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2008 Big Ten Women's Soccer Wrap Up
Dec. 16, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format
The 2008 Big Ten women’s soccer season came to a close in the third round of the NCAA Championship with Illinois and Minnesota both being eliminated. Michigan State suffered a loss in the second round of the NCAA event while Penn State was knocked out in Round 1. The Big Ten finished with two NSCAA/adidas All-Americans in Penn State’s Alyssa Naeher and Michigan State’s Laura Heyboer. Naeher was named to the first-team for the second consecutive year while Heyboer earned third-team honors and is one of only six freshman in the country to earn All-America status. Both Illinois and Minnesota won two matches in the 2008 NCAA Championship, advancing to the third round of the event. Minnesota suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 overtime defeat to No. 1 Notre Dame while Illinois was bested by No. 1 North Carolina, 3-0. The Gophers shared the conference title with Penn State this season as both teams posted an identical record of 8-2-0. Claiming at least a share of their 11th straight Big Ten crown, the Nittany Lions also snatched up the 2008 Big Ten Tournament title, downing Minnesota, 2-1, in the final match. This was the 14th straight year that Penn State received a bid to compete in the NCAA Championship. PSU was eventually eliminated by Rutgers, 2-1, in double overtime of the first round. Michigan State’s season came to an end after No. 1 seed Notre Dame defeated the Spartans, 1-0, in the second round of the NCAA event. MSU advanced through the first round after beating UW-Milwaukee, 2-1.
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