Sept. 6, 2007
University Park, Pa. - The sixth-ranked Penn State field hockey team, fresh off a 5-1 road win over Princeton on Wednesday night, will play its third game of the week on Friday when the Nittany Lions host the James Madison Dukes (2-1), who are ranked No. 11. Penn State (3-1) will also be looking for its first home win of the year after falling to UConn on Sunday but also winning its first three games on the road this year.
As a small part of the festivities surrounding the Penn State-Notre Dame football game and the expected stadium-wide whiteout this weekend, the first 100 fans to enter AstroTurf Field for the 6:00 p.m. game will receive a white Penn State field hockey t-shirt.
Friday's game will mark the renewal of a frequently-played series that has not been played over the last two years. Penn State and James Madison last met in 2004, but met for four straight seasons prior to that. Penn State has won the last seven straight meetings with the Dukes dating back to the 1997 season and holds a 19-3-1 advantage in the all-time series. James Madison's last win came in 1995.
James Madison will also the last of five straight opponents for Penn State to begin the season that played in last season's NCAA Tournament. Penn State already has a win over a Colonial Athletic Association opponent this year as the Nittany Lions knocked off CAA member Old Dominion to being the year.
Individually for the Nittany Lions, Britney Long has started the season faster on offense than anyone on the team as she was scored four goals in four games, including two against Princeton on Wednesday, which was a career high in a game for her. The four goals has already equalled her career high for goals in a season. She co-leads the team in points with eight along with Shaun Banta entering Friday's contest.
Fans planning to attend Friday's game are advised to leave plenty of time for traveling to the game, as heavy traffic is expected entering and in the State College area on Friday, not only with football traffic, but also with other Penn State athletic events, including soccer and volleyball, scheduled for Friday as well as the final State College Spikes game of the season.