Sept. 10, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After a tough two matches over the weekend, the Nittany Lions look to bounce back against a quality opponent in Lock Haven University on Wednesday. Penn State will travel to Lock Haven for a match that is slated to begin at 7 p.m.
Wednesday's match between the Bald Eagles and Nittany Lions will be the 33rd meeting in a highly competitive series between the two sides. Penn State holds a slight edge in the all-time series with Lock Haven, recording a record of 17-14-1 against the intrastate rival.
The Blue and White shutout the Bald Eagles in their most recent meeting in 2012, winning by a final score of 5-0. Five different Nittany Lions found the back of the cage in the contest, including returners Taylor Herold (Fredricksburg, Va.), Laura Gebhart (Mount Joy, Pa.) and Ashtin Klingler (Selinsgrove, Pa.). Penn State has won the last 11 meetings versus Lock Haven, dating all the way back to the 1986 season.
Penn State enters the showdown with the Bald Eagles hoping to end a three match losing skid. The three defeats came at the hands of now No. 5 Virginia, No. 11 Temple and No. 4 UConn. Despite losing all three of the matches, the Nittany Lions outperformed their opponents. Penn State attempted more shots than the opposition in each of its four matches in 2013. The Blue and White has also have had 39 penalty corner opportunities while holding other teams to 20 on the year.
PSU's leading goal scorer is Taylor Herold. The forward has four goals through four matches this season, leading the Nittany Lions in points and goals scored. The junior's average of a goal per match ties her for first in the Big Ten rankings and her two points per game are good enough for a second place tie in the conference.
Lock Haven comes into Wednesday's match winners of three consecutive contests. The Bald Eagles' only blemish on the year came in the season opener against No. 1 North Carolina by a final score of 2-1. Since the defeat, Lock Haven has picked up wins over Bucknell, Cornell and Georgetown.
The Bald Eagles have relied heavily on their defense through the first four games, as the team has relinquished a total of four goals and have notched shutouts over Georgetown and Bucknell. Kelly Harsh leads the team in goals, scoring three times this season to go along with one assist.
After Wednesday's match against Lock Haven, the Nittany Lions travel to New Jersey on Sunday, September 15 for a showdown against No. 3 Princeton, the defending NCAA national champions. The match is scheduled to begin at noon.