Michigan
10-4-4, 5-3-2BigTen
Penn State
10-8-1, 8-2-0BigTen
Despite Kopmeyer Gem, Wolverines Lose at Penn State in Overtime
11/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Nov. 7, 2010
| Site: State College, Pa. (Jeffery Field)
Score: Penn State 1, Michigan 0 (2OT)
Records: U-M (10-4-4, 5-3-2 Big Ten), Penn State (10-8-1, 8-2-0 Big Ten)
Attendance: 1,147
Next U-M Event: Monday, Nov. 8 -- NCAA Selection Show (TV: ESPNU), 4:30 p.m.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The University of Michigan women's soccer team came within 17 seconds of playing spoiler but fell to eventual Big Ten co-champion Penn State, 1-0, in double overtime on Sunday (Nov. 7) at Jeffery Field. Junior/sophomore Haley Kopmeyer (Troy, Mich./Lahser) made a career-high 14 saves, the most by a Wolverine netminder since 1997, in the losing effort.
The Wolverines spent most of the first half battling the wind and the Penn State offense. Kopmeyer answered the bell with seven saves to keep the game scoreless at halftime. Her biggest save came midway through the opening frame when she leaped to knock away a chance from the top of the box.
Michigan continued to bunker down defensively in the second frame but did generate offensive chances late. Midway through the period, freshman Meghan Toohey (Philadelphia, Pa./Phil-Mont Christian) carried the ball right up to the six-yard box, but three jukes could not shake the defenders to create a shot. Freshman Shelina Zadorsky (London, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas) created an opportunity inside the final two minutes, corralling a ball at the top of the PSU box and sending an off-balance shot on goal.
The overtime frame brought more of the same as Michigan continued to play conservatively. In the 110th minute, Penn State took advantage of confusion in the box and sent a ball skipping over a U-M defender's head. Two Penn State attackers and Kopmeyer converged on the ball with a Nittnay Lion getting enough of the outside of her foot on the ball to send it hopping over the sliding Michigan netminder.
The Wolverines will now await their NCAA Tournament fate on Monday (Nov. 8). ESPNU will broadcast the selection of the 64-team field at approximately 4:30 p.m. The first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament will be held at campus sites on Friday (Nov. 12) and Sunday (Nov. 14).
GAME SUMMARY
| By Periods | 1 | 2 | OT | OT2 | F |
| Michigan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Penn State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
2OT -- PSU, Ali Schaefer, 109:43 (Taylor Schram, Toni Costa)
Shots: U-M 6, PSU 42
Shots on Goal: U-M 4, PSU 15
Saves: U-M 14 (Haley Kopmeyer), PSU 4 (Krissy Tribbett)
Corner Kicks: U-M 1, PSU 9
Fouls: U-M 11, PSU 8
Cards: PSU, Christine Nairn, 83:36 (Yellow); U-M, Nkem Ezurike, 93:22 (Yellow).
N O T E S
• Michigan finishes the Big Ten season 5-3-2, good for fifth place in the conference. It marks U-M's highest finish since placing fifth during the 2006 season.
• Junior/sophomore Haley Kopmeyer moved into fifth place on the U-M career saves list with 178 stops. Kopmeyer passed Jori Welchans (175, 1994-96) with 14 stops on the day.
• Kopmeyer's 14 stops are third most in a game for a Wolverine netminder in program history. Carissa Stewart set the program record of 17 against Notre Dame on Oct. 31, 1997, which bettered the previous record of 15 stops by Jessica Jones at Minnesota on Oct. 3, 1997.
• Kopmeyer's 14 saves represent a new career high, besting her previous mark of 11 set against Illinois on Nov. 1, 2009.
Contact: Ryan Sosin (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Schaefer, Ali (1)
Assisted By: Schram, Taylor , Costa, Tani
Shot to lower right off through ball fro
109:43
