Before Sunday, junior midfielder Ali Schaefer had not scored yet for the Lady Lions soccer team this season. She picked the perfect time to pick up goal number one.

With chances of winning a thirteenth straight Big Ten conference championship dwindling as overtime was coming to a close, Schaefer finally found the net with 17 seconds left in the second extra period to give Penn State the 1-0 win over Michigan and a share of the Big Ten title along with Ohio State. The Buckeyes were tied at the top of the standings with the Lady Lions at 24 points and received the NCAA automatic berth because of a better overall record.

Penn State did receive a bid into the NCAA tournament, though, and will play the University of Pennsylvania this Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. in Morgantown, West Virginia. If they topple the Lady Quakers, they will play either WVU (whom Penn State beat in the first game of the season) or Morehead State.

While the season got off to a rough start, all that matters is making it into the big dance. With the girls getting hot at the right time, it’ll be very interesting to see how long their tourney run can last.

About the Author

Dan Vecellio

Dan is a graduate student in meteorology, hailing from Bradford, Pennsylvania. His interests include sports, Penn State and commons cheesesteaks. Feel free to contact me through my email or follow me on Twitter.