Nov. 3, 2009
Complete Big Ten Tournament Media Packet
- Tournament Central | Tournament Bracket In PDF
- Season Stats | Media Guide | Quick Facts | Archived Game Programs | Archived PDF Notes
- Twitter Updates |
BIG TEN OPENING ROUND
#7 Seed Penn State (6-11, 1-4 Big Ten)
vs. #2 Seed Ohio State (13-5, 4-2 Big Ten)
Thursday, November 5, 2009 • 1:15 p.m.
Ralph Young Field, East Lansing, Mich.
• Following an up-and-down regular season, the Penn State field hockey team now turns its attention to the Big Ten Tournament which kicks off on Thursday at Michigan State. The Nittany Lions will face second-seeded (and 12th nationally ranked) Ohio State at 1:15 p.m. that afternoon with the winner advancing to face either Indiana or Northwestern in the conference semifinals.
• The Big Ten Tournament Champion will claim the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament which kicks off on Nov. 14.
• The Nittany Lions will be looking for their first Big Ten Tournament Title since 1998. That was the fourth-consecutive year that Penn State won the conference tournament.
• Penn State has struggled this season in finishing with one Big Ten win, but that victory came against the Buckeyes. The 1-5 record marks the worst conference finish in program history. The Lions looks to make history as the first-ever No. 7 seed to reach the Big Ten Championship Game.
• Ironically, Ohio State and Penn State meet two days prior to a big football showdown in Happy Valley when the Lions host the Buckeyes at Beaver Stadium. That game is set for 3:30 p.m. on ABC/ESPN.
• Fans can follow all the action through the Penn State field hockey twitter page. In addition, Gametracker is expected to be available throughout the tournament. The Big Ten Network will televise the semifinals and championship game live. The semifinals are scheduled for Friday at 12:15 p.m. and 2 p.m. while Sunday's final will begin at 12 p.m.
Follow The Nittany Lions On Their Quest For A Tournament Title Through Twitter!
• Be sure to follow Penn State's trek to Michigan State starting on Wednesday through the Penn State field hockey twitter page.
• Athletic Communications Assistant Justin Lafleur will post updates before, during and after the games, so if you can't make it to East Lansing, there's no better way to stay up to date!
• Everything you need to know surrounding the game can be found, including news, notes, twit pics, in-game scoring updates and much more!
Ticket Information
• Tickets to the Big Ten Tournament are only $7 per day for adults and $5 for children and seniors.
• For more information, please visit the Tournament Central page on MSUSpartans.com.
Up Against The Odds
• Since the conference expanded to seven teams in 2000, no No. 7 seed has ever won the tournament title or even advanced to the championship game.
• A seventh seed has won one game all-time, that coming in 2006 when Michigan State topped No. 2 Indiana, 3-2.
What's On The Line?
• Win and continue. Lose and the season is over. Penn State looks to extend its season with victories.
• Should the squad win three games, it would earn the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
• Fortunately for the Lions, they are in the opposite bracket of the top-seeded (and host) Michigan State Spartans.
• If they beat Ohio State on Thursday, they would face Northwestern or Indiana in Friday's semifinals then Iowa, Michigan or Michigan State in the championship game.
A Birthday Wish
• For senior captain Laura Cahill, a win against Ohio State on Thursday would be extra special as it is also her 22nd birthday.
• Two other Nittany Lions have celebrated birthdays in-season and both have also come on game days as well.
• Redshirt freshman Ayla Halus' came on Oct. 18 at Iowa (1-0 loss) while Casey McCartin's was on Oct. 24 vs. Pacific (6-4 win).
Looking To (Avoid) History
• Penn State hopes this season isn't a repeat of last year.
• Both this year and last, the squad topped the Buckeyes in regular season action.
• But last year, Ohio State was victor, 2-1 (in overtime) in the conference semifinals to knock out the top-seeded Nittany Lions.
• The Lions look to change that trend by winning in the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday.
A "Neutral" Carryover
• Penn State won a big 6-4 contest against Pacific on Oct. 24. That game was played at a neutral site (Indiana).
• The Lions hope that they can carry over that "neutral site" success for more neutral site games starting on Thursday. The only true road game would come if they advance to the Big Ten Finals and face Michigan State.
Upon Further Review
• Penn State's Senior Day goal (against Michigan State) was actually scored by senior forward Gina Bartolacci.
• Freshman Kelsey Amy's initial shot off a penalty corner went into traffic in front. Bartolacci eventually made the redirection past Spartans' goalie Elissa Unger with the assist credited to redshirt freshman Hannah Allison, who also got a piece.
• For Bartolacci, it marked her second goal in as many games to close out her regular season career.
All of freshman Kelsey Amy's points came in October. |
Change Of Months
• Freshman Kelsey Amy hopes November brings just as much success as October.
• After not scoring in the first two months of her career (August and September), she finished with all 12 of her points (5g, 2a) in the eight October games. It all started with her thrilling overtime game-winner against Ohio State on Oct. 2.
• Incredibly, she failed to pick up at least a point in only three October games.
Additional Michigan State Tidbits
• Amy came off the bench to snap an eight-game start streak. She had started ever since the Big Ten opener at Michigan (9/27).
• Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Ayla Halus saw action for the first time since Sept. 20 when she started (and shut-out) West Chester.
• Redshirt freshman back Kristen Schaefer started her 13th straight game.
• There were also two defensive saves (by Brooke Hoffsmith and Amy Bonenberger), meaning six of the team's nine defensive saves this year have come in two home games (Stanford and Michigan State).
All-Time Team-By-Team And Big Ten Tournament Rundown
PLEASE NOTE: For a complete team-by-team rundown including all-time series histories, check out the PDF of the postseason media guide. The breakdown by team can be found on pages 2-5. To check it out, just click here.
Penn State All-Time In The Big Ten Tournament
• The Nittany Lions have enjoyed mixed success at the Big Ten Tournament. Their cumulative record is 17-11 with championships coming in four consecutive seasons, from 1996-98.
• Penn State will look to snap a mini two-game losing streak after falling to Ohio State in last season's semifinals and to Michigan the year before. Both games came in overtime.
• In total, three of the last five tournament games have gone to overtime. In addition to the two losses, the Lions topped Michigan State in the conference semifinals in 2006.
• Despite not winning a tournament championship since 1998, Penn State did reach the championship game as recently as 2006. The Nittany Lions topped Northwestern (2-0) and Michigan State (2-1, OT) before falling to Iowa (2-1).
#1 MICHIGAN STATE
Oct. 31, 2009
#8 Michigan State 5, Penn State 1
• UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Despite battling neck-and-neck through much of the first half, No. 8 Michigan State scored just before halftime and rode that momentum to three more second-half goals on their way to a 5-1 win over the Penn State field hockey team in Saturday's regular season finale. The win capped off an undefeated 6-0 Big Ten mark for the league's regular-season champion and upped its winning streak to 10 games.
• Senior Gina Bartolacci scored the Nittany Lions' lone goal, but it wasn't enough to offset a career day by Michigan State's Floor Rijpma, who netted a hat trick. Junior goalkeeper Ali Meves stood tall with five saves to up her season total to 100, the first Penn State goalkeeper to reach triple digits since 2003.
The Series With Michigan State
• Despite Penn State's commanding 22-10 edge, the all-time series has been very competitive with Michigan State enjoying tremendous success recently.
• The Spartans have actually won nine of the last 12 matchups after the Nittany Lions won 19 of the first 20.
• Penn State looks to end a three-game losing skid against Michigan State as well, with its last win against the Spartans coming in the 2006 Big Ten Tournament by a 2-1 final in overtime.
• Notably, the Lions are 10-4 at Michigan State, 4-1 in overtime games and 2-2 in Big Ten Tournament action. Those four contests came in 1997, '02, '03 and '06.
• The all-time series began in 1987 before Penn State's joining of the Big Ten. All but two of the games have come as conference rivals.
Scouting Michigan State
• The Spartans breezed through their schedule, posting a 15-3 record on the season to go along with a perfect 6-0 mark in conference play. They are riding a 10-game winning streak overall.
• Some of their notable wins have come against: American (5-1), Old Dominion (4-1), James Madison (4-1), Northwestern (5-2), Louisville (2-1, OT), Indiana (6-2) and Ohio State (2-1).
• The third-leading scorer in the Big Ten, Floor Rijpma leads the way with 39 points (18g, 3a) followed by Manouk Vernij with 26 (8g, 10a), Jeamie Deacon with 20 (7g, 6a) and a pair (Jantine Steinmetz and Chantae Miller) with 19.
• Elissa Unger has played every minute in goal, posting a 1.32 GAA and a Big Ten-leading .760 save percentage. She also has three shutouts on the season.
Sophomore Jessica Longstreth scored one of Penn State's two goals in the earlier meeting with Ohio State. |
#2 OHIO STATE
Oct. 2, 2009
Penn State 2, #18 Ohio State 1 (OT)
• UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Junior goalkeeper Ali Meves made one sensational save after another to force overtime and freshman Kelsey Amy provided the game-winner as her first-career goal gave the Penn State field hockey team a thrilling 2-1 victory over No. 18 Ohio State on a rainy Friday afternoon. Meves finished with 11 saves, nine coming after halftime, while sophomore Jessica Longstreth scored her third goal of the season in the first half.
• The Big Ten Network was also on hand and aired the game via tape delay.
The Series With Ohio State
• The Buckeyes are Penn State's second most-common foe all-time, only trailing West Chester.
• The teams have met 41 times with the Lions holding a controlling 31-8-2 advantage.
• The first game was played on Oct. 8, 1977, a 5-0 Penn State victory.
• Penn State didn't lose any of the first 16 all-time meetings (14-0-2). • The squads have met multiple times since Penn State's first season in the Big Ten in 1992, including three games in 1996. Big Ten foes played twice during the regular season in the early to mid `90's.
• Overall, the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes have played 30 times as fellow Big Ten schools with Penn State owning a 22-8 lead in those contests.
• They have met four times in the Big Ten Tournament, most recently last season when, in the semifinals, Ohio State upset the top-seeded Nittany Lions in overtime. The squads have split those four tournament meetings.
• Overtime has been frequent as well, with Penn State holding a 5-2 edge in those seven games. The last two games have gone to an extra session, including this year's 2-1 thriller at home.
Scouting Ohio State
• Ohio State was ranked No. 18 nationally at the time of its Oct. 2 clash with Penn State. Despite the loss, the Buckeyes have continued to climb the polls and now come in at No. 12.
• They finished the season at 13-5, 4-2 in Big Ten play. Their only conference losses have come to Penn State and Big Ten Regular Season Champion Michigan State.
• Incredibly, all five of Ohio State's losses came by a goal, four to nationally ranked teams: James Madison (1-0), Syracuse (3-2), Princeton (5-4), Penn State (2-1) and Michigan State (2-1).
• Ohio State's wins have come in dominating fashion with many coming by two goals or more. It ended the season with 2-1 wins over nationally-ranked squads Duke and Northwestern.
• Leading the way on the offensive end is freshman phenom Berta Queralt who has averaged nearly three points/game. She has 44 points (16g, 12a) while Maria Briones is second with 31 (12g, 7a). Following her is Jena Cacciatore with 25 (10g, 5a), Aisling Coyle (21: 6g, 9a) and Aisling McKeon (12: 4g, 4a). Six others have recorded at least one point.
• In total, three different goalkeepers have seen time, led by Lindsay Quintiliani (1130:37), posting a 1.18 GAA and .759 save percentage. Ally Tunitis has struggled as a backup with a .400 save percentage and 3.09 GAA in 135:55.
#3 INDIANA
OCT. 23, 2009
#20 Indiana 4, Penn State 1
• BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Despite taking a quick 1-0 lead, No. 20 Indiana charged back with four unanswered goals to hand the Penn State field hockey team a 4-1 defeat on Friday afternoon. Redshirt freshman Hannah Allison scored the Lions' goal at 10:39 while junior goalkeeper Ali Meves finished with four saves.
The Series With Indiana
• Despite dropping this season's tilt, Penn State still owns a commanding 11-2 advantage in the all-time series with Indiana. Both Hoosier wins came when they were nationally-ranked.
• Prior to this year, the Nittany Lions' only loss came on Oct. 29, 2006 at Penn State when the 14th ranked Hoosiers topped the No. 7 Nittany Lions by a slim 1-0 final.
• The two teams actually met first in 1978 and 1980 then didn't reconvene until Big Ten action in 2000.
• The squad is 6-1 all-time away from home (4-1 on the road and 2-0 in neutral site games). One of those neutral site games was in the 2000 Big Ten Tournament, an easy 8-0 Penn State victory on Nov. 3. That marks the only time that the Lions and Hooisers have met in Big Ten Tournament action.
Scouting Indiana
• The Hoosiers enjoyed an upstart regular season, posting a 12-5 record, 4-2 in conference play. They are riding a five-game winning streak and have won seven of their last eight.
• The squad's only conference losses have come against the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds in Michigan State and Ohio State.
• Other impressive victories came against American (2-1), Louisville (2-1), Iowa (2-1), California (1-0) and Northwestern (2-1).
• Morgan Fleetwood leads the offensive attack with 28 points (11g, 6a) followed by Meg O'Connell (13: 4g, 5a), Kelsey Kiper (11: 2g, 7a), Katie Griswold, (11: 2g, 7a) and Alina Valenti (10: 4g, 2a).
• Alex Mann has seen most of the action in the cage, posting a 1.86 GAA and .667 save percentage to go with one shutout.
#4 IOWA
Oct. 18, 2009
Iowa 1, Penn State 0
• IOWA CITY, Iowa - Freshman forward Kelsey Amy had a flurry of chances with less than five minutes remaining in regulation, but she couldn't score the equalizer as the Penn State field hockey team dropped a hard-fought 1-0 decision to Iowa on Sunday afternoon. The game was the Lions' second to be broadcast by the Big Ten Network (via tape delay).
• Amy finished with a game-high seven shots, including five in a span of 1:33 late in the second half. She wasn't able to convert as three of her shots were saved with another two off the mark.
The Series With Iowa
• Iowa is one of only three teams all-time that Penn State doesn't own a winning record against. The Lions are only 17-23-1 against the Hawkeyes. The other two teams are North Carolina (7-20-1) and Old Dominion (10-14).
• There is a marked difference when comparing road to home games in the all-time series. Penn State is 10-5 against Iowa at home and 3-11 on the road. The Lions are also 4-7-1 all-time in neutral site games.
• The first-ever meeting came on Sept. 20, 1981, a 3-0 road win for the Lions.
• The rivalry has ratcheted up ever since Penn State joined the Big Ten in the early `90s.
• Penn State is 5-3 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament. Iowa won last meeting, 2-1 in 2006. The Nittany Lion victories have come in 1995, '96, '98, '00 and '03. The 1995 and `03 games was played at University Park. The other six games were all held at neutral sites.
Scouting Iowa
• A perennial Big Ten and national power, Iowa struggled to start the season, but has won four of its last five to improve its record to 8-9.
• Some of its impressive wins have come against Boston University (3-1), Saint Louis (12-0), Michigan (3-2) California (3-2), Northwestern (1-0), James Madison (3-2) and American (2-1).
• The Hawkeyes have also lost tough one-goal games to nationally-ranked squads Massachusetts and Stanford.
• Leading the way on the offensive end is Tricia Dean with 23 points (7g, 9a) followed by Sarah Drake (17: 8g, 1a), Jess Werkley (16: 7g, 2a), Meghan Beamesderfer (17: 6g, 2a) and Sarah Pergine (13: 3g, 7a). Five others have recorded points on the season.
• Three different goalkeepers have seen time with Kathleen McGraw emerging as the starter late in the season. She has started 14 games (playing 15) while posting a 8-6 record, 1.77 GAA and .706 save percentage with two shutouts.
#5 MICHIGAN
Sept. 27, 2009
Michigan 2, Penn State 0
• ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Penn State field hockey team opened the Big Ten season by playing neck-and-neck with Michigan on Sunday, but two goals from Meredith Way proved to be the difference in a 2-0 defeat. The goals came in the span of 1:44 early in the second half to break a scoreless deadlock.
• The Nittany Lions held the 16-11 shot advantage, but were unable to solve Michigan goalie Pagie Pickett. She finished with eight saves while Ali Meves had four in her second-consecutive start.
The Series With Michigan
• Penn State owns a 22-12 all-time record against the Wolverines with the 34 all-time meetings standing as the Nittany Lions' fifth most played opponent.
• The series has been extremely competitive recently with Michigan holding a slight 5-4 edge in the last nine meetings.
• The first-ever meeting between these Big Ten rivals wasn't until 1992, Penn State's first season in the Big Ten, meaning all 34 meetings have come in the last 18 years.
• In total, the squads have played twice in a single season on eight occasions and three an amazing four times. Big Ten teams played each other twice during the regular season in the early to mid 90's.
• The teams have also played seven times in Big Ten Tournament action, most recently in 2007, when Michigan picked up a 3-2 overtime victory. Penn State is 3-4 all-time against the Wolverines in the Big Ten Tournament, but has lost the last four straight after initially starting with three straight wins.
• Penn State dominated the early years by winning 11 of the first 12 meetings and 17 of the first 19. Ever since, Michigan has bounced back, taking 10 of the last 15.
Scouting Michigan
• The Wolverines started off slowly before a midseason winning streak, but they are now stumbling into the Big Ten Tournament. Their overall record stands at 7-13, 2-4 in conference play.
• The highlight to their season came with four straight wins bridging September and October. Those wins came against the Nittany Lions along with Saint Louis, Northwestern and Harvard. Michigan enters the tournament on a four-game losing streak. All the losses have been tight though, including a 2-1 defeat against Michigan State and 1-0 defeats to Central Michigan and Kent State. The only multi-goal loss was to Indiana (4-2 final).
• Michigan also lost by a single goal to nationally ranked squads: No. 2 Wake Forest, No. 4 North Carolina, No. 7 Syracuse and No. 16 Louisville. The defeats to Syracuse and Louisville both came in overtime. It also dropped a 4-1 decision to defending national champion and No. 1 Maryland.
• Meredith Way has wowed of late with 38 points (17g, 4a) entering the postseason. Alicia Mayer (16: 7g, 2a) and Bryn Bain (12: 5g, 2a) are the only other Wolverines in double figures in points. Eleven others have recorded at least one point on the season.
• Paige Pickett and Christi Barwick have each seen considerable time in goal. Pickett has started 13 games (playing in 14 total), posting a 2.12 GAA and .712 save percentage with two shutouts. Ironically, she has a 2-10 record meaning both of her wins have come via shutouts. Barwick has started more of late and has a 1.73 GAA and .750 save percentage. Her record stands at 4-2 in seven games (six starts) along with a shutout.
Senior Christine Dudek had one of the Lions' two goals in the regular season meeting against Northwestern. |
#6 NORTHWESTERN
Oct. 9, 2009
#18 Northwestern 3, Penn State 2
• UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State field hockey team clawed back to tie the score twice in the second half, but were unable to do it for a third time, dropping a tough 3-2 decision to No. 18 Northwestern on Friday evening in a game that featured five yellow cards and a disputed finish. Goals from redshirt senior Christine Dudek and redshirt freshman Hannah Allison weren't enough as the Wildcats prevented the Nittany Lions from winning their third straight over a ranked opponent.
• It was also Pink Day as the Lions wore special pink jerseys and pink T-Shirts were handed out to fans to promote Breast Cancer Awareness.
The Series With Northwestern
• These two Big Ten rivals have met 29 times in field hockey with Penn State owning a commanding 24-4-1 advantage.
• All 29 games have come since 1993, the Lions' first season in the Big Ten.
• Prior to Northwestern's win this season, Penn State had won 16 straight in the all-time series with its previous loss coming on Oct. 3, 1997, a 2-1 defeat (in penalty strokes).
• The teams have also met three times in Big Ten Tournament action, all Nittany Lion victories in 1995, `02 and `06. The first game (`95) was at University Park while the most recent meetings were both neutral site tilts.
Scouting Northwestern
• The Wildcats are in the midst of a strange season, entering the tournament with only one conference win, but having garnered a national ranking most of the season due to a strong showing in nonconference action.
• They enter as one of four Big Ten teams in double figures in victories. They are 12-7 overall and 1-5 in conference play. Three of their Big Ten losses have come by a single goal while another was by two.
• In addition, an incredible five games have gone to overtime, four Wildcat victories.
• The squad also set a number of school records in its 12-1 victory over the Billikens.
• Leading the way offensively is Chelsea Armstrong with an astonishing 56 points (22g, 12a). In addition, Courtney Plaster has 24 points (10g, 4a), one ahead of Elizabeth Dobbs with 23 (9g, 5a). Kaylee Pohlmeyer has 16 (7g, 2a) while Stephanie Fortson (3g, 5a) and Sarah Marcincin (2g, 7a) have 11.
• Two goalkeepers have split time in the cage. Amanda Wirth is 6-1 with a 1.77 GAA and .725 save percentage while Katie Lynch is 5-6 with a 2.29 GAA and .667 save percentage. The squad has three shutouts on the season, two by Wirth and one by Lynch. Jaimie Orrico has also played 14:02 on the season, stopping both shots sent her way.
Ali's "Double Trifecta"
• Junior Goalkeeper Ali Meves has enjoyed a sensational season which has already seen 100 as a significant number.
• With five saves against No. 8 Michigan State, she reached an even 100 saves on the season. It marks the first time that a Penn State goalkeeper has eclipsed triple digits since current assistant coach Annie Zinkavich had 137 in 2003.
• More amazingly, it happened despite redshirt freshman Ayla Halus receiving two starts on the season. This is the first time since 2000 that two Penn State goalies have eclipsed 100 minutes played while it also saw one (Meves) reach 100 saves. Ironically, Zinkavich was part of the 2000 scenario as well.
• Meves' 100 saves is by far tops in the Big Ten.
Attendance Significance
• The strong showing against No. 8 Michigan State pushed Penn State's cumulative attendance (including road and neutral site games) to 6,376.
• That figure is significant because it is more than last season's cumulative attendance of 5,223 through 20 games. The mark was broken a full seven games earlier than last year!
• The squad has averaged 354 fans at its games (including road and neutral site contests), which is 127 more than the next "most-seen" Big Ten school, Michigan.
• Penn State field hockey would like to thank all fans for their tremendous support! Hope to see you at the Big Ten Tournament in East Lansing!
Among The Nation's Attendance Leaders
• With 437 fans at the regular season finale vs. No. 8 Michigan State (10/31), Penn State improved its home attendance average to an even 400 on the year.
• That figure should undoubtedly be among the nation's leaders. The NCAA releases official attendance leaders following the season.
• This year's total easily surpassed last year's strong showing of 372 which was fourth best in the nation.
• It was also one of the best showings in program history. For comparison, the Lions averaged: 372 (2008), 406 (2007), 364 (2006), 318 (2005), 390 (2004), 293 (2003), 413 (2002) and 302 (2001).
• It was also only the third time this century that Penn State has cracked 400.
• The 400 fans for home games were also only 31 less than last season's national leader (North Carolina, 431).
• The mark of 400 also led the Big Ten, well ahead of Michigan in second (372). In addition, when looking at cumulative attendance, Penn State saw almost 1,000 more fans (3,204 to 2,229) come out to its home games than the second-most "seen" team at home (Michigan).
• An incredible four of the eight home games drew over 400 fans, including one over 500 (West Chester) and another over 600 (Connecticut). Two other games drew at least 300, with the only two fewer than 300 (Stanford and Bucknell), coming on weekdays.
• Including games away from home, a whopping eight contests saw an attendance over 400 with four more over 500 (Connecticut, Maryland, West Chester, Michigan).
More Home Attendance Tidbits
• Many fans stopped by the home opener vs. Lock Haven (Sept. 4) on their way to football eve, creating a buzz of an atmosphere.
• Then on Sunday, Sept. 6, (vs. No. 5 Connecticut), the third largest crowd in the history of the Penn State Field Hockey Complex (694) witnessed a thrilling game.
• The 694 fans only trail the 794 on Sept. 1, 2008 against Maryland and 770 on Sept. 2, 2007 versus Connecticut. Four of the top five crowds in the facility's history have come against the Huskies.
• The attendance total of 694 stands as the 23rd largest crowd in NCAA Regular Season history and 32nd largest in NCAA history.
• Sept. 20 vs. West Chester saw another large crowd with the final total standing at 513.
• Oct. 2 vs. No. 18 Ohio State was one of the "lowest" of the season, partially due to inclement weather. But the attendance total was still impressive with 343 faithful braving the elements.
• In very similar conditions, Penn State saw 336 come out for Pink Day against No. 18 Northwestern (Oct. 9).
• Frigid temperatures didn't stop 190 faithful from coming to the Oct. 13 tilt with Bucknell.
• Fans came out in full force for Saturday's finale against No. 8 Michigan State. The final figure stood at 437.
Laura Cahill was one of seven seniors honored on Senior Day. |
Senior Capsules
• The Nittany Lions have seven seniors on this year's squad.
• They were honored prior to Saturday's Halloween game against No. 8 Michigan State.
• For a complete rundown of senior capsules, check out GoPSUsports.com. Just click here. In each write-up, you can find brief overviews highlighting all seven seniors' respective careers at Penn State.
Penn State On Halloween Day
• Saturday was Penn State's 13th all-time game on Halloween Day and the third against Michigan State (all in a row).
• Those three matchups set a new mark for the most-common Halloween foe in program history. The Spartans had been tied with three other squads.
• Even with the 5-1 loss to the Spartans, the Nittany Lions have still posted an impressive 10-2-1 record all-time on the 31st of October.
• Despite so many Halloween games, Saturday was surprisingly only the third at home.
• In total, the Lions have faced the following teams on Halloween (which includes this Saturday's game): Michigan State (3), Northwestern (2), Ursinus (2), Susquehanna (2), Ohio State (1), Lehigh (1), Maryland (1) and Dickinson (1).
Outstanding Offensive Output
• Penn State enjoyed its largest goal-scoring performance of the year (six goals) on Oct. 24 vs. Pacific.
• That total was one more than Sept. 20 vs. West Chester and was the most by the Nittany Lions since last Sept. 19 vs. Georgetown (also six).
• Both senior Gina Bartolacci and junior Jenny Purvis scored their first goals of the season in the first half, which was also the first of Purvis' career.
• Bartolacci's first-career goal ironically came in the previous six-goal attack (vs. Georgetown).
• Freshman Kelsey Amy and junior Daneen Zug scored a pair of goals marking the first time since Sept. 17, 2006 that two players finished with multiple goals. Shaun Banta had three and Allison Scola added two in a 6-0 win over West Chester.
• In addition, senior Brooke Hoffsmith came off the bench for the first time since 2007 (her sophomore year).
Amy's Emergence Continues, Leads To Second Big Ten Weekly Award
• Penn State field hockey forward Kelsey Amy (Sweet Valley, Pa.) was named Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week as announced on Monday (Oct. 26) afternoon. Amy finished the week with a team-high six points (2g, 2a), highlighted by a five-point effort in Saturday's 6-4 win over Pacific. The honor is her second in the span of three weeks after earning the first following her game-winning overtime goal against No. 18 Ohio State on Oct. 2.
• The complete release can be found on GoPSUsports.com. Just click here to read it.
• Amy also finished Saturday with a whopping 10 shots, the most by any Nittany Lion since All-American Allison Scola had that many on Sept. 19, 2008 vs. Georgetown.
• Amy is also tied for the team-lead in both points (12) and goals (5). All the points have come since she was inserted into the starting lineup late in September. In total, she has 12 points in the last eight games (1.5 points/game).
• The native of Sweet Valley, Pa. was also the first Penn State freshman to score two goals since Hannah Allison netted two in the season-opener against Lock Haven. Amy was the first true freshman to have that many since Jessica Longstreth last Oct. 14 at Bucknell.
Impressive Day For The Zugs
• Not only did Penn State football wide receiver Graham Zug star on Saturday, Oct. 24 with three touchdowns at Michigan, but his sister Daneen also had a sensational game with two goals against Pacific.
• Daneen scored goals at 52:42 and 55:24 of the second half to break a 3-3 deadlock and give the Lions some breathing room.
• The two goals tied a career-high and marked the third multi-goal game of her career (and first of 2009).
• She was also credited with her fourth-career game-winning goal (and first of the season).
• The goals were scored within 2:42, the shortest span between goals by the same player since Bethany Marvel scored at 34:39 and 36:50 (2:10) at Bucknell on Oct. 23, 2007. They were Marvel's second and third goals of the game for her first (and only) hat trick of her career. It also marks the last hat trick by any Penn State player.
• Zug's goals came in the shortest span in the same half since Christine Dudek's two in 2:47 (at 15:57 and 18:44) last year against Georgetown. Amy Bonenberger also scored in between.
"Fresh" Bunch Leading The Way
• Among the scoring leaders for Penn State is a pair of freshmen, Hannah Allison and Kelsey Amy, who are both tied for the team lead in both goals (5) and points (12).
• Together, the pair is among the highest-scoring freshman pairs in program history (when looking at ranking on the team in points).
• The second-best freshman pair this century was in 2004 when Shaun Banta was third on the squad (18 pts: 7g, 4a) and Kiersten Wood was fifth (11 pts: 3g, 5a). Sophomore Annelise Legel was also fourth with 13 (6g, 1a).
• Sophomore Jessica Longstreth is currently fourth on the team in scoring (10) and also tied for first in goals (5) meaning three of the top five scorers so far this season (and 2004) have been freshmen or sophomores.
Balanced Goal-Scoring Attack
• Penn State has spread the wealth on the offensive end with Kelsey Amy, Hannah Allison and Jessica Longstreth leading the team with five goals each, Christine Dudek and Daneen Zug with three and three others (Gina Bartolacci, Amy Bonenberger & Casey McCartin) with two apiece.
• The Lions' offense had a lot of action at Indiana as Amy scored her fourth and fifth of the season vs. Pacific. Zug scored her second and third while Allison scored her fifth a day prior against No. 20 Indiana.
• Allison has been on fire lately. After over a month without a goal, she has three in the last seven games, all against ranked teams (Stanford, Northwestern and Indiana). She also picked up her first assist since the home opener in the regular season finale vs. No. 8 Michigan State (10/31).
Redshirt freshman Hannah Allison is tied for the team lead with five goals. |
Scoring First
• Oct. 24 vs. Pacific was only the fifth time this season that the Lions scored first and the second time away from home.
• The other times were against Indiana (Oct. 23), Bucknell (Oct. 13), Stanford (Oct. 5) and West Chester (Sept. 20).
• Penn State is 4-1 on the season when scoring first and 2-11 when allowing the first goal. The only loss came on Friday (Oct. 23) against the Hoosiers.
Race For Hope On Nov. 1
• The fourth annual Race for Hope in Philadelphia happened on Sunday, Nov. 1 and Penn State fans were involved by supporting former Nittany Lion lacrosse and field hockey standout Deb Andress, who is waging a battle with a brain tumor. The 5K Run/Walk is sponsored by the Brain Tumor Society. • For more information, please check out the complete release at GoPSUsports.com. • In addition, check out this great "Success with Honor" feature by Athletic Communications Student Assistant Alyssa Guttendorf.
New Field Hockey Feature Set For Big Ten Network!
• Not only are two Penn State field hockey games scheduled for the Big Ten Network, but a number of features will be run on the network as well, which started on Monday, Oct. 5 at 2:30 p.m.
• As part of the first episode of Penn State: Access Granted, redshirt sophomore Lauren Alloway and redshirt freshman Ayla Halus gave fans an all-access tour of their facilities, plus a special trip to the Berkey Creamery!
• If you missed the first showing, be sure to watch it online. Just click here.
• In addition, a second feature debuted on Monday, Nov. 2 at 2:30 p.m. It will be re-aired, so check back to GoPSUsports.com and the Penn State field hockey twitter page for updates. See what the Nittany Lions had to say in a fun Q&A about bus trips. Don't miss it!
• Senior Laura Cahill answered some fun questions on the WPSU Sports website. Here is the direct link.
Big (Ten) Network Attention
• The Oct. 18 game at Iowa was Penn State's second televised game of the season. The first was the classic 2-1 overtime win over Ohio State.
• Leah Secondo and Karen Weaver were on the call for both games.
• The Iowa contest debuted on the Big Ten Network on Monday (Oct. 19) at 8 p.m. It could be shown again, so if you missed either the Ohio State or Iowa games, check back to GoPSUsports.com for potential air dates.
• Highlights from both games are also available on the Big Ten Network Field Hockey web page.
• Penn State is one of five Big Ten schools (along with Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State) to have two games televised this season.
• Additional Penn State games could be broadcast this year if the Nittany Lions reach the Big Ten Semifinals. Both the semifinals and finals will be live on the Big Ten Network.
• Three Penn State games were on the "BTN" last year - at Ohio State, vs. Iowa and Big Ten Semifinals vs. Ohio State.
Receiving The "Popular" Vote
• Incredibly, all but one opponent (Pacific) this year was either ranked or receiving votes when Penn State faced them.
• Its streak of only facing opponents receiving votes in the National Poll ended on Oct. 24 vs. Pacific after facing its ninth ranked foe in No. 20 Indiana.
• Old Dominion (16), Virginia (6), Connecticut (5), Maryland (1), Princeton (7), Ohio State (18), Stanford (14), Northwestern (18), Indiana (20) and Michigan State (8) were all ranked on game day vs. the Lions.
• Meanwhile, Lock Haven, American, Lafayette, West Chester, Michigan, Bucknell and Iowa received votes.
Impressive Opponents
• Penn State has played some of the top teams in the country and it shows when looking at their cumulative record.
• In total, the Lions' 12 losses have come to teams with a combined record of 149-67 (.690 win percentage). Eight (and 12 total) have double-digit wins led by No. 1 Maryland (18-0), No. 7 Connecticut (17-2), No. 3 Virginia (16-2), No. 8 Michigan State (15-3), No. 4 Princeton (13-2), Lafayette (13-5), No. 18 Indiana (12-5) and Northwestern (12-7).
• Penn State's six wins have come against teams with great records as well, led by Lock Haven (16-4), No. 15 Stanford (13-4), No. 12 Ohio State (13-5) and Bucknell (12-6) for an overall opponent record of 214-106 (.669 win percentage).
• In addition, six of the losses have come to top-10 squads.
Amy Racking Up The Shots
• True freshman Kelsey Amy has become much more aggressive on the forward line, leading to her 12 points (tied for the team lead) and 44 of her team-leading 54 shots coming in the last nine games.
• She racked up six points (2g, 2a) at Indiana on Oct. 23-24 to double her season total from six to 12. She also set a areer-high with 10 shots against Pacific (10/24).
• Despite not scoring at Iowa on Oct. 18, she had a number of golden opportunities in hopes of netting the tying score. In total, she finished with a game-high seven shots, including five in a span of 1:33 with under five minutes remaining in regulation.
• This came one game after a (then) career-high eight shots vs. Bucknell (Oct. 13). Her (and the game's) first shot found the back of the cage for her third-career goal.
• Her 15 shots in that two-game span upped her total to a team-high 41 to leapfrog redshirt freshman Hannah Allison for tops on the team. She has easily kept (and actually, increased) the lead every since.
Coming In Pairs
• Freshman Kelsey Amy scored her first-career goals as part of Penn State's four-game homestand in early October. In total, she netted three goals (which all proved to be game-winners). Teammate Jessica Longstreth scored in each of those games as well.
• Amy's first-career goal came in overtime against No. 18 Ohio State (10/2). Longstreth scored Penn State's only other goal, off a penalty corner in the first half.
• Next game against No. 14 Stanford (10/5), Longstreth scored the Lions' first marker via a successful penalty stroke. After the Cardinal tied the score at one, Amy responded with her second goal in as many games, which proved to be the difference.
• Then vs. Bucknell (10/13), Amy scored just 1:49 into the game while Longstreth made it 2-0 at 3:27.
• The one time Amy didn't have a goal was vs. No. 18 Northwestern (10/9), but she did have a number of glittering scoring chances, including a shot argued to have forced a penalty stroke.
Senior Bethany Marvel has started all 18 games on the season. |
More Amy Notes...
• Amy's overtime game-winner against the Buckeyes marked the first time in well over 10 seasons that a Penn State rookie has netted an overtime game-winner. She is also the first freshman this century to do so. The "youngest" class that recently scored an overtime game-winner was a sophomore.
• The goal also extended an incredible streak of a different Penn State player scoring her first-career goal in the first four home games of the season. It started with Hannah Allison vs. Lock Haven (9/4) leading up to Casey McCartin (9/6), Alex Schlener (9/20) and Amy (10/2). It ended vs. No. 14 Stanford (10/5), but redshirt freshman Kristen Schaefer did record her first career-point (an assist) in that game.
• Amy's scores vs. Ohio State and Stanford came in consecutive games, marking the first time that a Nittany Lion accomplished that feat since Allison Scola did so last Oct. 26 and 31 against Michigan and Michigan State.
• It was also the first time that a Lion player scored what proved to be the game-winner in back-to-back games since last Oct. 5 and 10 when Daneen Zug did just that against Lock Haven and No. 5 Iowa.
Quick Start
• The Bucknell game was also a historically quick start for the Nittany Lions.
• Less than four minutes into the game, Penn State was already leading by a pair, (at the time) its third multiple-goal lead all year (with the others coming vs. West Chester and Lock Haven).
• Amy's goal came at 1:49 and was by far the Nittany Lions' quickest this season. The previous had been against West Chester on Sept. 20 when Christine Dudek scored at 4:03.
• It was also the earliest that Penn State scored since Sept. 28, 2005 when Annelise Legel's goal came only 1:16 into a game vs. Syracuse. Ironically, next time out, the Lions had a quick start as well with Shaun Banta scoring at 2:01 in a game at Michigan.
• The last time a Nittany Lion scored less than a minute into a game was on Sept. 21, 2003 when Timarie Legel did so at 0:58 vs. Saint Joseph's. Penn State topped the Hawks, 12-1.
• The two-goal outburst was the quickest since Sept. 15, 2006 when Penn State scored at 2:24 and 3:46 in a win over Lafayette.
Home Cooking
• Penn State enjoyed its string of four straight early October home games by going 3-1 to up its home record to 5-2. The Lions finished 5-3 at the friendly confines following their Senior Day loss to No. 8 Michigan State.
• The squad finished 2-3 against ranked foes at home while posting an 0-5 mark on the road. It beat No. 18 Ohio State and No. 14 Stanford while dropping slim one-goal games to No. 5 Connecticut and No. 18 Northwestern. The Nittany Lions also hung tough against the No. 8 Spartans for much of the game.
• The forward line stepped up during the four-game homestand with four different forwards accounting for all nine of the Lions' goals: Kelsey Amy (3), Jessica Longstreth (3), Hannah Allison (2), Christine Dudek (1).
• In seven home games, Penn State has outscored its opponents, 19-14.
• The Lions have also outshot their opponents, 112-83. On the contrary, they have been outshot, 150-96 away from home.
Stroke Of Excellence
• Sophomore Jessica Longstreth found herself in a familiar position in the second half of the Bucknell game when she took her fourth penalty stroke of the season (and her career).
• The native of Richboro, Pa. released a beautiful shot, but Bison goalkeeper Jessie Atieh made an outstanding lateral save to prevent Penn State from scoring an insurance goal.
• It was her second unsuccessful try to go along with two conversions. She found the back of the cage on consecutive opportunities against American (Sept. 13) and Stanford (Oct. 5) after a failed attempt vs. Lock Haven (Sept. 4).
• In addition, with just over two minutes remaining vs. Northwestern (Oct. 9), Penn State thought it would be awarded a stroke, but to no avail.
• Penn State had two penalty strokes last season, both from Allison Scola, and both goals.
• The most attempts this century was (and still is) four, set in 2004, a mark that the Lions have already tied.
Start Of A New Streak?
• Penn State won its second straight game over a Pennsylvania foe on Oct. 13 with its 2-1 win over Bucknell.
• After a loss to Lafayette on Sept. 16 ended a 30-game winning streak against instrate foes, the Nittany Lions regrouped with a win over West Chester (on Sept. 20).
• To put the streak into perspective, an astonishing 2,194 days (over six years) came in between losses to teams from the Keystone State.
Lions Roar Back To (Almost) Tame The Cats
• The Nittany Lions showed their resiliency against Northwestern (Oct. 9) when they fought back to tie the Wildcats on two occasions.
• It marked the fourth and fifth times this season that the Lions have tied the score after falling behind. It was also the first time they've come back twice in a game.
• They had previously tied the score vs. Old Dominion (1-1), Lock Haven (1-1) and Ohio State (1-1).
• Unfortunately, they weren't able to do it for a sixth time this season (and third in the game), as their late surge to tie the score at three fell short.
• It also marked the second straight Friday that they faced the 18th nationally ranked team. The weather was also eerily similar as the first half proved overcast both days before rain began falling in the final 35 minutes.
"Wild" Cat Game
• There were six total cards (and five yellow cards) handed out vs. Northwestern. Penn State finished with three yellow cards, all coming in the second half.
• For prospective, the Nittany Lions had two yellow cards in their first 12 games combined. They also had fewer yellow cards in seven of their previous eight seasons than they did in Friday's second half alone: 2008 (2), 2007 (1), 2006 (1), 2005 (1), 2004 (2), 2002 (2) and 2001 (0). The only season in which they had more was in 2003 with four.
Junior goalkeeper Ali Meves is the Big Ten leader in saves with 100. |
Don't Forget About Me!
• Not to be forgotten, a recent star, especially in both home upsets was junior goalkeeper Ali Meves. She was in goal every minute of the four-game October homestand.
• Following a sensational effort vs. No. 18 Ohio State, she was solid in making six saves vs. No. 14 Stanford.
• The Oct. 2 game may not have reached overtime if not for Meves' efforts. She kept the score tied with one incredible save after another, mostly in the second half and overtime.
• She finished with 11 stops, good for her second double-figure save performance of the season (and her career). They both came in two of her previous three starts (also at Princeton on Sept. 23).
Shutting The "Ivy" Door
• Meves also had a stellar performance against Ivy League opponent Princeton on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
• After allowing a goal on the Tigers' first shot, she stopped 14 of the next 16 sent her way for the most saves by a Penn State goalie since Jen Beaumont had 16 against Ohio State on Oct. 8, 2006.
• She's had a number of monster save performances to go along with her most recent career effort. The native of Lower Gwynedd, Pa. also made seven saves at Lafayette (9/16), eight vs. Lock Haven (9/4) and nine at Virginia (8/30).
• Meves then made four saves at Michigan (9/27) in her first-career start against a Big Ten foe.
Sharing The Workload
• Junior Ali Meves and redshirt freshman Ayla Halus have shared time in goal, with Halus recording 190:41 while Meves has played 1075:49.
• Halus started her second game of the season (and career) on Sept. 20 and earned her first-career shutout.
• Meves received the starting nod the previous two Wednesdays (Lafayette & Princeton) after Halus played the final 115:46 at the Terrapin Invitational.
• She recorded her first-career win in the home opener vs. Lock Haven. Meves finished with eight big saves, including a number in the first half to keep the Lions close, allowing them to take a second half lead behind an offensive outburst.
• On Aug. 30, Meves made a (then) career-high nine saves on 10 shots to keep the Nittany Lions close against No. 6 Virginia.
• This season marks the first time that two Penn State goalies have eclipsed 100 minutes since 2000 when Heidi Leuchte played 488 and current assistant coach Annie Zinkavich played 1,150.
• Meves and Halus are filling the hole left by departed All-American goalkeeper Jen Beaumont.
I've Got Your Back
• When Meves didn't make the save vs. Stanford (10/5), her teammates came up big with an incredible four defensive stops, all coming from seniors.
• This came after two defensive saves in the first 11 games combined.
• Brooke Hoffsmith had two for the game, one in each half, while Amy Bonenberger and Laura Cahill had big stops as well to keep Penn State up by one.
• Then, on Oct. 31 vs. No. 8 Michigan State, Hoffsmith and Bonenberger each made defensive saves as well. Six of the Lions' nine defensive saves this season have come in those two games alone.
Going Overtime
• Penn State has two overtime games this season through 17 games.
• Last season, the Lions had two games go into an extra session which included the postseason.
• Four games went to overtime on multiple occasions between 1995 and `09.
• The school record for overtime games was seven in 1986. That included an incredible four straight overtime contests.
New Foe = New Conference
• After playing eight different conferences, the NorPac was the ninth (and final) conference that Penn State played.
• The Nittany Lions have also faced teams from the Big Ten (Michigan, Ohio State, Northwestern, Iowa, Indiana) Ivy League (Princeton), CAA (Old Dominion), ACC (Virginia, Maryland), NEC (Lock Haven), BIG EAST (Connecticut), Atlantic 10 (West Chester), and Patriot League (American, Lafayette, Bucknell).
• Stanford wasn't the only NorPac opponent on its slate; last Saturday's opponent (Pacific) also resides in the NorPac.
Feeling Patriotic
• The most-played "non-conference" on Penn State's schedule this season was the Patriot League.
• The Lions lost to the league's preseason favorite, American, 3-1 on Sept. 13. The Eagles were selected as the favorites for a seventh straight season.
• Penn State then fell to Lafayette, ranked No. 2 in the preseason conference poll, 1-0 in overtime on Sept 16.
• It went on to defeat Bucknell (predicted fourth), 2-1 on Tuesday.
• Even with two losses against the Patriot League, Penn State is still an incredible 56-6-2 all-time against the Patriot League.
• The Lions have faced Bucknell the most (32-2-2 record) followed by Lafayette (14-2), Lehigh (8-0) and American (1-2).
Field Hockey RPI Released
• The most recent NCAA field hockey RPI was released on Monday (Oct. 19) with the Nittany Lions coming in 19th.
• Penn State moved up three slots after finding itself 22nd in the previous ranking and 26th in the initial RPI of the season.
• Three of the Nittany Lions' opponents are in the top five, five in the top ten and 12 in the top 30.
• Maryland comes in second followed by Virginia (3), Princeton (5), Michigan State (7), Connecticut (9), Old Dominion (13), Ohio State (16), Northwestern (17), American (21), Stanford (22), Indiana (24) and Michigan (28).
Offensive Explosion Versus West Chester
• The Nittany Lions had an offensive outburst on Sunday, Sept. 20, vs. the Golden Rams which led to their second win of the season.
• Entering the game, the Lions had scored seven goals in the first seven games, but finished with five in a 5-0 rout.
• Only one of the seven goals had been in the first half, but they scored three in the first stanza, including one only 4:03 into the game. That ended a scoreless drought of 222:22 in the first half of games. The only other first half goal prior to that had been in the season-opener at No. 16 Old Dominion.
• The Nittany Lions also had 29 shots, 22 on goal, the most since last Sept. 19 vs. Georgetown when they had a whopping 36 shots and 24 on goal.
• Junior Daneen Zug finished with a game-high seven shots (six on goal), mostly coming off penalty corners. She more than doubled her shot total in the game alone. She entered the day with six and finished with 13.
Deja Vu?
• One year and one day before the 5-0 win over West Chester, the Nittany Lions dominated Georgetown, 6-0. Both games were at home.
• That win propelled them to 10 wins in the next 11 games to put themselves in prime position for an NCAA Tournament berth.
• In both games, Christine Dudek had a hand in two of the goals. She posted a goal and assist vs. the Rams while she had a career-high two scores last year against the Hoyas.
• Both games also compared in the amount of relentless pressure by the Penn State offense. Along with the similar shot totals, the opposing goalkeepers finished with huge save totals - Georgetown's Deirdre Crovo had 18 and West Chester's Joelle Zarefoss finished with 17.
There's A First Time For Everything
• Five Nittany Lions have scored their first-career goals this season (Hannah Allison, Kelsey Amy, Casey McCartin, Jenny Purvis, Alex Schlener).
• Junior goalie Ali Meves had her first-career double digit save performance at Princeton (and had her second on Friday, Oct. 2 vs. Ohio State).
• She then won consecutive games for the first time in her career by defeating No. 14 Stanford on Oct. 5.
• Meves' first-career start came in the season-opener at Old Dominion (8/28). She entered the season having played in four career games, all in relief.
• Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Ayla Halus picked up her first-career shutout vs. West Chester. It was also Penn State's first shutout of the season.
• Halus made her first collegiate appearance in relief of Meves at Maryland on Sept. 12. She was strong, making seven saves in the final 45:46.
• Halus then made her first-career start the following day against American. She made six saves in that contest.
• Redshirt freshman Kristen Schaefer made her first-career start against American (Sept. 13). She was one of six Lions to play all 70 minutes.
• She also had her first-career shot on Oct. 2 vs. Ohio State and actually finished with two shots in the game.
• Then vs. Stanford (Oct. 5), Schaefer recorded her first-career assist on Amy's go-ahead goal off a penalty corner.
• Redshirt sophomore back Lauren Alloway unleashed her first-career shot vs. Michigan (Sept. 27). She then had a shot in the following game as well, vs. Ohio State.
Senior Amy Bonenberger looks to extend her collegiate career with a win on Thursday against No. 12 Ohio State. |
Second Half Bunch
• The Lions have impressed in second half action this season with 15 of their 29 goals (52 percent) coming in the final 35 minutes along with one in overtime (meaning 16 after halftime).
• Christine Dudek's goal vs. West Chester snapped a scoreless first half skid which reached 222:22. Prior to the marker, Penn State's previous six goals had come in the second half. Amy Bonenberger scored in the first half in the season-opener at No. 16 Old Dominion.
• Tides turned vs. Ohio State and Stanford with Penn State getting out to a fast start in both games. It scored five goals in those games, three coming in the first half (60%).
• The Lions then scored both of their goals vs. Northwestern in the second half.
• The trend continued to flip-flop as Penn State not only scored both goals in the first half vs. Bucknell, but they both came within the first 3:30 of the game.
• The first-half successes continued last weekend with four of the seven goals at Indiana (Oct. 23-24) scored in the first 35 minutes.
• Penn State's lone goal against No. 8 Michigan State was in the second half.
• The trend was opposite last season, with nearly 66 percent (27 of 41) of goals in the first half, 13 in the second and one in overtime.
Feeling Generous
• Redshirt senior Christine Dudek has tallied a team-leading six assists this season after having none in the first three years of her playing career.
• After a scoreless freshman and sophomore year, she broke out with 10 points (five goals) last season.
• This year, she assisted on Hannah Allison's second goal vs. Lock Haven a few days after setting up fellow senior Amy Bonenberger in the season-opener at then-No. 16 Old Dominion.
• Dudek then scored a goal at defending national champion and No. 1 Maryland. It came on only her second shot of the season with both coming in a span of nine seconds. The second shot found the back of the cage after a scramble in front of the goal.
• Most recently, Dudek tallied assists off penalty corners, vs. West Chester (9/20), Stanford (10/5), Northwestern (10/9) and Pacific (10/24). The assist against Pacific came on the game-winning goal.
Why Does My Shirt Have To Be "Red?"
• The Penn State field hockey team has a number of redshirts on its 2009 roster, led by four redshirt freshmen (Hannah Allison, Ayla Halus, Kristen Schaefer, Alex Schlener), a redshirt sophomore (Lauren Alloway) and two redshirt seniors (Christine Dudek, Jen Miller).
• The squad only includes two true freshmen, but when you add the redshirts, the freshmen become 38 percent of the team.
• In total, 7 of the 19 players have redshirted.
Fantastic Freshman Performance
• Speaking of freshmen, one of those redshirts, Hannah Allison, had a performance to remember in the home opener vs. Lock Haven on Sept. 4.
• She had a hand in all of Penn State's goals, finishing with five points, the most by a Nittany Lion freshman since Brittney Long had that many on Sept. 18, 2005 vs. West Chester.
• Another freshman, Shaun Banta, also had five (2g, 1a) on Sept. 17, 2004 vs. Lafayette.
• Allison was the first Nittany Lion with five points in a half since yet another freshman, Kristen Miller, had two goals and an assist in the second half of a 12-1 home win over Saint Joseph's (Sept. 21, 2003). Current assistant coach Annie Zinkavich was the starting goalkeeper in that game.
• The five points were also the most for any Lion since Allison Scola on Oct. 19 at Northwestern.
• The last player to have more than five was current senior Bethany Marvel when she recorded a hat trick (six points) on Oct. 23, 2007 at Bucknell. In that game, her sixth point came only 1:50 into the second half.
• The performance earned her Penn State Student Athlete of the Week on Sept. 7, an honor she shared with senior football quarterback Daryll Clark.
Amy, Meves Garner Big Ten Weekly Awards
• Penn State field hockey goalkeeper Ali Meves (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) and forward Kelsey Amy (Sweet Valley, Pa.) were named Big Ten Defensive and Freshman of the Week on Monday (Oct. 5) after their stellar efforts led to Penn State's thrilling 2-1 overtime win over No. 18 Ohio State. Meves made 11 saves, including nine sensational stops after halftime, to keep the score tied while Amy scored the game-winning goal in overtime to send the Lions home winners.
Bonenberger, Hoffsmith Featured On Big Ten Website
• Seniors Amy Bonenberger and Brooke Hoffsmith were recently featured on the Big Ten official website. The two have been teammates for eight consecutive years after suiting up together in high school.
Coaches Who Know How To Win
• Penn State is playing some of the greatest coaches in NCAA history.
• The squad has already faced three of the top five winningest active coaches (all win totals as of the beginning of the season): Beth Anders (Old Dominion, 554), Nancy Stevens (Connecticut, 462) and Missy Meharg (367, Maryland).
• Current Lion coach Charlene Morett is fourth on that list with 389 career wins entering the season.
• All-time, Anders is first in NCAA Division I history with her 554 wins while Stevens is second, Morett is fourth, Meharg is fifth, Virginia's Michele Madison is 18th (250 wins) and West Chester's Kathy Krannebitter is 24th (212).
• In addition, Lock Haven's Pat Rudy had 459 wins entering the year, but she isn't yet eligible as a DI coach since Lock Haven recently moved to Division I.
The "Big" CC?
• Penn State could make a case to be an honorary member of the ACC due to the number of nonconference games against one of the top conferences in the country.
• This season is no different, with Virginia and Maryland, arguably the ACC's two best teams, on the slate.
• Over the previous two years (2007 and '08), Penn State played nine games against ACC squads, posting a 5-4 record. That included four straight games in 2007 as part of its magical run to the National Championship Game.
• All-time, Penn State has faced - Maryland (31 times), North Carolina (28), Virginia (16), Duke (5), Wake Forest (4) and Boston College (1).
• Ironically, Penn State head coach Charlene Morett began her head coaching career with a current ACC school, Boston College.
Tough Schedule
• The latest NFHCA Coaches Poll (Nov. 3) sees an incredible nine of Penn State's opponents among the Top-20 (and five in the top 10): Maryland (1), Virginia (3), Princeton (4), Connecticut (7), Michigan State (8), Ohio State (12), Stanford (15), Indiana (18) and Old Dominion (20). Additionally, Northwestern, Iowa, American, Michigan, and Lock Haven are also receiving votes.
• Also on the docket are eight NCAA Tournament teams from 2008, including National Champion Maryland and National Semifinalist Iowa.
• The Lions also face 10 from the preseason top-20 and five more who received votes. Only three teams - Lafayette, Pacific and West Chester - didn't garner votes.
Facing Defending National Champions
• As part of their challenging schedule, the Lions faced a defending national champion for the 21st time on Sept. 12 at Maryland.
• With the loss, Penn State is now 5-16 against defending champs, with the last win coming, 1-0, over the Terps on Nov. 11, 2007.
Only The Best...
• Along with facing the defending national champion and a number of ranked foes, the Nittany Lions also face four preseason conference favorites.
• In total, they face four who were predicted to win their respective conferences in their preseason polls: Old Dominion (CAA), Virginia (ACC), Lock Haven (NEC) and American (Patriot League).
• The Big Ten, NorPac and Ivy League don't have preseason polls. Otherwise, the number could be even more with Big Ten powers along with teams like Stanford and Princeton on the slate.
Lions Ranked 11th In Preseason NFHCA Poll
• Following a Big Ten Championship season, the Penn State field hockey began 2009 ranked No. 11 in the preseason Kookaburra/NFHCA Coaches Poll. 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.
Be sure to follow Penn State field hockey on Twitter! A popular feature is live in-game updates! |
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 game and can also be purchased through the publications store on GoPSUsports.com. 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. Click here for a direct link.