No. 14 Penn State women’s soccer (8-3-1, 4-1-1 Big Ten) faced off against Michigan (5-3-6, 2-2-3 Big Ten) in a battle of Big Ten teams at Jeffrey Field on Friday night.

An early goal for the Nittany Lions helped them get off to a solid start before Megan Schafer’s third goal of the season finished off the Wolverines late in the second half.

How It Happened

Penn State was aggressive from the very beginning and dominated time of possession, especially in the first half. Frannie Crouse set the tone for the Nittany Lions early with her aggressive pushes up the field from the forward position, while Salina Williford controlled the middle of the field and negated multiples offensive pushes by the Wolverines. Crouse was particularly impressive and the Wolverine defenders had a tough time matching her speed on the outside.

Brittany Bassinger had a very strong game for Penn State on both sides of the field, scoring the first goal in the 12th minute after a mad scramble in front of the net while also providing timely defense. Michigan took a while to get going offensively thanks to the stingy Nittany Lions defense, but it had prime opportunities to score when Ani Sarkisian hit the post in the fourteenth minute and Taylor Timko’s shot sailed just high of the crossbar at the beginning of the second half.

Penn State withstood a barrage of seven Michigan corner kicks in a span of four minutes in the second half. Goalkeeper Rose Chandler played a great game for the Nittany Lions, including several key saves in the second half.

The Wolverines played better in the second half and looked to be close to scoring before Megan Schafer tacked on another goal for the Nittany Lions in the 76th minute. It was a solid all-around effort from Penn State, which was coming off its first loss of the season against Ohio State on September 30.

Player Of The Game

Frannie Crouse | Forward | Senior

Frannie Crouse had an outstanding game for the Nittany Lions. She put constant pressure on the defense and made it difficult for Michigan to get the ball out of its end of the field.

What’s Next

Penn State takes on Michigan State on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Jeffrey Field.