Schiemann Collects B1G Defensive Player of the Week Laurels – Penn State

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Penn State women’s soccer senior defender Mieke Schiemann secured the third Big Ten Conference weekly accolade of her collegiate career, earning B1G Defensive Player of the Week distinction in the league office’s weekly release Tuesday afternoon.

Schiemann, a native of Berlin, Germany, booked Penn State’s second Big Ten Conference weekly award of the 2024 season this week, landing those honors after a pair of goals scored in addition to another set of lockdown defensive performances for the Blue & White. Schiemann found the back of the net with a pair of penalty kick scores, highlighted by the match-winning goal against the Columbia Lions on Penn State’s senior day last Sunday. Schiemann additionally helped anchor a Penn State defense that held Michigan scoreless for just the fourth time this year while simultaneously pushing the pace on the dribble to spark the PSU attack. The Nittany Lions outpaced Michigan by a 6-0 score, marking the largest margin of victory over the Wolverines in program history as well as the most goals PSU has scored against Michigan all-time.

The veteran center back is already well on her way to replicating her breakout 2023 season on the offensive end, amassing a pair of goals scored and an assist for five total points through her first eight matches of the year. Schiemann has played and started all but one of Penn State’s matches this year, logging 90 minutes in three of her eight appearances to date. Over the course of her storied PSU career, Schiemann has played in 71 matches, making 70 starts while scoring 28 points split between 10 career goals and eight assists.

With Schiemann anchoring the back line for the Nittany Lions, Penn State has re-established its footing as one of the strongest defensive units in the nation, ranking 34th nationally and fifth in the expanded Big Ten in goals-against average with 0.556 goals allowed per match. Penn State’s stellar defensive work has culminated in one of the strongest goal differentials across all of college soccer, with the Blue & White leading the B1G and ranking 12th nationally with a +19 goal differential. PSU’s B1G-opening shutout against Michigan was the most decisive result of opening weekend, with the 6-0 Nittany Lion win outpacing a 5-0 showing from Michigan State at Maryland on the opening night of conference action.

PSU collected its first B1G Defensive Player of the Week award in the 2024 season, as well as its second accolade of the…