Nov. 10, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State field hockey program will travel to Maryland and face Princeton, the defending national champions, on Saturday at 2 p.m. for the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Nittany Lions have now qualified for the tourney in each of the last four seasons and will try to capture the school's first national championship.
The Lions and Tigers are no strangers, as the two sides met earlier this season with PSU winning a 4-3 thriller at Princeton. In the victory, PSU received goals from Ashtin Klingler (Selinsgrove, Pa.), Taylor Herold (Fredericksburg, Va.), Lauren Purvis (Maple Glen, Pa.) and Brittany Grzywacz (Collegeville, Pa.).
The Blue and White is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament, as the program has qualified for the postseason 29 out of a possible 32 seasons. Penn State's 29th appearance ranks third for all-time NCAA Tournament berths. The first round match will be the program's 56th match, which places PSU fourth in tourney games played. Saturday's match will mark the 10th meeting between the two programs, with the Nittany Lions holding a 6-3 lead.
Head coach Charlene Morett is a huge reason for all of Penn State's success. The coach is tied for fourth in all of Division I for most NCAA Tournament qualifications from a head coach with 24 and has led the Nittany Lions to the postseason in 24 of her 27 seasons at the helm.
Morett has guided the Blue and White to two National Championship games and three Final Fours. A season ago, the team won its first round match vs. Albany by a final of 2-1 before falling to Syracuse in the quarterfinals, just one step away from the Final Four.
The winner of the match will play the winner of No. 1 Maryland and Quinnipiac/American on Sunday for a chance to go to the Final Four.