Another great Fall (no pun intended) weekend of sports here at Penn State.
The football team romped over Illinois 63-10 after leading 56-3 at halftime. The win was Joe Paterno’s 350th at Penn State. QB Michael Robinson was responsible for 6 TDs in the first half (4 passing – 2 running) – he did not play in the 2nd half. Penn State controls its destiny in the Big Ten. If they win out, the claim at least a share of the Big Ten title and will be the conferences representative in a BCS bowl game.
The undefeated and #1 ranked womens soccer team knocked off Michigan 4-2 on Friday. On Sunday, they defeated Michigan State 3-0 to claim their eighth straight Big Ten soccer title. Tiffany Weimer scored in both games to tie then break Brandi Chastain’s NCAA record of scoring in consecutive games. Tiffany’s record is now 17 straight (unfortunately, Portland’s Christine Sinclair has also scored in 17 straight and she has a chance to extend it to 18 tonight). Tiffany also broke former PSU star Christie Welch’s Big Ten record of 82 career goals.
The men’s soccer team also won a Big Ten title this weekend by knocking off Michigan State 1-0 in double overtime, their third consecutive B10 overtime win. Like their female counterparts the men are undefeated and untied in Big Ten play. However, unlike the womens 8 titles, this was the men’s first B10 conference title. Of course, we are recent members of the B10 and while the men may not have had any B10 titles before they have won 11 national titles while the women are still looking for their first.
On Saturday, the sixth ranked women’s field hockey team won their 16th straight game setting a new Penn State record. The 2-0 win over Ohio State clinched at least a share of the B10 title for the women. The game featured a “Natural” type moment when Penn State was awarded a penalty shot on a foul by Ohio State. It was late in the first half and PSU led only 1-0. Senior Mallory Weisen is on crutches due to a stress fracture but coach Char Morrett called for her to take the shot. Dropping her crutches Mallory hobbled onto the field and lifted a shot over the Ohio State goalie to give PSU a 2-0 lead. The ladies will travel to second place Indiana on Friday to attempt to win the B10 title outright.
The third ranked womens volleyball team went on the road this weekend defeating both Iowa and 12th ranked Minnesota. The ladies remained unbeaten in B10 play and now hold a commanding two match lead over the rest of the conference in the race for the title.
That means over the weekend, out athletic teams went 7-0 in conference play, won two big ten titles outright, won a guaranteed share of a third, and remain in the drivers seat for two others (the combined conference record for the five squads is 33-1). A pretty good weekend overall.