Oct. 22, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After shutting out No. 21 Ohio State 3-0, the No. 7 Penn State field hockey team returns to Happy Valley on Tuesday, Oct. 23, to host Bucknell for the final home contest of the season. The Nittany Lions, now 13-3 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten, will take on the Bison at 6 p.m. at the Field Hockey Complex.
The Lions are riding a wave of momentum after defeating the Buckeyes on the road this past weekend. Senior Kelsey Amy (Sweet Valley, Pa.) notched the game-winner in her 25th multi-goal career game. The forward found the back of the cage twice to move to 50 points on the season. Junior Brittany Grzywacz (Collegeville, Pa.) tallied her 10th goal of the season for her 50th career point, while junior Whitney Reddig (Lititz, Pa.) recorded three assists for her 50th career point, as well. Sophomore Laura Gebhart (Mount Joy, Pa.) tallied an assist for her 12th of the season and her 22nd point of the year. Earning her 12th career shutout and second of the season, goalkeeper Ayla Halus (Hershey, Pa.) recorded two big saves to improve to a .727 save percentage. The redshirt senior currently holds a 1.65 GAA and has allowed only 24 goals in 1021:12 minutes of action.
Sitting at a 9-7 overall record with a 3-1 mark in the Patriot League, the Bison are coming off of a 6-2 conference win over Lehigh. Sophomore Amie Pritchard tallied a hat trick in the contest, moving her to 17 points on the season. Leading point scorer Taylor Siegrist tallied an assist, giving the senior her 22nd point of the season. Leading the squad in assists with 10, sophomore Maggie Murphy notched two against Lehigh, while Rachel Misko tallied an assist for her 17th point. Senior Kelly Stefanowicz, junior Leigh Hillman and sophomore Hope Obernesser found the back of the cage for the Bison, as well. Bucknell's defense is anchored by goalkeeper Erica Perrine, who boasts a 1.79 GAA and holds a .720 save percentage. The junior allowed zero goals in 48:50 minutes of play against Lehigh, and has only allowed 28 goals this season.
This is the 39th meeting between the two squads, with Penn State leading the all-time series with a 34-2-2 record. Last season, the Nittany Lions traveled to Bucknell and recorded a 3-1 victory on Oct. 25.
The Lions will conclude the 2012 regular season on the road, traveling to No. 20 Michigan State on Saturday, Oct. 27. The Big Ten matchup will begin at noon.
The 2012 Big Ten Tournament will be hosted by the University of Iowa at Grant Field in Iowa City, Iowa. The first two rounds will be held Nov. 1-2, while the championship game will be played Nov. 4.
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