Nov. 1, 2006

2006 Big Ten Tournament Bracket
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Evanston, Ill. --Sixth-seeded Northwestern's first stop in the 2006 Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament is the third-seed and No. 6 team in the country, Penn State. The Wildcats (7-11, 1-5) take on the Nittany Lions at 2 p.m. CT Friday at Ocker Field on the campus of the University of Michigan.

Friday's contest between Northwestern and Penn State is the second match up between the squads this season. Penn State won the regular season game in Evanston on Oct. 20, 3-1, thanks to a hat trick by Allison Scola. Below is a recap of that match. The winner will meet the victor of second-seeded Indiana and seventh-seeded Michigan State at 12:30 CT Saturday. For a complete Big Ten bracket, please click on the PDF above.

Last time versus the Nittany Lions
Northwestern held the Penn State offense at bay in the first half, but the Nittany Lions showed why they are the No. 8 team in the country, edging the 'Cats 3-1 Friday afternoon at Lakeside Field. Sophomore Alexandra Quinn (Watertown, Mass./Watertown) scored the 'Cats lone goal.

The Wildcats opened the match with focused intensity, keeping the Nittany Lions on their heals for most of the first half. At the 21:57 mark, Allison Scola scored the first piece of what turned out to be a hat trick to put PSU on the board.

Two minutes into the second half, Scola struck again, putting Penn State up 2-0 with 32 minutes left in the match. Dribbling on the right side of the goal, the sophomore spun and backhanded the ball into the far corner of the cage.

Northwestern continued to battle hard throughout the second half, but Scola completed the trifecta at the 41-minute mark, giving Penn State a 3-0 advantage.

Quinn scored in the 66th minute after picking up a deflected save and shooting it past the goalie's stick, which was head-high. It was Quinn's team-leading fifth of the season.

Emily Kyle (San Francisco, Calif./San Francisco University H.S.) recorded six saves for the 'Cats. Penn State was awarded eight penalty corners to NU's four.

Scouting the Nittany Lions...
Sixth-ranked Penn State comes in with a 13-4, 4-2 record. The Nittany Lions lead the Big Ten in shutouts, with six, and average goals against (1.12). Their offense has played nearly as well, scoring 2.90 goals per game, good for second in the conference. Nittany Lion senior forward Shaun Banta leads the team and the Big Ten in goals scored and Scola ranks fifth in the Big Ten in points per game.

The series with Penn State...
Penn State leads the all-time series, 21-3-1. The Wildcats are looking for their first win against the Nittany Lions since 1997.

`Cat Nips

• Northwestern continues to lead the Big Ten in saves per game, with 7.24.
• Senior Christina Foley has taken 51 shots, good for sixth in the conference.
• Sophomore Jill Putnam has three game-winning goals, tied for 4th in the Big Ten.
• Sophomore netminder Emily Kyle leads the conference in saves (113) and saves per game (7.06).