Sept. 13, 2013
By Julie Bacanskas, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 13 Nittany Lions snapped their three game losing streak after defeating Lock Haven on Wednesday evening by a score of 3-0 and are looking to continue their success on Sunday against Princeton.
After tough losses to Temple and UConn last weekend, the Nittany Lions regrouped and were able to come out strong against the Bald Eagles. Not only did Wednesday's game mark the team's first shutout of the season, but it was also the first game in which the Lions were able to secure the first goal.
"It felt great to finally get that first goal and then to get a shutout and see the defense play so well," head coach Char Morett stated. "They made it a whole team effort. Sticking together as a team is one thing we keep stressing, and I think that really proved true against Lock Haven."
"The coaches have been saying that we need to score first and score often," added senior captain Whitney Reddig (Lititz, Pa.). "Getting that first goal was a good feeling and gave us momentum going into the rest of the game."
Throughout the match, the Nittany Lions saw goals from Reddig, as well as junior captain Laura Gebhart (Mount Joy, Pa.) and senior forward Ashtin Klinger (Selinsgrove, Pa.). Additionally, freshman Carly Celkos recorded an assist on Reddig's goal, which marked the first point of her Nittany Lion career. Overall, the team was very aggressive, both offensively and defensively.
"The team felt good about our possession," commented Morett. "They followed the game plan, and we were able to attack out of the backfield. We did a good job of moving the ball from one side of the field to the other, north and south, east and west, and our offense created a lot of scoring opportunities."
In the first half alone, the Lions outshot the Bald Eagles 11-0, and denied Lock Haven any penalty corners. At the conclusion of the game, Penn State had recorded 23 shots and 12 penalty corners.
"We had a good scouting report, and the coaches did a good job of knowing how to work it on the field so our backs knew what to do," Reddig commented. "I think we came out strong and knew we had to play well to win."
After such an impressive performance on Wednesday, the Lions are hoping to build off of their game against the Bald Eagles. The team plans to utilize the confidence it gained on Wednesday night to prepare for this weekend's match against the defending nation champions, No. 3 Princeton. The Nittany Lions will take on the currently undefeated Tigers on Sunday at noon in New Jersey.
In their last five meetings with the Tigers, the Nittany Lions have a 1-4 record. The most recent meeting between these two teams took place in September 2012, when the Lions were defeated in a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss.
"Princeton is the defending national champion," said Morett. "They have very strong players, an Olympian and a couple athletes that were on the U.S. squad. I think we really need to understand the game plan. We're going to work on it today, tomorrow and Saturday. We're going to feel very prepared going in. I think it's exciting to play such a top ranked team."
Reddig agreed with her coach's comments, adding that she is going to work on staying mentally focused and giving her all at the team's few remaining practices.
"I think confidence is important for our team," stated Reddig. "We just have to know that we can win, especially going into Princeton. They're a great team."