Nov. 12, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State field hockey team will open up the NCAA Tournament against No. 4 Syracuse on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. when the Nittany Lions host the Orange in a first round battle at the PSU Field Hockey Complex.
Following Penn State's first-round action, Albany and Ohio State will square off at 2 p.m. in the other contest on Saturday. The winners of the two games will advance to the second round on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Tickets for the game are $8 for adults and $5 for students and children.
Penn State enters the NCAA Tournament riding a wave of momentum. The Nittany Lions wrapped up the regular season with eight wins in their last 10 games, including victories over fellow NCAA Tournament participants Princeton and Michigan State.
The Lions have a long and successful history in the NCAA Tournament dating back to 1982. After capturing back-to-back AIAW National Championships in 1980 and 1981, Penn State continued to succeed in the new national playoff system. PSU has advanced to the Final Four eight times and appeared in the national championship game on two occasions, including 2007.
In recent history, Penn State has now advanced to the NCAA Tournament eight times since 2000, including five of the previous six years. This also marks the second time the squad has hosted the first two rounds of the tournament after also doing so in 2002.
BACK AGAIN
Following a sensational regular season and a semifinal berth in the Big Ten playoffs, the Penn State field hockey team earned an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. It marks the eighth time in the past 10 seasons that the Nittany Lions are in the national tournament. Overall, Penn State has now advanced to the NCAA Tournament 26 times since the playoff system was formed in 1982.
HOME COOKIN'
The Nittany Lions have always been strong at their cozy confines in Happy Valley. However, Penn State excels even more during the postseason. Overall, PSU has hosted 10 NCAA Tournament games in State College. During those contests, the squad has posted a pristine 10-0 mark. Their last postseason appearance at home happened in 2002 when the team defeated Princeton and Kent State.
SAVING THE DAY
Among active goalies with at least 1400 career minutes, Ayla Halus ranks second with an .800 save percentage during her two seasons in Happy Valley. Currently, only Syracuse's Leann Stiver has posted a higher career save percentage after recording an .832 mark for the Orange. Those two standouts will go head-to-head in the first round of the tournament. Oddly, also appearing in Happy Valley, Albany's Kristi Troch has the third-highest save percentage among active goalies with a .792 mark.
AMONG THE ELITE
Penn State ranks among the top teams in the country in a pair of national polls. In the National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll, the Nittany Lions stand 10th in Division I. The squad also ranks ninth in the NCAA RPI standings, which places them third among teams from the Big Ten.
STRIKING A BALANCE
Penn State's offense has been a well-balanced attack throughout the 2010 season. Although Kelsey Amy has accounted for the lion's share of goals with 19, five other players have at least four. Jessica Longstreth has 10 on the season, while Hannah Allison is close behind with seven. Lauren Purvis also has five, while Brittany Grzywacz and Daneen Zug round out the top scorers with four apiece.
TURNING A CORNER
Penn State has used an exceptionally successful penalty corner combination to stabilize one of the top attacks in the country. Entering the week, the Nittany Lions ranked 13th in the nation averaging 8.47 corners-per-game. Jessica Longstreth and Kristen Schaefer have been at the forefront of the team's success as the two have combined for 22 assists and helped convert 15 corners this season.
ALL HAIL HALUS
During her first season as Penn State's full-time starter in goal, sophomore Ayla Halus has been simply phenomenal for the Nittany Lions. During the year, she has posted a stellar .815 save percentage, which ranks third in the nation. A dominant force in the cage, she has also posted 101 saves and allowed only 23 goals. Currently, she is the only goalie in the nation who has posted at least 100 saves and allowed fewer than 25 goals. Overall, her 1.29 goals-against-average stands 12th in the nation.
A TRIPLE THREAT
Freshman Brittany Grzywacz has made an immediate impact during her first season in Happy Valley. A truly versatile competitor, she has four goals, three defensive saves, and two assists. In the Big Ten, she is one of only five players who have at least two goals, assists, and defensive saves during the year. She is also the only underclassman to accomplish the feat.
THE FINE NINE
During the team's 19 games entering this weekend, nine Nittany Lions have started every contest. In the Big Ten, only Ohio State has had even eight different players start each game. Along with the nine stable starters, Kelsey Amy has also cracked the lineup in 18 of the team's games, while Kristen Schaefer has started 16 contests.
PA PROUD
In addition to its outstanding collegiate field hockey teams, Pennsylvania has long been recognized as the home of top-notch high school programs. Fittingly, Penn State has made excellent use of its in-state recruiting advantage. On the team's roster, there are 19 players for the 2010 season. Of those, 18 hail from the Keystone State. No other program in the Big Ten has recruited as effectively in any one state as PSU has in Pennsylvania. Ohio State is the next closest with eight players hailing from the same state - also, ironically, Pennsylvania. However, in comparison, the Buckeyes have players from five different states and six different countries on their current roster.
A STROKE OF GENIUS
The Nittany Lions have been especially productive at earning penalty strokes this season, and Jessica Longstreth has been simply masterful at converting them. So far this year, Longstreth has gone 6-for-6 on strokes. Her finest performance came in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament when she converted two free shots. In that category, she currently is tied for the top spot in the nation with Hofstra's Arielle Williams, who is also 6-for-6. In comparison, every other player in the Big Ten has combined to convert 6-of-9 strokes this year.
IN A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
The Penn State field hockey team has squared off with teams from eight different leagues around the country. During the year, the Nittany Lions have faced squads from the ACC, Atlantic 10, Big East, Big Ten, Colonial Athletic Association, Ivy League, Northeast Conference, and Patriot League. Overall, the Lions have defeated a team from seven different conferences, including multiple squads from the A-10, Big Ten, and Patriot League.
ON THE REBOUND
Although Penn State has proven itself to be one of the most consistently strong programs in the nation, the Nittany Lions had a minor stumble in 2009 when the squad finished 7-13. Needing little to bounce back, the squad currently sits at 14-5 entering postseason play. Penn State's seven-win jump since last season is the second largest in Division I field hockey. Only Michigan, who improved from 7-14 to 15-6, can boast a similarly impressive turnaround.
SEE YOU NEXT YEAR
Although Penn State still has much to look forward to during the 2010 season, the Nittany Lions can rest assured that much of their roster will be back next year. Entering postseason play, only two seniors are currently in the starting lineup. With a possible 209 starts during the year, seniors have accounted for only 38 of them. Much of the playing time has been assumed by underclassmen as seven freshmen and sophomores have appeared in the starting lineup at least 16 times during the year.
A LITTLE GIVE AND TAKE
Jessica Longstreth has been a dual threat at the center of Penn State's offense throughout the season. One of the top goal producers in the country, she has had a hand in 25 of the team's goals during the 2010 campaign. Currently, she leads the team with 15 assists and ranks second with 10 goals. In all of Division I field hockey, she is one of only five players who have recorded at least 15 assists and 10 goals during the year.
SOPHOMORE SENSATION
After piecing together an outstanding freshman season in 2009, Kelsey Amy has managed to exceed all expectations as a sophomore with the Nittany Lions. During her second season in Happy Valley, she leads Penn State and stands third in the Big Ten with 19 goals. Her offensive output currently ranks among the finest in the nation. Her one-goal-per-game average is the 10th-highest in the NCAA and the second finest among underclassmen. Among freshmen and sophomores, only Northwestern's Chelsea Armstrong has scored more often than Amy has.
QUICK STARTS
Penn State has had a pattern of strong first-half play throughout the 2010 campaign. During the first 35 minutes of action, the Nittany Lions have outscored their opponents by a whopping 29-10 margin. In comparison, the squad holds just a 24-15 lead against their counterparts in the second half of contests. During league play, the differential is even greater. In Big Ten action, PSU has outscored its opposition by four goals in the first half but trails by one after the intermission.
FAMILY TIES
Sisters Jenny and Lauren Purvis have been at the forefront of the Penn State field hockey team throughout the 2010 season. Jenny, a fourth-year member of the team, has two goals and an assist while anchoring the team's midfield unit. Lauren, a freshman on this year's squad, has been an excellent addition to the forward line with five goals and two assists during the regular season. The Maple Glen, Pa. natives have both started every one of the team's 19 games this year. Indiana is the only other team in the Big Ten to have sisters on its roster as Lena and Mariella Grote both compete for the Hoosiers.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
During the season, Penn State has captured 14 victories and received game-winning goals from eight different players. Kelsey Amy and Jessica Longstreth lead the way with three game-winners apiece, while Hannah Allison and Lauren Purvis have added two. Brittany Grzywacz, Daneen Zug, Jenny Purvis, and Whitney Reddig have also capped off one victory apiece. Reddig performed the most impressive feat as the freshman forward scored one goal during the regular season and that score proved to be the winner in Charlene Morett's historic 400th career victory on Sept. 18 at Temple.
TOP DRAW
The Penn State field hockey team has become a form of must-see entertainment in Happy Valley. During the 2010 season, the Nittany Lions had 11 home dates and welcomed 4,493 people to their cozy confines at the PSU Field Hockey Complex. The team was one of only two teams in the Big Ten to average over 400 fans per game.
A LEGEND IN THE FALL
In Division I field hockey, few coaches are as widely respected as Penn State's Charlene Morett. Entering the Big Ten Tournament, she has posted a career 410-163-17 record. Her 410 wins rank fifth among active coaches. In addition to that, her 590 career games are the sixth most among active coaches, while her .709 winning percentage is the seventh best among coaches with at least 40 games on the sidelines.