Michigan
Penn State
Michigan Loses Triple-OT Thriller in Big Ten Title Game
11/5/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. C- Penn State's Sheri Pickett scored 31 seconds into the third overtime to give the No. 7-ranked Nittany Lions a 1-0 victory over Michigan in the Big Ten Conference Women's Soccer Tournament championship game on a windy Sunday afternoon (Nov. 5) at the Illini Soccer Field. The game was a battle between the defending Big Ten Tournament champion Wolverines and the 2000 Big Ten regular-season champion Nittany Lions.
The first half provided an intense game of back-and-forth soccer. The Nittany Lions kept pounding the ball toward the net, but senior goalkeeper Carissa Stewart (Topsham, Maine/Mt. Ararat HS) prevented Penn State from getting on the scoreboard, stopping eight shots on goal in the first 45 minutes. Michigan registered only one shot to Penn State's 14 during the first period, spending more time defending its own net.
Michigan came out strong offensively in the second half, registering the team's first shot on goal in the opening play. The Wolverines had many opportunities in the opening of the second 45, but Penn State's defense stopped the Maize and Blue. With strong showings by Stewart and Penn State's netminder Emily Oleksiuk, the game ended regulation with a 0-0 tie.
Going into the first 15-minute suddenCdeath overtime, Michigan narrowly avoided a Penn State goal. The Nittany Lions put the ball in the net, but the goal was called back on a foul. Michigan had goal-stopping blocks by senior midfielder Kacy Beitel (Midland, Mich./H.H. Dow HS) and sophomore Andrea Kayal (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills HS), who both took balls away from Penn State.
Penn State started the second overtime with another near-goal. Catching Stewart out of the net, Big Ten Freshman of the Year Joanna Lohman sent the ball narrowly over the top. In the last seconds of the second overtime, Stewart came up big, making a diving catch.
Early in the third overtime, Pickett took a cross from Stephanie Smith and found the net with a header to deny the Wolverines their second straight Big Ten Tournament title.
With the win, Penn State takes the Big Ten's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines will have to wait until the NCAA selections are announced Sunday night at 10 p.m. to see if, when and where their season will continue.
Fox Sports Chicago will televise the Michigan-Penn State game on a tape-delayed basis on Monday, Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m. CST.
GAME SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | OT | OT | OT | F |
| Michigan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Penn State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
3OT -- PSU, Sheri Pickett, 120:31 (Stephanie Smith)
Shots: U-M 10, PSU 29
Saves: U-M 11 (Carissa Stewart), PSU 5 (Emily Oleksiuk)
Corner Kicks: U-M 7, PSU 9
Offsides: U-M 1, PSU 2
Fouls: U-M 18, PSU 14
Cards: none
Contact: Valerie Perkin (734) 763-4423
