Michigan
Penn State
Michigan Claims Big Ten Women's Soccer Championship
11/7/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Site: Bloomington, Ind. (Armstrong Stadium)
Event: Big Ten Conference Tournament (Championship Game)
Score: #18 Michigan 4, #5 Penn State 2
Records: U-M (16-5-1), PSU (18-3-1)
Next U-M Match: NCAA Tournament pairings announced Sunday (Nov. 7), 10 p.m.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Michigan women's soccer team captured its second Big Ten Conference Tournament title in three years with a 4-2 win over Penn State on Sunday (Nov. 7) at Indiana's Armstrong Stadium. The Wolverines (16-5-1) got two goals apiece from Abby Crumpton (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS) and Kacy Beitel (Midland, Mich/H.H. Dow HS) as they built a 4-0 lead early in the second half before holding off a late Penn State charge for the 4-2 win.
For the second game in a row, Crumpton gave Michigan a 1-0 advantage. Emily Schmitt (Troy, Mich./Athens HS) played a through ball down the left side for Crumpton. Crumpton carried the ball into the box on a partial break and banked a low shot off the far post at 6:10 for her 11th goal of the season.
Michigan extended its lead to 2-0 at 30:52 of the first half. Following a Penn State foul, Schmitt served a free kick into the box from 40 yards out. Beitel set up to the right of the Penn State goalie and went up in heavy traffic to head the ball inside the far post.
Penn State created a pair of golden scoring opportunities in the first half but could not capitalize. Four minutes into the game, the Lions drew Michigan keeper Carissa Stewart (Topsham, Maine/Mt. Ararat HS) off her line and Christie Welsh headed a ball past Stewart toward the far post, but Vicky Whitley (Spring, Texas/Klein HS) dropped back and volleyed the ball out of the box. Welsh drew Stewart out of the net at 16:00, but her crossing feed was too long for her teammate. In the second half, Penn State's Kelly Convey beat Stewart with a seven-yard blast, but Alissa Shaw (West Carrollton, Ohio/West Carrollton HS) was on the goal line to head the chance away.
Michigan came out of the halftime break and extended the lead to 4-0. At 54:03 Crumpton tallied her second of the game. She received the ball in the Penn State zone and dribbled to the top of the box. From 20 yards out, Crumpton deked out the Penn State defender and converted a 10-yard blast into the lower left corner.
Crumpton's day was not complete. At 72:05 she played a 25-yard diagonal pass to Beitel breaking into the box. Beitel, with a defender on her back, settled the ball and blasted a 13-yard shot into the lower left corner. It was Beitel's team-leading 14th goal of the season and her fifth of the Big Ten Tournament.
Penn State did not go quietly. Courtney Lawson converted a penalty kick with 17:18 left in the game and then Christie Welsh tipped in a Kelly Convey shot at 73:07 to cut the lead to 4-2.
Following the goal, Michigan settled down and drew a number of high quality scoring chances, two by Beitel and one each by Crumpton and Amber Berendowsky (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS).
The NCAA Tournament draw will be announced tonight (Sunday, Nov. 7) at 10 p.m. EST, at which time the Wolverines will find out if they play in the first round Wednesday (Nov. 10) or receive one of 16 byes into the second round (Nov. 13-14).
GAME SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
| Michigan | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Penn State | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Abby Crumpton (11), 6:10 (Emily Schmitt)
1st -- U-M, Kacy Beitel (13), 30:52 (Schmitt)
2nd -- U-M, Crumpton (12), 54:03 (unassisted)
2nd -- U-M, Beitel (14), 72:05 (Crumpton)
2nd -- PSU, Courtney Lawson, 72:42 (penalty kick)
2nd -- PSU, Christie Welsh, 73:07 (Kelly Convey)
Shots: U-M 24, PSU 10
Saves: U-M 4 (Carissa Stewart 2, Vicky Whitley 1, Alissa Shaw 1), PSU 9 (Emily Oleksiuk 9, Luanne Strom 1)
Corner Kicks: U-M 3, PSU 7
Fouls: U-M 11, PSU 12
Cards: PSU, Courtney Lawson, 62:42 (yellow); PSU, Christie Welsh, 73:07 (yellow)
