May 6, 2010
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Penn State women's lacrosse team (10-6) simultaneously ended conference rival Ohio State's season for the fourth straight year and gained its second win of 2010 on the Buckeyes' home field with a 14-12 first round ALC Championship triumph on Thursday afternoon. With the victory, the Nittany Lions reach the 10-win plateau for the first time since 2005.
Penn State advances to face No. 1 seed and five-time league champion Northwestern (15-1) on Friday at 3 p.m. in an ALC Championship semifinal contest at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus. The Lions have fallen to the Wildcats in three consecutive years in tournament play.
The win, PSU's fifth straight overall over Ohio State (9-8), was in jeopardy late, as the Nittany Lions had to hold off a furious comeback attempt by the Buckeyes. After Penn State pushed its lead to six, its largest of the game, at 14-8 with 7:24 remaining, Ohio State responded with a four-goal flurry. However, the Lions defense stiffened and the Buckeyes ran out of time.
Junior attacker Jen Steadman (Sykesville, Md.) headlined the Penn State attack, amassing six points on four goals and two assists. Four other Nittany Lions, senior Erica Mihm (Annapolis, Md.), junior Laura Lesnick (Jarrettsville, Md.), and sophomores Theresa Zichelli (Severna Park, Md.) and Bridget Callahan (Moorestown, N.J.), netted two goals each. Mihm also contributed a game-high six draw controls.
Penn State traded goals with Ohio State over the game's first eight-plus minutes until Alayna Markwordt broke a 2-2 tie to give the Buckeyes what would prove to be their lone lead of the game. Freshman Molly Fernandez (Baltimore, Md.) then ignited a 3-0 run with her 23rd score of the season, with subsequent goals coming from Mihm and Lesnick, to put PSU up, 5-3.
After Ohio State drew to within one at the 15:59 mark, the Nittany Lions took control of the game, scoring four straight goals, including two from Steadman, to fashion a 9-4 lead. Penn State was outscored 2-1 for the remainder of the half but still carried a four goal advantage into halftime.
The Buckeyes came from the break with momentum, scoring the second half's first two goals to get within two. Penn State responded by controlling possession and burning clock, putting together a 4-0 run over a 17-minute span to build a 14-8 advantage and setting the stage for the late-game drama.
Ohio State had advantages in shots (28-23), ground balls (22-14), and draw controls (16-12) but again had no answer for the Penn State attack. In two games this season, the Nittany Lions scored a total of 32 goals against the Buckeye defense and ALC Goalkeeper of the Year Annie Carruthers.
Fans can follow all of the action online as Penn State pursues an ALC title with live stats and instant scoring updates. All Nittany Lion contests at the ALC Championship will also be video streamed live at www.BigTenNetwork.com for a fee of $2.99 per game. Find links on the official website of Penn State athletics, www.GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State-Ohio State contest will be televised on the Big Ten Network as a rebroadcast on Thursday evening at 10 p.m. ET.