| PENN STATE VS. BOSTON COLLEGE | |
| Saturday, Nov. 16 - 2 p.m. ET - NCAA Tournament | |
| J.S. Coyne Stadium | Syracuse, N.Y. | |
| GAME DAY LINKS |
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Game Notes: Penn StateBoston College Website: BCEagles.com
Nov. 13, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 6 Penn State field hockey is set to take on No. 11 Boston College in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. in Syracuse, New York. With a win, the Nittany Lions would take on either host Syracuse or Boston University on Nov. 16.
NCAA Tournament Notes
- The Nittany Lions are set to play in their fifth-straight NCAA Tournament.
- Penn State has qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 30 of the possible 33 seasons, starting in 1982.
- The Nittany Lions' 30 appearances ranks third nationally in NCAA Tournament berths.
- Penn State's game against Boston College will mark its 57th all-time tournament game, the fourth-most by any team in NCAA history.
- Morett-Curtiss has now led the Nittany Lions to NCAA Tournament action in 25 of her 28 seasons at the helm, reaching the finals in 2002 and 2007.
Boston College Notes
- The Eagles enter the tournament at No. 11 in the NFHCA Poll with a 13-6 record, winning five of their last six games. Most recently, they fell to host Syracuse, 5-2, in the ACC Tournament.
- Boston College is led offensively by Emily and Eryn McCoy. The twins each have 23 points on the season. Emily has a team-high 10 goals.
- Offensively, the Eagles rank 13th nationally with 2.95 goals per game.
- Defensively, goalkeeper Leah Settipane is 10th in the country with a .766 save percentage.
- Ainslee Lamb is in her 10th season as the head coach.
Series History
Penn State is 1-0 all-time against Boston College. In 2000, the Nitttany Lions picked up a 2-0 win on the road.
Connections
Head coach Charlene Morett-Curtiss' last coaching job was at Boston College from 1984-86. There, she coached the Eagles to a 34-16-8 record in three seasons.
With a Win
With a win against Boston College, Penn State would take on the winner of host Syracuse, the tournament's No. 4 seed, and Boston University. The Nittany Lions are 24-3-1 all-time against the Orange and 1-0 all-time against the Terriers.
Last Time Out
Penn State reached the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament by defeating No. 19 Michigan State, 1-0, on a goal by senior Laura Gebhart (Mount Joy, Pa.) on Nov. 6. The squad then faced No. 1 seed Maryland on Nov. 7, holding the Terrapins to just 14 shots, almost eight less than its season average of 21.9 coming into the game. The Terrapins, who averaged 4.42 goals per game coming into the contest, only found the back of the cage once.
Gebhart, Herold Named First Team All-Big Ten
Laura Gebhart:
- Fourth-straight first team All-Big Ten selection, the only player in program history to do so and the sixth in Big Ten field hockey history.
- Team captain.
- 10 goals and 25 points are season-highs.
Taylor Herold:
- Second Big Ten honor, earning second team recognition in 2013.
- Team leader with 17 goals and 41 points.
- 10th nationally with 0.85 goals per game.
Big Ten All-Tournament Team
Senior captains Laura Gebhart and Katie Andrews (Lancaster, Pa.) were named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team on Nov. 9. Andrews led a strong defensive effort, helping the Nittany Lions blank Michigan State in the opening round on Nov. 6 for the squad's sixth shutout of the season. Then, Andrews and the Penn State defense held No. 2 Maryland to just 14 shots in the semifinals on Nov. 7, almost eight less than its season average of 21.9 coming into the game. The Terrapins, who averaged 4.42 goals per game coming into the contest, only found the back of the cage once. Gebhart scored Penn State's only goal in the Big Ten Tournament, coming against Michigan State. It was Gebhart's third selection of her career.
Herold Moving up Goals List
Senior Taylor Herold (Fredericksburg, Va.) reached the 100-point mark with a goal and two assists at Ohio State (Sept. 28), to reach the 100 career point mark. She now has 51 goals and 16 assists for her career, giving her 118 career points. Her 51 goals are ninth on Penn State's all-time list. She passed head coach Charlene Morett-Curtiss, who had 50 at Penn State, with a goal against Northwestern on Oct. 31. Herold is four goals away from being tied for eighth with 55.
Gebhart on the Assist
Currently, Gebhart has 45 assists, which is one away from tying her for seventh on Penn State's all-time list and two from tying her for sixth. She is tied for the team lead with seven assists and is second with 10 goals on the season. Her 27 points are second on the team.
Herold on SportsCenter Top 10
Herold scored an impressive behind-the-back, no-look backhand goal against Rutgers on Oct. 17. The scored earned the No. 6 spot on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays.
Herold's Heroics
Herold posted three goals, all in the second half, against No. 14 Princeton on Sept. 12. It marked her first career hat trick. Against Ohio State (Sept. 28), she had a career-high two assists. Scoring a goal in 10 of the last 13 games, she is first on the team with 41 points and 17 goals, while being tied for the lead with seven assists. Herold has four multi-goal games this season. The senior ranks 10th nationally in goals per game (0.85).
Gebhart with the Hat Trick
Gebhart has started all 83 games she has played in since arriving on campus as a freshman. Against Bucknell (Oct. 14), the senior had her first career hat trick, scoring all three goals in the first 18:46 of the game.
The Katies Hold Down the Defense
Senior backs Katie Andrews and Katie Breneman (Washington Boro, Pa.) lead a defense that is 10th nationally with a 1.24 goals against average. Breneman has started 61 games in her career and Andrews has started 50. This season, Andrews has played 70-plus minutes on 19 occasions, while Breneman has done it 18 times in 20 games. The unit has recorded six shutouts this season.
Coming up with Corners
The Nittany Lions ranked seventh nationally with 7.70 penalty corners per game. The squad has had 12 or more on four separate occasions, including a season-high 16 against Lock Haven.
Penn State Field Hockey on Social Media
Penn State field hockey is on social media. Follow the program on Facebook (www.facebook.com/PennStateFieldHockey) and Twitter/Instagram @PennStateFH. For all of your Penn State news, visit www.GoPSUsports.com.