Sept. 20, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No.12 Penn State hosted No. 16 Delaware in the Nittany Lions' fifth matchup against a ranked opponent on Friday. The Nittany Lions used a huge second half to comfortably cruise to a 5-0 win over the nation's 16th ranked team.
After Brittany Grzywacz (Collegeville, Pa.) scored the only first half goal, the Nittany Lions' Taylor Herold (Fredericksburg, Va.), Ashtin Klingler (Selinsgrove, Pa.) and Jenna Chrismer (Mountain Top, Pa.) combined to score four goals in the last 35 minutes to deliver Penn State an impressive 5-0 victory.
The match got off to a slow start, as both teams settled into the contest. The Blue Hens had the first scoring opportunity of the game. Delaware's Esmee Peet put a shot on goal in the eighth minute off a penalty corner. Penn State's keeper Kylie Licata (Mountain Top, Pa.) was up for the challenge and turned away the shot to keep the game scoreless.
After the early Delaware opportunity, the Nittany Lions completely took over the match. In the 15th minute, Penn State broke the 0-0 deadlock to get the first goal of the contest. Grzywacz launched a shot from the top of the circle off a penalty corner set up by Whitney Reddig (Lititz, Pa.) and Laura Gebhart (Mount Joy, Pa.) to put the Blue and White up 1-0. The goal was the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week's fourth of the season and second in as many matches.
The Nittany Lions were inspired by the opening score and crashed the Delaware cage for the rest of the half but were unable to add to their lead. Penn State led 1-0 after the first 35 minutes of play. The Blue and White tallied nine shots to the Blue Hens' one. The PSU goal represented the third time in as many matches that the Lions have scored the first goal of the contest.
Penn State picked up right where it left off in the second stanza. In the 40th minute Chrismer broke into the circle and fired a shot forcing the Delaware keeper to make a scrambling save before Herold slotted the rebound into the cage to double Penn State's lead at 2-0.
The offensive onslaught continued for the hosts after grabbing the 2-0 lead. Over the course of the next 16 minutes Penn State recorded eight shots and four penalty corners before the third goal came.
The third score was set up by a dashing run by Amanda Dinunzio, who beat her defender then perfectly placed a pass to Herold who slotted the ball into the cage for her second goal of the night. The play gave Dinunzio her first assist and point of her Nittany Lion career. The goal was Herold's second of the evening and team-leading sixth of the season. The multi-goal performance was the first of the junior's year and fifth of her career.
After Herold scored the team's third goal, the other two starting Penn State forwards wanted to get in the scoring column. With eight minutes left in the match, Klingler controlled a rebound off a Grzywacz shot attempt and placed the ball into the net for her fourth goal of the season, making the score 4-0 in favor of Penn State. The goal kept the senior's scoring streak alive at three consecutive matches.
Not to be outdone, Chrismer wrapped up the evening with a goal in the waning minutes of the match. Gebhart picked out the junior with a pass and Chrismer fired a shot past the Delaware defense to cap off the superb second half offensive display and seal the Lions' 5-0 victory. The goal is Chrismer's second of the season and 12th of her career.
PSU dominated the final statistics, outshooting the Blue Hens by a total of 26-1. The home squad also generated nine penalty corner chances to Delaware's three. With the shutout, Licata now has two on the season, both coming within the last three matches.
Another noteworthy statistic is Gebhart's season assist total. With racking up two more assists vs. Delaware, the junior has eight assists on the season, placing her first in the Big Ten. Gebhart has three multi-assist games and has recorded at least one in three straight matches, all victories.
The win is Penn State's third consecutive victory and second-straight against a ranked opponent. The Nittany Lions' record improves to 4-3 on the season. The squad has a quick turnaround, as PSU travels to Easton, Pa. on Sunday for an intrastate showdown against the Lafayette Leopards. The match is set to begin at noon.