Aug. 26, 2009
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• The Penn State field hockey team opens the regular season this weekend when it squares off against perennial powers, No. 16 Old Dominion and No. 6 Virginia. Friday's contest is slated for 5 p.m. while Sunday is set for a 1 p.m. start.
• A young Nittany Lion squad is set to face two teams selected to win their respective conferences. Penn State looks for its third consecutive win against Old Dominion and fifth straight against Virginia.
• Fans can follow all of Friday's action through while live stats will be available for Sunday as well. Also, be sure to follow both days through Twitter.
Remember When?
• Head coach Charlene Morett has a strong connection to Old Dominion and its head coach Beth Anders.
• Anders hired Morett as an assistant coach in 1980. During that run, the Monarchs reached three NCAA Tournaments.
• The experience helped Morett earn her first head coaching job, with Boston College in 1984, before she joined Penn State in 1987. Morett has been at her alma mater ever since.
• Anders had this to say about Morett: "One of Char's best assets is her heart. It represents how much she cares about her players. She develops more than a field hockey player; she develops people. Coaching against Char is not only challenging, but fun. It's a challenge because Char's teams are prepared; they bring emotion and a strong game plan. Char is a fierce competitor but it's all about the game and that makes it fun."
Lions Ranked 11th In Preseason NFHCA Poll
• Following a Big Ten Championship season, the Penn State field hockey begins 2009 ranked No. 11 in the preseason Kookaburra/NFHCA Coaches Poll as announced on Tuesday. The Nittany Lions, who concluded last season in the same position, have 10 opponents ranked in the top-20.
• In total, 10 of the Lions' 2009 opponents garnered a preseason national ranking, including six of the top nine: Maryland (1), Connecticut (5), Virginia (6), Princeton (7), Michigan State (8), Iowa (9), American (14), Old Dominion (16), Ohio State (18) and Michigan (19). Other opponents, Northwestern, Indiana, Lock Haven, Bucknell and Stanford all received votes as well.
• Five of the seven Big Ten squads were ranked in the top-20, second most of any conference behind the ACC. The other two teams - Indiana and Northwestern - received votes, effectively ranked 26th and 27th, respectively.
The Series With Old Dominion
• The Nittany Lions and Monarchs are no strangers; they have faced each other 23 times all-time with Old Dominion holding a 13-10 advantage.
• Friday marks the seventh consecutive season that Old Dominion has served as the Lions' season-opening opponent. The last time Penn State had another opening-game opponent was Sept. 1, 2002, when it defeated Lafayette by a 5-0 final.
• The Lions and Monarchs have faced off every season dating back to (and including) 1989, with 2009 being the 21st consecutive.
• Penn State has won the last two matchups, this after Old Dominion won the previous three.
• Last season, the No. 6 Lions held the eighth ranked Monarchs shot-less in a dominating 2-0 win at Collegeville, Pa.
Scouting Old Dominion
• The Monarchs are the NCAA's all-time leaders in NCAA Tournament appearances with 27, two ahead of Penn State and North Carolina with 25. They also lead in NCAA Tournament games (64), wins (46) and semifinal appearances (16).
• Old Dominion failed to make the tournament last season, finishing 10-13 overall. After a tough nonconference season, it did bounce back to reach the CAA Championship Game where it fell, 1-0, to James Madison.
• Old Dominion finds itself first in the CAA preseason poll that was recently released.
• The Monarchs feature an experienced team, returning 17 letterwinners while only losing three. Ten of the eleven players who recorded a point last season return, but leading scorer Katelyn Smither (11g, 3a) was lost to graduation. Starting goalkeeper Kelly Driscoll is back for her senior season; she started all 23 games last year posting a 1.94 GAA and .800 save percentage.
The Series With Virginia
• Penn State has controlled the all-time series, winning 13 of 16.
• The Lions' last loss against Virginia came in 1997, a 4-2 defeat in the NCAA Quarterfinals. Since, Penn State has been victorious on Sept. 3, 2000 (3-1 final), Aug. 26, 2007 (3-1), Nov. 10, 2007 (3-2) and Oct. 12, 2008 (1-0). The 2007 win was the first of three consecutive NCAA Tournament wins over ACC squads as part of its magical run to the National Championship Game.
Junior Daneen Zug led the Lions with 10 goals last season |
• Last season's 1-0 home win was the fifth of nine consecutive midseason victories that propelled Penn State to its 25th NCAA Tournament appearance. Christine Dudek scored the only goal at 10:37 and Jen Beaumont stood tall between the pipes with seven saves.
Scouting Virginia
• The Cavaliers are coming off a 14-9 season and National Quarterfinal appearance.
• Like Old Dominion, the Cavaliers find themselves first in their respective preseason conference poll. They also garnered four of the five first place votes, with Maryland receiving the other.
• Virginia returns 13 letterwinners and loses seven. Seven of its nine leading scorers return in 2009, led by Paige Selenski who broke out with an impressive 47 points (19g, 9a) as a freshman. Her 2.04 points per game were good for 20th nationally.
• Virginia takes its biggest hit in the cage, losing goalkeepers Amy Desjadon and Devon Burnley who combined to start 22 of the 23 games last year. Adrienne Ostroff did start once and returns with a 3.43 GAA and .667 save percentage.
Chasing 400...
• Head coach Charlene Morett enters the season only 11 wins shy of her 400th career win.
• Entering the season, she owns a 389-145-16 career record, which includes her three seasons at Boston College, where she posted a 34-16-8 mark.
• She would become only the fourth Division I coach in NCAA history (ninth overall) to reach the 400-win plateau, joining three others who are still active: Old Dominion's Beth Anders (503 wins entering the season), Connecticut's Nancy Stevens (481) and North Carolina's Karen Shelton (462).
Tough Schedule On Tap
• The Penn State field hockey team is set to face eight NCAA Tournament teams from 2008, including National Champion Maryland and National Semifinalist Iowa.
• Among the teams ranked in the final NFHCA Coaches Poll are: Maryland (1), Connecticut (5), Iowa (6), Princeton (9), Michigan State (10), Virginia (12), Ohio State (14) and American (18). Lock Haven, Old Dominion, Stanford and Indiana all finished among "Also Receiving Votes."
• The squad will also face 10 from the preseason top-20 and five more who are receiving votes. Only three teams - Lafayette, Pacific and West Chester - didn't receive votes.
Streaks To Greatness
• The field hockey program has put together a number of impressive streaks both recently and looking back to its storied history. The Lions look to extend these streaks in 2009.
• With Penn State's nine game winning streak in 2008, the squad put together streaks of nine games or more in three of the previous four seasons (also 10 in 2006 and a school-record 17 in 2005). Ironically, the one season that it didn't put together a streak of that magnitude was in the National Finalist season in 2007 when the longest win streak "only" reached five.
• Entering 2009, the Nittany Lions have picked up double-figures in wins in an incredible 31 consecutive seasons, a streak that is still alive.
• Additionally, the Lions have never had a losing record under Morett. The worst season came in 2004 when they finished 10-10. Every other season of her storied career has consisted of a winning record.
Owning The Keystone State
• Penn State field hockey has dominated state foes, winning 29 consecutive games against teams from Pennsylvania.
• The Lions look to extend the streak this year as they face intrastate rivals Lock Haven, Lafayette, West Chester, and Bucknell. The first chance is in the home opener on Sept. 4 vs. Lock Haven at 6 p.m.
PSU In The Polls
• The Nittany Lions held steady in the polls each and every week last year, finding themselves anywhere from sixth to 14th. The squad concluded the season at No. 11.
• That kept the streak alive of being ranked in every final STX/NFHCA National Top 20 Poll since the poll's inception in 1998.
Senior Captain Amy Bonenberger is one of the top returners in the back. |
Dominant Defense
• The 2008 edition of the Penn State Nittany Lions proved to be one of the more dominant defensive teams in recent memory, and perhaps program history.
• The combination of goalkeepers Jen Beaumont and Ali Meves finished the season fourth nationally in goals against average (1.05) and second in shutouts per game (0.45).
• Opponents only found the back of the cage 21 times on the season which is the fewest a Penn State team has allowed in 10 years (20 goals in 1999).
Get Out To A Lead, Hold Them In The Second
• Penn State's formula for success last season usually included a number of first half goals while clamping down defensively in the final 35 minutes for the win.
• The Lions scored almost 66 percent of their goals (27 of 41) in the first half of games, while 13 came in the second half, and one in overtime.
• The margin of difference in the first half was 15 (27-12) while the second was only five (13-8).
• In fact, the team's GAA in the second half proved to be less than one at 0.80 while the second half was 50 percent more at 1.20.
Home Sweet Home
• Penn State impressed at home, posting a 7-2 record while only giving up five goals all year at the friendly confines.
• Not looking at the Princeton game, the Lion defense allowed only two goals in the other eight home contests (0.25/game).
• The defense held its opponent scoreless in the final 223:34 at home and in the process shut out Virginia, Indiana, and Michigan. The squad looks to extend that scoreless streak early in 2009.
• The team outscored its opponent by a whopping margin of 22-5 at home while holding a 19-16 scoring edge at road or neutral sites.
• Penn State improves to 29-8 all-time at the new Penn State Field Hockey Complex, which opened in 2005.
Racking Up The Hardware
• Penn State racked up a fair share of postseason hardware for success on the field and in the classroom, highlighted by three All-American selections.
• Jen Long was named NFHCA First Team All-American to extend the Nittany Lions' streak to 24 straight seasons with at least one member on the first team.
• The Nittany Lions also swept the end-of-year Big Ten awards as Charlene Morett was named Coach of the Year, Jen Long was named Defensive Player of the Year, Allison Scola was Co Offensive Player of the Year and Jessica Longstreth was tabbed Freshman of the Year.
2009 Media Guide Now Available!
• The 2009 media guide is now available! In it, you can find everything you need to know about Penn State field hockey including stats, player bios, a complete history section and much more!
• Copies are available for only $5. They will be available at every home and can also be purchased through the publications store on GoPSUsports.com. Just click to order.
Sign Up For Penn State Field Hockey News
• Fans, want to stay up to date on the Penn State field hockey team? Sign up today by contacting Justin Lafleur (jal47@psu.edu) in the Penn State Athletic Communications Department. You will receive game previews, game recaps, news releases and more, straight to your inbox!
Follow Penn State Field Hockey On Twitter!
• Penn State field hockey is now on Twitter! You can find exclusive notes and features to help you stay one step ahead when following the Nittany Lions.
• Included will be live in game scoring updates, so if you can't make it to Happy Valley, you'll still be able to follow all the action. Go to www.twitter.com and search for the username PennStateFH. Or just click here.
SEASON PREVIEW
The 2009 season marks the beginning of a new era for Penn State Field Hockey. Not only are the Nittany Lions moving forward without the services of All-Americans Jen Beaumont, Jen Long, and Allison Scola, who graduated after stellar four-year careers, but they do so in a season that debuts major rule changes which should drastically alter the pace of the game.
Head Coach Charlene Morett explained the first change, a self-start rule.
Redshirt senior Christine Dudek scored five goals in 2008. |
"On a free hit, you no longer have to stop the ball and pass it; you can quickly stop the ball and take it yourself," she said. "That will add a quickness and speed to the game that we haven't seen in a while."
The other change is when there is a foul inside the slash marks leading up to the circle; the ball will have to be pulled back and restarted.
"That rule will slow down the game a little bit, but I think you're going to see the game of field hockey changing in a different dimension with regard to the speed of the self-start rule and you're going to see plays being set up from inside the 25 that you haven't seen in the past," Morett said. "This will give both offenses and defenses time to organize a potential set formation."
Regardless of the rule changes, the Nittany Lions have a tall task trying to continue their recent success, which includes a Big Ten Championship and a National Championship Game appearance for a program that has reached the NCAA Tournament in 25 of the last 27 years with its 25 overall appearances good for second most all-time.
In 2007, the squad made a magical run to the title game defeating three ACC powers - Virginia, Maryland, and Wake Forest. Penn State followed that season with the Big Ten Regular Season Championship in 2008, its first since 2005 and fifth overall. One highlight came at home on Oct. 10, defeating No. 5 Iowa by a 2-1 final in front of a television audience on the Big Ten Network. Despite being upset by Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament, the Nittany Lions received an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.
That sets the stage for 2009, which features a young team looking to create an identity and make its mark.
As Morett said, "This team has to play very balanced and we have to use our bench to make a significant difference. Because of this new rule, it's going to be a fast-paced game and if we can show depth, it will help us be successful. It will be difficult for any team to run the field for 70 minutes. We will need all 20 players ready and fit come preseason camp in August."
With strong leadership from veteran players led by senior captains Amy Bonenberger, Laura Cahill, and Bethany Marvel to go along with a plethora of young talent, the pieces are in place to make 2009 a memorable year.
(This is a portion of the season preview. You can find the complete version at GoPSUsports.com and in the 2009 media guide.)