| PENN STATE VS. MICHIGAN STATE | |
| Thursday, Nov. 6 - 12:30 p.m. ET - BIG TEN TOURNAMENT | |
| Phyllis Ocker Field Hockey Field | Ann Arbor, Mich. | |
| Tournament Information: | |
| GAME DAY LINKS |
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Game Notes: Penn StateMichigan State Website: MSUSpartans.com
Nov. 4, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Entering the 2014 Big Ten Tournament as the No. 4 seed, the Penn State field hockey team takes on No. 5 seed Michigan State in the opening round on Nov. 6 at 12:30 p.m. in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The tournament, hosted by Michigan, consists of eight teams. The semifinals take place on Nov. 7 and the championship game is scheduled for Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. The opening round games will be broadcast live on BTN Plus, while the semifinals and championship game will be live on the Big Ten Network.
Click here to visit the tournament page.
Big Ten Tournament Notes
- Penn State is the No. 4 seed in the tournament and ranked No. 5 in the most recent NFHCA poll. The squad holds is No. 3 in the RPI. With a win, the Nittany Lions would face either No. 1 Maryland or No. 8 Ohio State in the semifinal matchup on Nov. 7 at 1 p.m.
- The Nittany Lions hold a 24-14 all-time record at the Big Ten Tournament, winning it six times. The six tournament championships are the most of any Big Ten team since Penn State joined the conference in 1992. Most recently, Penn State was tournament champions in 2011 and 2012. The squad also won four consecutive from 1995-1998.
- The Nittany Lions have had four Big Ten Tournament MVPs, most recently with Kelsey Amy in 2011 and 2012. Since starting an all-tournament team in 1997, Penn State has had 38 players receive the honor.
- Penn State is 2-2 all-time against Michigan State at the Big Ten Tournament, with the last meeting coming in 2006, when the Nittany Lions picked up a 2-1 overtime win.
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.
- Nine 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.
- Seventh nationally with 0.94 goals per game.
Michigan State Notes
- The Spartans enter the tournament with a 10-8 record and a 4-4 mark in the Big Ten. They are ranked No. 19 in the most recent NFHCA poll.
- Michigan State's marquee conference wins were over ranked opponents Michigan (Oct. 24, 2-1) and Iowa (Oct. 17, 2-0). Most recently, the team fell to Louisville, 2-1, on Nov. 11.
- Offensively, Abby Barker is 10th nationally and third in the conference with 2.22 points per game. This season, she leads the team with 14 goals and 12 assists for 40 points.
- Defensively, Ali Helwig is sixth nationally with seven defensive saves this season.
- Helen Knull is in her fourth season as the head coach.
Series History
Penn State is 27-10 all-time against the Spartans. The Nittany Lions have won the last five games in the series, including a 2-1 win against the Spartans on Sept. 26 this season. Penn State is 2-2 all-time against Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament. The teams last met in 2006, when Penn State picked up a 2-1 OT win.
Last Time Out
In thrilling fashion, the No. 5 Penn State field hockey team defeated No. 8 Northwestern, 2-1, at the Field Hockey Complex on Oct. 31. Senior Laura Gebhart (Mount Joy, Pa.) scored the game-winner with 6:26 to go.
Breneman Earns Big Ten Weekly Honors
Senior Katie Breneman (Washington Boro, Pa.) was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 4. Breneman led a Penn State defense that held No. 8 Northwestern to just one goal in a 2-1 win on Oct. 31. The Wildcats came into the game averaging 3.00 goals per game and ranked 11th nationally in points per game (8.65). She also helped hold Northwestern, a team that came in averaging 17.9 shots per game, to just five shots.
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 tied for second with nine goals on the season. Her 25 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.
The Katies Hold Down the Defense
Senior backs Katie Andrews (Lancaster, Pa.) and Breneman lead a defense that is 11th nationally with a 1.32 goals against average. Breneman has started 59 games in her career and Andrews has started 48. This season, Andrews has played 70-plus minutes on 17 occasions, while Breneman has done it 16 times in 18 games.
Coming up with Corners
The Nittany Lions ranked seventh nationally with 7.83 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.