By Scott Traweek, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State women's soccer team capped off its regular season schedule with a sure-handed 2-0 victory against the Purdue Boilermakers (7-11-2, 4-6-1 Big Ten) at home on Senior Night.  The win marked the first time the seniors have gone undefeated on Jeffrey Field in their collegiate careers and allowed the Nittany Lions to clench the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.

Before the game, the players described their traditional bus ride over to the stadium as an exciting, yet emotional time for everyone.  They were amped and ready to play a home game on Friday night in front of their families and friends, but they were also sad to see the seniors play their last regular season home game.

"We were all cheering louder than ever," said freshman defender Jackie Molinda.  "And just with our seniors, we love them, they're such a great group, so it was an emotional ride."

Penn State (17-3-0, 10-1-0 Big Ten) had a hard time getting the offense going in the first half.  A cold, wet field accompanied by a stingy Purdue defense, made it difficult for the Nittany Lions to find a rhythm early.  It was an emotional game and the players found themselves caught up in the atmosphere on Jeffrey Field and the concept of losing their seniors next season.

"I think it's an emotional night for the seniors and for everybody involved," said senior defender and team captain Emma Thomson.  "I think at times it probably got the better of us, but once we settled down we started to connect our passes and we started to play the game we're known to play."

With the score knotted at zero going into halftime, the players rallied around their coaches who challenged them to show that they are one of the top teams in the country.

"It was just about that it's bigger than the Big Ten now," said sophomore forward Taylor Schram of the speech at halftime.  "We want to set a standard to everybody in the nation that we're for real this year, that we weren't playing like it tonight, and that we needed to pick it up.  I think they [the coaches] really did a good job of getting us fired up."

Penn State came out of the locker room energized and focused on their present goal.  The result showed immediately as three minutes into the half, freshman midfielder Emily Hurd took a ball from Schram and launched it just under the cross bar for the first goal of the game.  The score was just what the Nittany Lions needed to ignite the offense, an attack that has outscored opponents 34-2 in the second half over the last 19 games.  From there the Purdue defense crumbled as Penn State poured on shot after shot until in the 64^th minute, Schram put the game out of reach with her 12^th goal of the season off of a give and go from her fellow forward Maya Hayes.  Head coach Erica Walsh described Schram's play as "game-changing."

"When she moved into that attacking mid role I thought that things really started to turn for us," said coach Walsh.

The Nittany Lions dominated the second half; out-shooting Purdue 15-2 and rarely letting the ball leave the Boilermaker side of the field.  To win on Senior Night and to go undefeated at home was the perfect way for the players to reward their fellow seniors for all the hard work they put in and all that they've accomplished at Penn State.

"Our seniors are like the core and heart of our team and to win for them on seniors night and go undefeated on Jeffrey is just everything that we could have wanted for this season," said Schram.

"These guys are right now defining their legacy and I think for the most part every game this season they've made it very clear that they want to accomplish something big this year," said coach Walsh.

Penn State plays Northwestern in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday.  As key starters like Maddy Evans and Bri Hovington return from injury, the players are more confident than ever.  They crave more than a Big Ten title and they are ready to fight on the national stage for a championship trophy.