Penn State Sports Weekly Overview

Story posted November 12, 2013 in CommRadio, Sports by Aaron Carr

The following is the Penn State sports overview for the week of November 4th to November 10th, and features results from every active Penn State athletic team.

Football:

The football team lost to Minnesota 24-10, on the 9th, as the road woes continued for Penn State. The Nittany Lions are now 0-3 on the road this season. Wide receiver Allen Robinson broke Penn State’s single-season receiving yards record in the contest. Penn State returns home for its next game, when it hosts Purdue on the 16th.

Player of the Week: Senior, RB, Zach Zwinak. The bruising ball carrier topped 100 yards rushing for the eighth time in his career, in the loss to Minnesota.

Stat of the Week: The 10 points scored by the Penn State offense was the fewest under Bill O’Brien.

Men’s Basketball:

The men’s basketball team defeated Wagner 74-62 in the team’s season opener on the 9th. Guards Tim Frazier (25 points, 10 rebounds) and DJ Newbill (18 points, 11 rebounds) each recorded a double-double for the victorious Nittany Lions. Penn State faces Bucknell on the 13th, for its next contest.

Player of the Week: Senior, guard, Tim Frazier. The senior guard posted a double-double in the win over Wagner.

Stat of the Week: Penn State was 6-for-16 from the three-point line in the win over Wagner.

Women’s Basketball:

The women’s basketball team kicked off its season with a 117-77 victory over Saint Francis on the 8th. The 117-point effort by the Lady Lions broke the Bryce Jordan Center scoring record. The previous record was 114 set back in 2000. The Lady Lions defeated Fordham 78-61 on the 10th, for their second victory of the week. Penn State takes the court on the 17th, for its next contest against perennial title contender Connecticut.

Player of the Week: Senior, guard, Maggie Lucas. The senior guard scored 33 points to pace the victors.

Stat of the Week: The Lady Lions begin the season 1-0 for the seventh consecutive season under coach Coquese Washington.

Women’s Volleyball:

The women’s volleyball team won both of its matches this past week, defeating Purdue 3-0 on the 8th and Indiana 3-0, on the 9th. With the victories, Penn State increases its Big Ten record to 13-1. The Nittany Lions return to the court on the 15th for their next match when they take on Wisconsin.

Player of the Week: Senior, Deja McClendon. The Louisville, Ky., native had a team-high 13 kills in the win over Indiana.

Stat of the Week: Penn State has won 25 consecutive home court matches against Purdue, dating back to 1982.

Field Hockey:

The field hockey team lost to Iowa 4-3 in overtime in the semifinals of the Big Ten Conference Tournament on the 8th. The loss snaps Penn State’s five match win streak in the Big Ten Tournament. Penn State is now off until the NCAA Tournament kicks off on the 16th.

Player of the Week: Junior, Taylor Herold. The Fredericksburg, Va. native scored her team-leading 12th goal of the season in the loss to Iowa.

Stat of the Week: Iowa scored three second-half goals in the win over Penn State.

Men’s Ice Hockey:

The men’s ice team defeated Sacred Heart 2-1 on the 8th. Freshman Ricky DeRosa and sophomore Luke Juha had the goals for the Nittany Lions. Penn State is off until the 14th, when it takes on UMass Lowell.

Player of the Week: Sophomore, goaltender, Matthew Skoff. The sophomore netminder recorded 20 saves and allowed only one goal, in the win over Sacred Heart.

Stat of the Week: Skoff is now 9-3-1 in his last 13 games.

Women’s Ice Hockey:

The women’s ice hockey team lost both of its games to Syracuse this week, losing 2-1 on the 9th, and 4-3 in overtime on the 10th. Three different Nittany Lions scored goals in the 4-3 overtime loss on the 10th. Penn State takes on RIT on the 15th, in its next game.

Player of the Week: Sophomore, defenseman, Jordin Pardoski. The Rochester Hills, Mich., native scored her first goal of the season in the loss to Syracuse on the 9th.

Stat of the Week: Following the two losses to Syracuse, Penn State is now 1-7 at home this season.

Men’s Soccer:

The men’s soccer team concluded its season on the 6th, losing to Akron 2-1 in double overtime. Freshman Connor Maloney had the lone goal for Penn State while junior goaltender Andrew Wolverton saved nine shots. The Nittany Lions are off until the NCAA Tournament begins on the 15th.

Player of the Week: Freshman, forward, Connor Maloney. The Harrisburg, Pa., native recorded his first collegiate goal, in the loss to Akron.

Stat of the Week: Four of Penn State’s last five games have gone into double overtime.

Women’s Soccer:

The women’s soccer team beat Wisconsin 2-0 on the 6th in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament before losing to Iowa 1-0 on the 8th in the semifinals of tournament play. Mallory Weber and Taylor Schram had the goals for the Nittany Lions in the win over Wisconsin. Penn State is now off until the NCAA Tournament begins on the 15th.

Player of the Week: Redshirt sophomore, Britt Eckerstrom, goalkeeper. The Germantown, Md., native recorded the shutout of Wisconsin on the 6th.

Stat of the Week: Penn State now boasts an all-time record of 18-3-4 against Wisconsin.

Men’s Swimming and Diving:

The men’s swimming and diving team competed on the 8th and the 9th, defeating Virginia in both relays on the 9th. The Nittany Lions defeated Virginia by a final score of 191-162. It was the team’s first victory against Virginia since 1997. Penn State hits the pool next against Texas on December 5th, for the Texas Invitational.

Women’s Swimming and Diving:

The women’s swimming and diving team lost to Texas, 242-111 and Virginia, 226-127 after the two-day meet on the 8th and 9th. Junior Carolyn Fittin had the only first place finish of the weekend for the Nittany Lions, garnering the top finish in the 50 freestyle. Penn State hits the pool against Texas on December 5th for its next time out.

Fencing:

The fencing team competed in the North American Cup on the 8th and the 10th, with two Nittany Lions claiming silver medals in the event. Senior Margherita Guzzi-Vincenti took home one of the medals while Nobuo Bravo had the other second place finish for Penn State. The Lions continue the North American Cup event on the 11th.

Men’s and Women’s Tennis:

The men’s tennis team concluded its fall schedule with the William & Mary Tribe Invitational that took place from the 8th to the 10th.  The men’s team is now off until January 24th, when it hosts William & Mary. The women’s team competed in the National Indoor Tournament from the 7th to the 10th. The women’s team is now off until January 18th, when it takes on Cleveland State and Bucknell. Those wanting to learn the results of the tournaments should check GOPSUSports.com later in the day for more coverage.

Aaron Carr is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email adc5230@psu.edu.