Oct. 12, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For the second time this weekend, the No. 13 Penn State field hockey team upended a Top Ten opponent, as the Nittany Lions blanked No. 10 Virginia, 1-0, Sunday at the Field Hockey Field.
Christine Dudek (Harleysville, Pa.) scored the game-winning goal for Penn State (9-4, 2-0 Big Ten), and Jen Beaumont (Chalfont, Pa.) made seven saves to earn her fourth and the team's sixth shutout of the season.
Allison Scola (Hummelstown, Pa.) earned an assist to give her a team-high 15 points - three goals and nine assists - to continue her four-game point streak as the Nittany Lions won their fifth consecutive game.
After being held without a shot for the first 10 minutes, Scola streaked down the right side of the Cavaliers' zone. Scola deked Virginia defenders alongside the base line and no-look passed the ball back to Dudek, who one-timed the ball into the net for a textbook goal 10:37 into the contest.
Sunday's win is the second win over one of the nation's premier field hockey programs. Penn State defeated Iowa, 2-1, on Friday in University Park, Pa.
Virginia (10-5) couldn't manufacture shots on goal on many of its penalty corners, which the Cavaliers had a 9-7 advantage in, during the first half.
Beaumont kept the Wahoos scoreless with several splendid saves. Virginia's Michelle Vittesse darted down the field for a breakaway opportunity that was stopped by Beaumont, who ran out to blanket the ball with her pads. Minutes later, she stuffed another open-net shot by Vittesse. A game-saving save was made at the 56:21 mark when Inge Kaars Sijpest banged a lift shot that rose chest-high that could not slip past the former All-American goalkeeper.
The Nittany Lions were victorious despite being out-shot 10-8 by the Hoos.
Penn State plays its third game in five days Tuesday when it travels up Route 45 to take on intra-state foe Bucknell at 6 p.m. in Lewisburg, Pa.