The conditions at Jeffrey Field on Friday night were much like the bleachers -- freezing cold and wet.

It had been raining steadily for a few hours leading up to the Penn State women's soccer team's final conference game against Big Ten rival Ohio State, and that, combined with the skin-numbing cold kept all but the truly faithful -- family, mostly from watching the Nittany Lions capture their fifth straight Big Ten championship.

The field itself was transformed by the inclement weather into an icy sludge, causing players on both teams to slip frequently and badly, often colliding with one another while competing for the ball.

By match's end, the physicality of the game was evidenced by the Lions uniforms, which were almost to a woman, more brown than white. Thankfully, though, no serious injuries were caused by the weather, but it didn't help those that already existed.

"I'm wearing screw-ins and slipped at least four times today ... and that's the best footwear you can wear in these conditions ... there's nothing you can do about it," said Penn State forward Christie Welsh.

"I'm particularly angry because with my heel it's been a nightmare wearing screw-ins and that's what you've got to do on this field."

This isn't the first time the Lions' field has been soggy for a game.

In fact, most of their home games this season have been played in the rain, making for constant poor conditions.

"The rain always affects the way we play, individually and as a team," Penn State forward Kristen Mandler said.

"The field was really sloppy, and it was hard to make passes, but you learn to play through it."

The wind, which had been for the most part quiet, picked up with a vengeance after the halfway mark, blowing the ball of its course and umbrellas out of the hands of unsuspecting fans.

The "growl towels," which were handed out before the game, were also blown about in the unrelenting gale, although most of them had been used less for waving in support of the team than wiping down the bleachers.

Almost the instant the final whistle was blown and the teams walked over to the sidelines, Mother Nature gave up on any restraint she had been exercising, and the rain really began to fall. The redoubled torrent sent fans scrambling, but the Lions stuck around long enough to be presented their Big Ten championship trophy.

While they're certainly used to the act of receiving this accolade, doing it while standing in a deluge of freezing rain will probably make this time stand out in their minds. They'll at least be thinking about it until they thaw out.