The Penn State women’s soccer team clinched a share of its 18th Big Ten title on Wednesday night at Jeffrey Field with a 2-0 victory over Ohio State.
The No. 21 Nittany Lions hosted the Buckeyes with Big Ten regular-season title aspirations on the line during the annual Pink Zone “Kick for a Cure” match.
Erica Dambach and the Nittany Lions share the regular season title with Minnesota and Northwestern, with each going 7-1-3. Penn State will be the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will host Rutgers at 1 p.m. on Sunday
How It Happened
Penn State (11-3-4, 7-1-3 Big Ten) and head coach Lori Walker’s Buckeyes battled back and forth throughout the early going. Junior captain Megan Schafer had an excellent opportunity on a breakaway in the 12th minute, but her shot sailed high over goalkeeper Devon Kerr and the crossbar.
Ohio State’s Lindsey Agnew barely missed providing the match’s first fireworks in the 34th minute. The senior forward rocketed a shot bar-down from way out, but Amanda Dennis was there to keep the ball from crossing the goal line. Both sides would rattle off five shots apiece in the first half, but neither could find the back of the net despite plenty of action in and around the box.
It didn’t take long for freshman Laura Freigang to break things open. Haleigh Echard placed a beautiful pass right where the German standout could get her head on it, and she finished a tremendous highlight-reel goal to put Penn State up 1-0 in the 51st minute. Freigang also scored the first goal of the season for the Nittany Lions in a 1-1 draw with now-No. 1 West Virginia.
Late in the 73rd minute, junior center back Elizabeth Ball boosted a pass downfield for Schafer, who immediately found sophomore Charlotte Williams for the match’s second goal. Williams’ fourth tally of the season was a huge one, as the Nittany Lions needed as many goals as possible in case of a Big Ten tiebreaker. Penn State’s defense dug in over the last 17 minutes to finish off its seventh clean sheet of the season.
Player Of The Match
Laura Freigang | Freshman | Midfielder/Forward
Freigang’s breathtaking header broke the stalemate and spurred an impressive win for the Nittany Lions when they needed it most.
What’s Next?
Penn State will be back in action this Sunday at Jeffrey Field for the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals at 1:00 p.m. Its opponent has yet to be announced.
