Michigan
Ohio State
First Touch #8: Michigan Returns Home to Take on Ohio State, Penn State
10/4/2018 11:47:00 AM | Women's Soccer
» Michigan fell, 4-1, to No. 17 Northwestern last Friday (Sept. 28) and now sports 6-6-0 overall record (2-3-0 Big Ten).
» On Friday (Oct. 5), the Wolverines will take on Ohio State, which sits in third place in the Big Ten and will face Penn State, which is tied for fourth in the conference, on Sunday (Oct. 7). Both matches will be at U-M Soccer Stadium.
» Michigan is 5-2 at U-M Soccer Stadium, and have outscored opponents, 17-8, in their seven home matches.
» U-M leads Ohio State in the all-time series 13-12-4, but the Buckeyes have won seven of the last nine meetings and have outscored the Wolverines, 14-7, in that span. Michigan's last win against Ohio State came on Nov. 2, 2013.
» Michigan has struggled with the Nittany Lions in the all-time series, trailing 4-21-7 against Penn State. The Wolverines have not beaten Penn State since its 1-0 upset win on Oct. 13, 2013.
THIS WEEK
Friday, Oct. 5 -- vs. Ohio State (U-M Soccer Stadium), 7 p.m.
Live Stats  | Watch | Promotions | Tickets
Sunday, Oct. 7 -- vs. Penn State (U-M Soccer Stadium), noon
Live Stats | Promotions | Tickets
• Complete Match Notes (PDF)
PROMOTIONS
• Wolverine Weekend
Ohio State: U-M Faculty Staff Appreciation, postgame penalty kicks
Penn State: MAIZE OUT, Football Ticket Redemption, Carnival Day, Thundersticks (first 500 fans), Doubleheader with men's soccer
• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
The University of Michigan women's soccer team will host Ohio State and Penn State this weekend when the Buckeyes come to Ann Arbor Friday (Oct. 5) for a 7 p.m. match. The Wolverines will conclude the weekend with the Nittany Lions on Sunday (Oct. 7) at noon. The match against Ohio State will be streamed  on BTN Plus (with a paid subscription).
Returning Home
Michigan has proven it is comfortable on its home pitch, touting a 5-2 record at U-M Soccer Stadium. Despite losing their last match at home against then-No. 17 Northwestern (Sept. 28), the Wolverines have outscored opponents, 17-8, in their seven home matches, while one loss was a double overtime heartbreaker to Minnesota. Furthermore, Michigan defeated No. 17 Wisconsin on its home pitch and has had two shutouts at U-M Soccer Stadium this season. Finally, sophomore Nicki Hernandez looks to get her scoring streak back on track as she has scored all six of her goals at home and tallied four of her five assists.
Series History With the Buckeyes
Michigan leads the all-time series against Ohio State, 13-12-4. The recent series history has fared in the Buckeyes favor, however, winning seven of the last nine meetings and outscoring the Wolverines, 14-7, in that span. Michigan's last win against Ohio State came in a 2-0 win at home on Nov. 2, 2013. Last season, the Buckeyes were ranked No. 17 when they faced Michigan, coming away with the lone goal of the game in the 80th minute. Michigan looks to return to its early dominance of Ohio State, which includes an eight-game win streak which spanned from 1996-2002, where the Wolverines outscored the Buckeyes, 21-4.
Scouting Ohio State
The Buckeyes hold a 6-4-1 overall record (3-1-1 Big Ten), falling in their first conference match to Penn State before winning the next three -- most recently playing to a 1-1, double-overtime draw. OSU kicked off the 2018 season with three straight matches against top-10 opponents that included then-No. 3 Duke, then-No. 6 North Carolina and then-No. 5 Florida, earning a victory against the Gators. Since, the Buckeyes fell at then-No. 21 Penn State and notched a double-overtime win at then-No. 21 Northwestern. Emily Vatne and Izzy Rodriguez pace the Buckeyes with eight points (three goals, two assists), while Talani Barnett and Eleanor Gabriel have six points each (2G, 2A). In goal, senior Devin Kerr has started all 11 matches, allowing 10 goals for a 0.96 goals-against average and a .825 save percentage. Kerr has made 47 saves this season, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten, while her five shutouts also rank fourth in the conference.
Series History With the Nittany Lions
Michigan has struggled with the Nittany Lions, trailing 4-21-7 in the all-time series against Penn State. The Wolverines have not beaten Penn State since its 1-0 upset in Happy Valley on Oct. 13, 2013. Michigan has not won at home against the Nittany Lions since Oct. 4, 2002, having lost 10 of the last 14 contests. This game will mark the first home game against Penn State since Oct. 16, 2014, when Penn State earned a 1-0 victory.
Scouting Penn State
The Nittany Lions carry a 7-5-0 overall record (3-2-0 Big Ten), falling to then-No. 21 Northwestern and Nebraska in conference action. Penn State has taken on four ranked opponents this season, three of which were in the top 10, including then-No. 9 West Virginia, then-No. 2 UCLA and then-No. 6 Virginia, earning a win against West Virginia and falling to UCLA, Virginia and Northwestern. All five of Penn State's losses have come in one-goal matches, but the Nittany Lions have outscored its opponents, 24-8, this season. Sophomores Kerry Abello and Frankie Tagliaferri lead the Nittany Lions' offense with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Kristin Schnurr and Charlotte Williams also have reached double-digit points this season with Schnurr tallying 11 (four goals, three assists) and Williams adding 10 (3G, 4A). Junior Amanda Dennis has earned the starting spot between the pipes, having made 28 saves to help Penn State to six shutouts. Dennis touts a 0.72 goals-against average and a .778 save percentage as she has let in just eight goals.
Michigan's Offensive Production
Despite its six losses, Michigan is tied for fourth in the Big Ten with 22 goals on the season, behind only Indiana (26), Illinois (24) and Penn State (24). Michigan averages 1.83 goals per match on 12.3 shots per match. The Wolverines have taken 148 shots on the season, putting 73 on goal for a .493 shots-on-goal percentage. U-M has played seven matches in which it has scored two goals or more,and has won five of them. Sophomore Nicki Hernandez leads the Michigan offense with 17 points (six goals, five assists), while Reilly Martin ranks second with 13 points (5G, 3A) and sophomore Sarah Stratigakis has 11 points (5G, 1A).
Recapping Week Seven
Two early goals proved to be too much to overcome for the Michigan, as it fell , 4-1, to then-No. 17 Northwestern on Sept. 28. The Wildcats came out quick, scoring its first two goals in the first 17 minutes of play before Michigan answered with a goal of its own from Alia Martin in the 27th minute. The Wildcats added two more goals in the first half to lock up the victory, as neither team found the back of the net in the second half.
Beall Makes Her Return to the Pitch
Sophomore Hillary Beall made her return to the field against No. 17 Wisconsin, making five saves in a 2-0 Michigan win over the Badgers, after sitting out the first nine matches of the season due to injury. Beall was named to the U.S. U-20 Women's National Team roster in early August, but suffered an injury that would prevent her from traveling with the team. Since her return, Beall started three matches, giving up five goals in 284:13 of play.
Ticket Information
Individual and group tickets on are sale for all 2018 home matches. For group experiences such as high five tunnel, halftime mini games and more, please call (734) 647-1268 or email gobluegroupsales@umich.edu. For more information on purchasing tickets, please visit the women's soccer page.
Next Time Out
Michigan goes on the road for the final time in the regular season when it travels to Nebraska on Friday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. CDT and Iowa on Sunday, Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. CDT.
