Sept. 11, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 13 Penn State field hockey team got back into the win column on Wednesday evening, when the Nittany Lions defeated Lock Haven by a score of 3-0 in an impressive overall performance.
The Lions received goals from Ashtin Klingler (Selinsgrove, Pa.), Laura Gebhart (Mount Joy, Pa.) and Whitney Reddig (Lititz, Pa.) on their way to the shutout win. The Blue and White assisted on all three goals. Head coach Morett was pleased with her team's performance.
"I thought the team did a great job of sticking to the game plan and playing the ball out of the backfield," stated Morett. "I also thought the defenders did a great job of getting their tackles in outside of the circle and the forwards did a great job of taking the ball into the circle."
For the first time this season, Penn State was the first on the scoreboard. After a disjointed first five minutes of action from both sides, Ashtin Klingler fired past the Lock Haven keeper on a great strike from the left side of the circle off a pass from Laura Gebhart (Mount Joy, Pa.). The goal was the Nittany Lions fastest of the season and Klingler's second of the year.
The opening goal seemed to calm the Blue and White, as the Lions put the Bald Eagles' back line under immense pressure for the remainder of the evening. The offensive onslaught paid off with eight minutes left in the half, as Lauren Purvis (Maple Glen, Pa.) launched a shot that Gebhart redirected into the back of the cage to double the Lions' lead at 2-0. The goal was Gebhart's first of the season and Purvis notched her first assist of the year.
Penn State took the 2-0 lead to the halftime break. The Nittany Lions dominated the first 35 minutes of play, outshooting the Bald Eagles 11-0 and attempting two penalty corners while denying the hosts of any penalty corner opportunities. The two goals are the most PSU has recorded in the first half of any game in 2013.
Penn State continued to dictate the contest in the second half, as the visitors sent in shot after shot towards the Lock Haven goal. Whitney Reddig added to the Penn State lead with 12 minutes left in the match. Freshman Carly Celkos (Voorhees, N.J.) sent a shot in off a penalty corner that Reddig managed to redirect for the Lions' third and final goal of the night.
The score was Reddig's second of the season and second in as many games. Carly Celkos' assist was the first of her Nittany Lion career. The Reddig goal proved to be the final of the game, as Penn State went on to win by a final of 3-0.
The Lions turned in their most complete match of the year on Wednesday. PSU tied its season high in shots with 23 and recorded double digit penalty corners for the third time this season with 12. The three goals match the Nittany Lions' season high.
The Penn State defense played a near perfect match. The Nittany Lions relinquished no shots in the first half and only two in the game. Lock Haven attempted its first penalty corner with just 10 minutes remaining in the match. The Blue and White shutout was the first for the squad since blanking Michigan by a final of 2-0 in the Big Ten Championship match.
The win improves PSU's record to 2-3 and ends a three match losing skid. Penn State is back in action on Sunday, September 15, when the squad travels to New Jersey to play the defending national champion in Princeton University. The match is scheduled to start at noon.