Sept. 10, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Mired in a two-game offensive funk, the Penn State field hockey team erupted for two goals in the first nine minutes of Wednesday's game en route to a 4-0 victory over Temple.
Bethany Marvel (Newtown, Pa.) scored two goals and Jessica Longstreth (Richboro, Pa.) added three points to lead the triumphant Nittany Lions.
Head coach Charlene Morett's squad ended its scoring drought 3:50 into the contest when Jen Long (Doylestown, Pa.) scooted around an Owl defender, shooting it off Temple goalkeeper Erin Hanshue's foot. The ball trickled in front of the net, where Marvel hammered it into the net to go ahead 1-0.
Less than five minutes later, Longstreth stabbed the ball out of a scrabble, set herself and aired the ball past the goal for a quick two-goal lead for the Nittany Lions.
Jen Beaumont (Chalfont, Pa.) earned her second shutout victory. Beaumont made six saves on the game.
Temple pressured Penn State throughout the contest, putting up eight shots compared to the home team's 10. The Owls' Dannah Brehm had two breakaway chances late in the first half. At the 15-minute mark, Brehm got ahead of the defense but Beaumont swiped it away before the Atlantic 10 first-teamer could release a clean shot. Brehm found herself in another breakaway opportunity five minutes later, but Laura Cahill (Virginia Beach, Va.) put her stick on the ball before Brehm could get inside the circle.
Marvel and Longstreth posted more points in the second half. Two minutes out of the break, Longstreth delivered it to Marvel, who rifled it into the back of the net from 14 yards out.
Amy Bonenberger (Palmyra, Pa.) tallied her first goal of the season in the final two minutes of the game. Allison Scola (Hummelstown, Pa.) shot the ball off a penalty corner that kicked off Hanshue's pads and allowed Bonenberger to score. Long added her second assist of the game on the Bonenberger goal.
Penn State edged Temple in penalty corners 6-5. Hanshue made three saves in the loss, including a foot save off a Scola shot that ringed off the post and out of the net.
Much of the second half was played outside of the circles as each team only connected for two shots each.