MORNING BRIEFING: Upset that was not an upset

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Sep 19, 2008

James Madison beat No. 16 Penn State 1-0 before a school-record crowd of 1,829 fans -- more than double the previous high -- and a national television audience Thursday evening at the JMU Soccer Complex. ALSO: N.C. State, the only unbeaten and untied ACC team, makes a comeback ... West Virginia freshman Erica Henderson stole the show in the Mountaineers' Big East opener.

James Madison beat No. 16 Penn State 1-0 before a school-record crowd of 1,829 fans -- more than double the previous high -- and a national television audience Thursday evening at the JMU Soccer Complex.

A header by redshirt junior Teri Maykoski in the 22nd minute was the difference.

The Dukes had the run of play for most of the match, outshooting Penn State, 12-7, and limiting the Nittany Lions to one attempt that was on goal.

"I said to the players after the game that the soccer world is going to consider this an upset, but I don't think it was," said JMU coach Dave Lombardo.  "I knew this was coming; this started last year when we lost up there 1-0.  We knew we could play with these guys, we can win this game.

WOLFPACK IS BACK. N.C. State, a national women's power for a decade beginning with its launch in 1984, has not make the NCAA Tournament since 1996 and has not had a winning record since 2002, but that could change this year.

The Wolfpack is the only unbeaten and untied ACC team (7-0-0) heading into weekend action. N.C. State will certainly be challenged when it faces its toughest weekend test of the season with a pair of road matches at William & Mary on Friday and at Old Dominion on Sunday.

Senior Lindsay Vera (6 goals, 5 assists) and sophomore Kara Baldy (6 goals, 3 assists) have teamed up to form the ACC's top scoring duo thus far in 2008 with 32 combined points.

Freshman Kim Kern heads the ACC's keepers in goals-against-average (0.25).


MEMORABLE START. Redshirt freshman Erica Henderson stole the show with two goals in the first 21 minutes of her first collegiate start Thursday evening as No. 15 West Virginia posted a 4-0 shutout against Pitt in the Big East opener for both teams.