Sept. 29, 2006
IOWA CITY – The University of Iowa women’s soccer team lost to No. 10 Penn State, 3-0 Friday night at the Iowa Soccer Complex. Iowa falls to 4-6-1 overall and 0-3-0 in Big Ten play.
The match was much closer than the final score indicates. One Hawkeye shot rattled the post and Penn State goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher made two impressive saves to keep Iowa off the scoreboard.
The Hawkeye defense was strong in the first half, allowing the dangerous Nittany Lion offense just one shot in the first 45 minutes of play. The one shot, however, was a 20-yard bending shot from Ashley Myers in the 13th minute that found the back of the goal for a 1-0 Penn State lead.
Iowa’s Stephanie Hyink nearly netted the equalizer in the 40th minute, but Naeher made an acrobatic save to deny the Hawkeye forward. Hyink took a clearance to the goal-line and floated a shot across the face of the frame. The ball almost floated into the back of the net, but a diving Naeher slapped the ball out of the box and the Nittany Lion defense cleared.
Iowa’s defense, particularly junior Megan Love, came up big in the 62nd minute. After a scramble in the box, Penn State’s Katie Schoepfer attempted a shot that trickled under the arm of Iowa goalkeeper Ali Becker. Love sprinted to goal and cleared the ball of the line before it could cross for a Penn State goal.
The Hawkeye backline held the Nittany Lions until the 76th minute when a pinpoint through-ball from Allie Long found Schoepfer in the six-yard box for a 2-0 Penn State lead.
Iowa responded once again with another chance, but Naeher made one of her four saves to keep the Hawkeyes out of the net once again. Hyink played a ball across the box to freshman Alexandria Seydel, who flicked a shot into the lower left corner, but Naeher dove across the box to make the save.
Hyink once again was involved in a near-goal in the 81st minute. After a change of possession near the Penn State 18-yard box, Hyink ripped a shot that beat Naeher but skimmed the post and rolled to a Penn State defender.
Freshman Kathleen Smokowski nearly scored an incredible goal off a free kick in the 89th minute. Smokowski stood over the ball after a Penn State foul from nearly 40 yards away from goal. She ripped a driving free kick that sailed just wide of the post for Iowa’s fourth near-miss of the match.
Penn State added its third goal in the 89th minute when Long scored on a chip from 18 yards out.
Hyink tallied five shots, including two on target to pace the Hawkeye offense. Three other Hawkeyes recorded a shot.
Becker pushed away three shots in 90 minutes of action.
Iowa travels to Des Moines to face intra-state rival Drake Sunday afternoon. The match will begin at 1 p.m.
#10 Penn State 3, Iowa 0
0-1 PSU Ashley Meyers (bending shot from 20 yards into left upper-90) 13th minute
0-2 PSU Katie Schoepfer (off through-ball from Allie Long) 74th minute
0-3 PSU Allie Long (chip from 20 into left upper-90 88th minute