BTN.com staff, December 4, 2015
Great night on Friday for @PennStateWSOC. Lions headed to College Cup final vs. Duke on Sun. at 12 (ESPNU). https://t.co/eZHsAOFkqK
— Tony Mancuso (@tdmancuso) December 5, 2015
The No. 6 Penn State women's soccer team defeated No. 9 Rutgers, 2-0, Friday night at WakeMed Soccer Park to advance to the College Cup Final for the second time in the last four seasons (2012).
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The Nittany Lions held the opposition off the scoreboard for the seventh consecutive match and the 14th time this season.
Penn State (21-3-2) took advantage of its first shot attempt of the night, as both defenses did not allow a shot attempt until the 24th minute. Sophomore Frannie Crouse capitalized on a Rutgers miscue and fired a shot on goal over Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, Casey Murphy, for the 1-0 lead in the 24th minute of play.
In the 79th minute, Kaleigh Riehl corralled the loose ball just outside the RU penalty area and buried a left-footed shot from the top of the penalty area into the bottom-left corner of the net past the diving Murphy for the 2-0 mark. Her goal Friday night was the first of her career and came off her second career shot attempt.
Overall, Penn State outshot Rutgers, 12-5, and posted a margin of 5-to-1 in shots on goal.
Penn State will play No. 20 Duke at noon ET Sunday live on ESPNU.
NOTES: The Nittany Lions have scored a program-record 19 goals in the 2015 NCAA Tournament (17 – 2005) … Penn State hasn't allowed a goal since the 77th minute of the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Nov. 1 (Illinois) … Penn State improves to 17-0-0 when leading at halftime, 20-0-0 when scoring the first goal, 19-0-2 when out-shooting the opposition, 18-0-0 when scoring two goals or more, 13-2-1 against the Big Ten, 8-0-0 when a freshman scores, 13-0-1 when allowing zero goals … Penn State has not conceded a goal in the 2015 NCAA Tournament … Friday's win is No. 398 for Penn State women's soccer program … Penn State leads the all-time series 9-5-1 against Rutgers … Penn State leads Rutgers, 2-1, in the NCAA Tournament … Career win No. 196 for Coach Walsh and her 22nd victory in the NCAA Tournament … Sixth time this season Penn State has held an opponent to one shot on goal or less … The 14 shutouts by the Nittany Lions in 2015 is tied for third all-time in the Penn State record books (2011) … Penn State has recorded 21 wins for the eighth time in program history and for the first time since 2012 … Penn State has outscored the opposition 150-70 in 66 NCAA Tournament matches … Penn State owns a record of 45-19-2 in the NCAA Tournament … The 2015 College Cup Final appearance by the Nittany Lions marks the third time a Big Ten team has advanced to the final … Emily Ogle has started all 50 matches of her career … Penn State improves to 5-0-0 in rematches this season.