April 15, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 17 Penn State women's lacrosse team (6-7, 0-2 ALC) will face its second of three straight ALC opponents on Sun., April 19 when it hosts No. 13 Ohio State (11-3, 2-0 ALC) at Jeffrey Field in a 1 p.m. Senior Day match-up.
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 (Baltimore, Md.), 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.
Last weekend, Penn State claimed an early 3-0 lead against No. 1 Northwestern but it could not keep pace with the potent Wildcats' offense and fell, 17-6, 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 Northwestern shots.
Senior co-captain Megan McGuire has four goals and nine assists this season |
Penn State's match-up with Ohio State is its eighth game against a ranked opponent in its last 10, testament to its grueling 2009 schedule. According to laxpower.com, Penn State's strength of schedule is ranked No. 8 in the nation, ahead of teams prominently positioned in the IWLCA poll such as No. 8 Syracuse (11 SOS), No. 11 Boston University (14 SOS), No. 7 Princeton (19 SOS), and No. 3 Penn (20 SOS).
The Buckeyes are coming off a 21-4 dismantling of first-year program Detroit Mercy on Tuesday in Detroit, marking the fourth time this season OSU has reached the 20-goal plateau. Evident by that performance, Ohio State's strength is its attack, as it boasts five players with 29 or more goals, led by Kelly Haggerty's 47. The junior attacker also tops the Buckeyes in assists (35) and points (82). American Lacrosse Conference Freshman of the Year candidate Alayna Markwordt (39 goals, 25 assists) also provides punch to the Ohio State attack. Goalkeeper Kristen Gilwee has started 13 of 14 games this season, compiling a 9.18 goals against average, and .419 save percentage.
Penn State holds a 10-4 all-time record versus Ohio State. In 2008, the Nittany Lions split two meetings with Buckeyes, falling to OSU, 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. It marked the second straight year that Penn State followed up a regular season loss to Ohio State with a postseason win.
Fans can follow all of the action of the Penn State-Ohio State match-up on the Internet with live scoring updates or with a live video webcast from Jeffrey Field. Find links on the official website of Nittany Lion athletics, www.GoPSUsports.com.
The Nittany Lions will visit Baltimore next weekend to take on Johns Hopkins (5-8, 0-2 ALC) in their regular season finale. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sat., April 25 at the Blue Jays' Homewood Field. A year ago, Penn State dropped a 10-8 decision to Johns Hopkins at Jeffrey Field, its second consecutive loss in the series.
The postseason will begin for Penn State when it serves as hosts of the 2009 ALC Championship from May 30-April 2. All games are tentatively scheduled to be played at Jeffrey Field. Tickets will be sold on game day at the gate only. Ticket prices are $7 for Adults, Student/youth $4. Groups of 20 or more (any age) are $3.