HEAD COACH JEFF HOSLER SAID...
"Penn State is an incredible team with championship pedigree and tradition. We will have to be focused, sharp and stay true to our identity in order to get the result that we are hoping for. Our group is ready for this, and all that's left to do is go out and play our game."
KICKIN' IT
The Spartans return to work following a dominant 3-1 performance at home in their last time out against the Purdue Boilermakers on Sept. 25. MSU is riding a five-game unbeaten streak dating to a scoreless draw with Oakland on Sept. 8. In the interim, the Green & White have booked wins over then-No. 19 Colorado and Illinois, highlighted by a pair of hat tricks from senior forwards Camryn Evans and Lauren DeBeau. Prior to the result against Purdue, MSU also registered a scoreless tie with Iowa on Sept. 22. The Spartans have earned five Big Ten Weekly Honors this season, needing only one more to set a new program record.
SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS
Veteran head coach Erica Dambach leads sixth-ranked Penn State into Thursday night's matchup boasting a 7-1-2 overall record coupled with an undefeated 2-0-1 start to B1G play. The Nittany Lions are coming off their best two performances of the season, stunning then-No. 4 Rutgers by a 2-0 margin on Sept. 22, before dismantling Illinois by a 5-0 score on Sept. 25. PSU took home three-of-four available Big Ten Weekly Honors on Sept. 27, with senior forward Penelope Hocking highlighting the group with three goals in two games. In goal, senior keeper Katherine Asman paces the squad with 33 saves, and stands as the reigning Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week following shutouts against Rutgers and Illinois.
STORY OF THE SERIES: PENN STATE
Michigan State trails Penn State by a 5-24-0 margin heading into the 30th all-time meeting between the two programs Thursday night. Penn State has won each of the last five meetings in the series and has never dropped a contest on Jeffrey Field, boasting an unblemished 11-0-0 mark. The Spartans last published a win over PSU on Oct. 22, 2016, when the Green & White upset the then-16th ranked Nittany Lions by a 3-1 margin on Senior Day. That win was the last Michigan State ranked victory prior to this season's upset of No. 19 Colorado. MSU dropped a hard-fought 2-1 decision to Penn State last year at DeMartin Stadium after building up a 1-0 lead before the half.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
Michigan State owns a 7-1-3 overall record through 11 games, allowing only five goals, matching the best 11-game defensive stretch in program history set in 2008 and 2009. Since MSU began sponsoring women's soccer in 1986, the 2022 edition of the Green & White is off to the best defensive start in school history. The Spartans rank 17th in the nation in shutout percentage at .636 and are rated second in the Big Ten behind Indiana (.800). In save percentage, the MSU tandem of Lauren Kozal and Belle Okoroafo have compiled a .865 mark, which places the Spartan keepers as the 21st most effective unit in the nation and second-best in the B1G behind Indiana (.889).
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Thursday evening's top-10 conference clash will be streamed live to a worldwide audience via B1G+. Authenticated subscribers can access the live simulcast of each game via the B1G+ app on their computers, mobile phones, tablets, smart TVs and other connected devices. Live stats provided by Penn State University are available here.
FOLLOW THE SPARTANS
Visit MSUSpartans.com for more information on Michigan State women's soccer. Fans can keep up to date with the Spartan women's soccer team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter by following @MSU_WSoccer.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Soccer
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/ Women's Soccer
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/ Women's Soccer
GK
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