Sept. 17, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State field hockey team looks to gain momentum this weekend in a two-game in-state battle at Temple and West Chester. The initial clash of the weekend will be held in Philadelphia, Pa., against Temple on Sat., Sept. 18 at 2:00 p.m. The team will then travel to West Chester to take on the Golden Rams Sun., Sep. 19 in a noon (12:00 p.m.) face-off. The weekend holds a potential for head coach milestones and continual domination of Nittany Lion offense and defense.
Jess Longstreth (Richboro, Pa.) and Kelsey Amy (Sweet Valley, Pa.) lead the way for the Nittany Lions this weekend after an impressive start to the 2010 season. Longstreth has earned a team-high 10 points on the season with three goals and four assists. Close behind is sophomore Amy with eight points accumulated by a team-high of four goals. The offensive duo looks to expand on their successes in the back-to-back clashes.
In the battle against Lafayette the Nittany Lion defense performed as a concrete wall, holding the Leopards to just one shot in the premier 35 minutes. Senior Daneen Zug (Manheim, Pa.) and co-captain Lauren Alloway (Hummelstown, Pa.) fronted the Lafayette offense, keeping them off the scoreboard for the entirety of the game. Remaining solid in the net, Ayla Halus (Hershey, Pa.), kept the efforts of her team alive without letting a single shot cross the goal line. The shutout marked redshirt sophomore Goalkeeper Halus' second of the season.
In her 24th season as head coach of the Penn State field hockey program and 27 overall (three at Boston College), Charlene Morett finds herself in the midst of a possible monumental victory on Saturday. With the decision over Lafayette on Wednesday, Morett earned her 399th victory. Tallying another win would guarantee Morett her 400th win, a milestone, showcasing her as only the fourth Division I coach in NCAA history (ninth overall) to reach the plateau. Morett is one of three Penn State coaches in route to the big 400 including football head coach, Joe Paterno who has 395 career wins, and men's soccer head coach Bob Warming who has 385.
After a year hiatus against the Owls, the Nittany Lions head to Philadelphia, Pa., for their first away clash against Temple since 2003. Penn State governs the series at 28-6-2. The last meeting between the two teams took place at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex in 2008 when the Nittany Lions completed a shutout, 4-0, with two of the four goals netted in the last nine minutes.
West Chester stands as Penn State's most played opponent in program history. The two teams have played 48 times with Penn State dominating the series at 32 wins to 15 losses and a single tie. The Nittany Lions have won 22 consecutive matches against the Golden Rams, the latest coming from last season's home 5-0 shutout.
Penn State Field Hockey Moves up in Rankings to 15th • The Nittany Lions entered the 2010 season ranked 18th in the preseason Kookaburra/NFHCA Coaches Poll. They were one of five Big Ten teams in the top 20. • In the latest poll, released Tue., Sep. 14th the Nittany Lions jumped to the No. 15 position. • In total, the Lions will face five of the top 10 teams in the nation and nine of the top 20: Virginia (3), Princeton (4), Connecticut (5), Michigan State (7), Duke (10), Ohio State (14), Old Dominion (16), Indiana (17) and Iowa (19). Six of those games come at home with only Connecticut, Michigan State and Ohio State on the road. • Four other 2010 opponents - Northwestern, Michigan, Lafayette and Lock Haven - are also among others receiving votes.
2010 Yearbook Now Available Online! • The 2010 field hockey online yearbook 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. Just click here to view.
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