Sept. 26, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The 14th-ranked Nittany Lion field hockey team (6-3, 1-1) suffered a 2-0 setback to Michigan (6-4, 1-0) at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex on Sunday afternoon, snapping Penn State's five-game winning streak.
The visiting Wolverines tallied a goal in each half en route to their first victory at Penn State since 2000. Michigan's aggressive effort on the offensive end of the field and crisp ball possession held the Nittany Lions in check throughout the afternoon.
Five different Nittany Lions put shots on goal. Sophomore Kelsey Amy (Sweet Valley, Pa.) and freshman Lauren Purvis (Maple Glen, Pa.) led the way with two shots. As a team, the Lions totaled 11 shots, while Michigan tallied 16.
Despite earning seven penalty corners to Michigan's four, the Nittany Lions were unable to find the back of the cage on Sunday afternoon. Redshirt sophomore Ayla Halus (Hershey, Pa.), who finished with four saves, kept the Wolverines off the board early with a diving save in front of an open net in the 10th minute of action.
Nonetheless, Michigan got on the board at the 21:48 mark of the first half when Alicia Mayer sent a shot from the middle into the back of the cage to make it 1-0. The tally was the first goal against Halus in more than eight periods of action.
The Wolverines then struck again in the 58th minute when Katie Adams tapped in Michigan's second goal on a pass from Zara Saydjari inside the circle. The Adams goal at the 57:15 mark set the scoreboard at 2-0. Penn State's offense threatened late, but the Wolverine defense held the Lions without a goal for the first time since a 3-0 setback to No. 3 Virginia August 29.
Penn State will now shift focus towards its third conference game on Saturday at noon against Iowa. The Lions continue their four-game homestand next weekend with back-to-back games at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex. Following Saturday's clash with Iowa, Penn State plays host to Monmouth on Sunday at noon.
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