Oct. 3, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State field hockey team hosts the Villanova Wildcats in a midweek matchup at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex on Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. This will be the fourth matchup between the two squads.
Despite losing a two- goal lead in the second half, seventh-ranked Penn State field hockey picked up a thrilling 4-3 overtime win over No. 16 Northwestern on Saturday afternoon. Freshman Taylor Herold (Fredericksburg, Va.) netted the game-winning goal on an assist from sophomore Lauren Purvis (Maple Glen, Pa.) on Penn State Field Hockey Alumni Weekend.
Along with Herold, freshman Laura Gebhart (Mount Joy, Pa.), junior Kelsey Amy (Sweet Valley, Pa.) and sophomore Brittany Grzywacz (Collegeville, Pa.) each scored goals for the Nittany Lions. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Ayla Halus (Hershey, Pa.) had a phenomenal game in goal, making seven saves, including two big ones in overtime that kept the Wildcats in check.
The Wildcats of Villanova enter Tuesday's contest with an overall record of 5-6 and a 1-1 mark in conference play. Jessica Swoboda is Villanova's leading scorer, as she has 16 points on the season, including six goals. Leah High has also been a strong contributor for the Wildcats as well, scoring four goals for the year and adding an assist. Megan Goelz is expected to make the start in the cage, as she has made 73 saves in 2011 with a 3.26 GAA.
In three all-time matchups with the Wildcats, Penn State holds a 3-0 lead in the series. These two squads first met in 2001 and last met in 2005, as Penn State earned a 3-1 win.
Following Tuesday, the first place Nittany Lions will travel to Bloomington, Ind. to take the on the Indiana Hoosiers on Friday afternoon.
Penn State hosts the 2011 Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament from Nov. 3-6. Tickets for the Big Ten Tournament can be purchased by contacting the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office at 814-865-5555. All session passes are $18 for adults and $12 for students/senior citizens. Single session tickets will run at $8 for adults and $5 for students/senior citizens. Groups of 15 people or more may also purchase tickets at $12 for all session passes and $5 for a single session.
Check back to GoPSUsports.com for continued Penn State Field Hockey updates throughout the 2011 season.
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