April 12, 2009
EVANSTON, Ill. - The No. 17 Penn State women's lacrosse team (6-7, 0-2 ALC) could not keep pace with No. 1-ranked Northwestern (13-0, 2-0 ALC) in an ALC showdown on Sunday afternoon and fell, 17-6, at the Wildcats' Lakeside Field in Evanston, Ill.
The Nittany Lion attack was balanced with six different players scoring goals. Sophomore Jen Steadman (Sykesville, Md.) was the lone Lion to notch multiple points, tallying two (1 goal, 1 assist). Junior goalkeeper Stephanie Ellis (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) recorded five saves against 34 Wildcats' shots.
Penn State came out aggressive, shocking Northwestern by quickly building a 3-0 lead. Freshman Theresa Zichelli (Severna Park, Md.) got the Nittany Lions on the board when she converted on a free position attempt, netting her 12th goal of the season. Goals by junior Erica Mihm (Annapolis, Md.) and senior Laura Lincicome (Berwyn, Pa.) over the next five-plus minutes provided Penn State with the game-opening, three-goal advantage. The Lion defense was up to the task early as well, as it held the nation's No. 1-ranked offense scoreless for the contest's first 12:21.
The Penn State lead would prove to be short-lived, however, as Northwestern answered back emphatically, scoring seven unanswered goals over the final 17:39 of the first half. Katrina Dowd and Hannah Nielsen led the Wildcats during the rally, tallying two goals and three points (1 goal, 2 assists), respectively.
In the second half, Northwestern put the game out of Penn State's reach early, registering three straight goals to stretch its lead to 10-3. The Nittany Lions cut into that advantage with back-to-back goals by junior Theresa Bucci (Hudson, Ohio) and Jen Steadman, but that's as close as they would get. Northwestern ended the game on a 7-1 run with only a goal by Maria Valderas (Catonsville, Md.) at the 7:01 mark to break up the Wildcats' scoring streak.
The Nittany Lions will take on their second straight ALC opponent on Sun., April 19 when they welcome No. 15 Ohio State (10-4, 2-0 ALC) to Jeffrey Field for a 1 p.m. Senior Day contest. Nine seniors, Mariel Bryan (Folsom, Pa.), Lauren Burke (Severna Park, Md.), Aly Carter (Summit, N.J.), Chrissie Galindo (Ellicott City, Md.), Brittany Jensen (Bay Shore, N.Y.), Laura Lincicome (Berwyn, Pa.), Amanda Longobucco (Sea Cliff, N.Y.), Megan McGuire (Eldersburg, Md.), and Kerry Shea, will play their final home regular season game in a Penn State uniform when they take the field versus the Buckeyes. A special ceremony to honor their careers and contributions will precede the contest.
A year ago, Penn State split two meetings with Ohio State, falling to the Buckeyes, 17-12, during the regular season but bouncing back in the postseason, dominating in a 13-5 victory in the first round of the ALC Championship.