Aug. 24, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 9 Penn State field hockey team kicked off the 2012 season in dynamic fashion, topping No. 3 Old Dominion 5-2 on Friday evening. Despite a mid-game surge from the Lady Monarchs (0-1), the Nittany Lions (1-0) scored three back-to-back goals in the second period to secure their home-opener win.
"I was very proud of the way they played," said head coach Charlene Morett. "I was really proud of the way that they hung in there when Old Dominion tied it up 2-2. They're a very strong team. I feel that our defense was really the key to creating some counter attacks and we capitalized on that."
Kelsey Amy (Sweet Valley, Pa.) recorded the game-winning goal, scoring her second of the match at the 43:54 mark. After an exceptional penalty corner from junior Whitney Reddig, the senior hit a straight shot towards Jahns and into the back of the net.
Scoring less than six minutes into the game, Amy put the Lions on the board first. Sprinting down the far right wing, she broke away from Old Dominion defenders to take a commanding shot from the top of the box. Although freshman Friederike Jahns attempted to slide over for the save, the Amy bested her to take a 1-0 for Penn State.
At the 13:26 mark, sophomore Laura Gebhart (Mount Joy, Pa.) picked up the tempo, defeating three Monarchs through the box. Gebhart then sent a hard pass to Lauren Purvis, who sat directing in front of Jahns. The junior sent the ball flying into the bottom right corner of the net to give the Lions their second goal of the game.
The Monarchs had a surge of momentum late into the first period, capitalizing on a penalty corner with less than 30 seconds to play. Senior Julie Hodge took the corner, sending a shot directly to redshirt junior Christy Longacre. Longacre swung back, sending the ball into the top center of the net past goalkeeper Ayla Halus at the 34:45 mark.
Although Penn State came roaring back in the second period, Old Dominion drew first blood with a goal 25 seconds in. With another penalty corner opportunity, sophomore Kelsey Smither chipped the ball up to freshman Sarah Breen. Breen tallied her first collegiate goal to tie the match at 2-2.
The back-and-forth contest was defined by hard-fought battles over possession at center field, showing off both squads' conditioning and perseverance. The remainder of the game was dominated by the Lions, however, with Amy scoring halfway through the second period. With a 3-2 lead, Penn State continued to be aggressive, finding another scoring opportunity with fifteen minutes left in the game. Gebhart maneuvered her way into the box, sending the ball directly in front of Jahns. Sophomore Casey Haegele took advantage of her proximity, jabbing at the ball to push it across the goal line. The Lions were now up by two goals as time continued to expire.
With less than two minutes to play, junior Brittany Grzywacz was awarded a penalty shot, settling the score at 5-2 with a hard shot past redshirt senior Marla Petriello.
The Lions outshot the Lady Monarchs 15-13. Gebhart had an excellent game, along with junior Ashtin Klingler, as both created several scoring chances and applied constant offensive pressure on Old Dominion. Newcomer Lauren Alwine had a stellar game, setting up fifth-year senior Hannah Allison with a drop-back pass halfway through the second period. Allison's shot barely went wide for a heart-stopping play. On the defensive side, both sophomore Katie Breneman and sophomore Katie Andrews were forces for Penn State, striking down the Monarchs' offense throughout the match.
Halus was solid in goal for the Lions, making seven saves during the contest. The veteran was particularly strong during scrambles in front net. Jahns recorded five saves.
The Nittany Lions return to action Sunday, Aug. 26, for a noon contest against No. 8 Virginia. The squad will be honoring Tara Maguire for her generous donation of the brand new field hockey score board.
A reminder to spectators planning on attending Sunday's game, parking is available in the East Parking Deck. Please be aware that there is extra traffic due to student move-in day.
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