It was just a typical weekend for the No. 3 Penn State women's soccer team.

Two more Big Ten opponents come to Jeffrey Field, and leave losers. It was business as usual for the Nittany Lions (11-1-1, 7-0 Big Ten) as they beat No. 23 Illinois (10-4, 4-3) 2-0 on Friday and Northwestern (7-6-1, 3-4) 1-0 yesterday afternoon.

While the Lions just kind of went through the motions against the Wildcats, the matchup on Friday proved to be one of the bigger tests of the season.

Junior Tiffany Weimer did all the scoring for Penn State over the weekend, giving her 15 goals for the season. Penn State, which now has 18 second-half goals to only six in the first half, did all it's scoring after intermission.

"We definitely are [a second-half team]," junior midfielder Carmelina Moscato said after the Illinois game. "I don't know what it is. But really we need to start doing it right from the get-go because it's not good enough."

Penn State came out quickly in the second half against the Fighting Illini and capitalized on a rare mistake by All-America goalkeeper Leisha Alcia.

Alcia tried to play a ball sent into the box but it slipped through her hands. Always near, Weimer took one dribble and easily put the ball into the empty net.

Late in the half Alcia made another uncharacteristic play. After playing a ball near midfield, Alcia was on her way back to her net. The Lions however quickly got possession and Moscato sent a perfect pass from beyond midfield to Weimer outside of the box. Weimer popped the ball over the scrambling Alcia and into the net with two minutes left in the game to seal it.

"It was a bit unexpected," Penn State coach Paula Wilkins said of Alcia. "She's a very good goalkeeper and I'm glad that Tiffany was there to capitalize on it."

Against Northwestern the Lions were without Moscato, who was suspended, along with freshman forward Alli Donofrio, for violating team rules.

The loss was felt, as the team played sluggishly for much of the game. It wasn't until the 54th minute that the Lions got on the board. Weimer took advantage of another goalie mistake. This time it was Whitney Jones' errant kick that found its way to the Big Ten's leading goal scorer, who knocked it over Jones for the game-winner.

"I think we played down to Northwestern today," Weimer said. "I just don't think we were as sharp as we could be. It was just a matter of us not playing up to our ability.

"It was a loss but you have to get through those sometimes," she added about playing without Moscato. "But you could definitely tell there was something missing out there today."

Erin McLeod recorded her fifth and sixth shutouts of the season. She garnered seven saves in the two games and has the Lions on the verge of tying the same consecutive shutout record of five that they tied earlier this season.

Penn State can clinch its seventh straight conference title next weekend with a sweep of bottom-dwelling Iowa and Minnesota.

"We all know we could win every single game in the Big Ten and that's exactly what we intend to do," junior defender Natalie Jacobs said.