Sept. 30, 2015
| PENN STATE VS. QUINNIPIAC | |
| Friday, Oct. 2 - 6 p.m. ET | |
| Field Hockey Complex | University Park, Pa. | |
| GAME DAY LINKS |
TV: ESPN2 -->Live Video |Penn State Field Hockey BlogFollow Us: @PennStateFH | Facebook | InstagramGameday Central
Game Notes: Penn State | QuinnipiacStatistics: Penn State | Quinnipiac
| PENN STATE VS. PRINCETON | |
| Sunday, Oct. 4 - 12 p.m. ET | |
| Bedford Field | Princeton, N.J. | |
| GAME DAY LINKS |
TV: ESPN2 -->Live Video | Live StatsPenn State Field Hockey BlogFollow Us: @PennStateFH | Facebook | InstagramGameday Central
Game Notes: Penn State | PrincetonStatistics: Penn State | Princeton
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State field hockey team returns to action in a non-conference game before hitting the road to wrap up weekend action. Friday the Nittany Lions host the Quinnipiac Bobcats at 6 p.m., followed by a road match against No. 20 Princeton Sunday against at 12 p.m.
Gameday Promotions
This is the annual Pink Zone game to raise greater cancer awareness. Pink "Penn State Field Hockey" caps will be given away while supplies last.
Cheering on the Blue and White
Penn State is currently ranked No. 2 in average attendance in the nation, trailing only Temple. Penn State averages 684 fans per game, while Temple averages 712.
Last Time Out
Following a 6-1 blowout of Michigan State Friday night, the Nittany Lions yielded a fast break goal in a double-overtime game Sunday against Ohio State allowing the Buckeyes to sneak away with the 2-1 win. Brooke Birosik netted the Lion's first goal on a penalty stroke in the game to give the Nittany Lions a 1-0 halftime lead. The Buckeyes sparked a fast break early in the second half scoring a quick, cross goal to tie things up. Penn State attempted fourteen corners, and a season high twenty-five shots, but the Lions were not able to finish for a goal. Penn State is 0-3 this season in games extended to overtime.
Quinnipiac Series History
This will mark the third time in program history that Penn State will face Quinnipiac since the series started in 2011. Penn State defeated Quinnipac 4-0 in their last meeting on Sept. 7, 2014.
Scouting Quinnipiac
- The Bobcats finished 2014 8-11 and 3-2 in MAAC play.
- Quinnipiac returns 15 letterwinners from last season, including three All-MAAC preseason selections
- Senior co-captain, two-time reigning MAAC Co-Goalkeeper of the Year and NFHCA All-Mideast Region First Team selection, Megan Conaboy has an a .663 save percentage and a 3.22 goals against average this season.
- Sophomore Michelle Federico leads her team in points (9), with two goals and a team-high five assist.
- Savanna Reilly and Lauren Belskie are tied for the team lead in goals with three apiece.
Princeton Series History
Penn State is 25-9-0 all-time against Princeton in a series dating back to 1979. The Nittany Lions last faced the Tigers in 2014, picking up a 5-2 win.
Scouting Princeton
- The Tigers return after posting an overall record of 8-11 and 6-1 in the Ivy League play last season. the Tigers return twelve players from last season.
- Head coach, Kristen Homles-Winn enters her 13th season as a headcoach for the Tigers. Holmes-Winn has led Princeton to 11 Ivy League titles, 10 NCAA tournaments and a 156-77 overall (.677) and 80-5 Ivy (.940) record.
- Maddie Copeland leads the team in points (13) and goals, netting six on the season.
Teresa Benvenuti leads the team in assist with five through seven games this season.
- The Tigers added nine freshmen to the team this season.
Maryland Gametime Change
The game time against Big Ten Conference opponent Maryland on Oct. 9 has been changed to 4 p.m. ET.
New Lions Stepping Up
With graduating seniors accounting for 50 of 57 goals scored last season, new Nittany Lions as well as players in increased roles are filling the void.
- Penn State's 19 goals this season have been scored by nine different goal scorers. Of those nine goal scorers, six have notched their first career goal this season, and transfer Stephanie Hussey has scored her first goals with Penn State.
- The six first-time goal scorers have accounted for 15 of the team's 19 goals.
- Four of the first-time goal scorers are freshmen: Aurelia Meijer (3), Katie Dembrowski (1), Gini Bramley (2), Mary Nell Smith (1) and Emily Klingler (1)
- Meijer has a team-high three assists and nine points.
- Sophomore Shay Cannon has scored her first goals this season and is tied for the team lead with four.
- Junior Brooke Birosik has also scored her first career goals this season, tied for the team lead in goal (4), and points with 9.
Close Contests
- Penn State has either been tied or in the lead approaching the final six minutes in all but one contest this season (Michigan, L 1-3, 9/18)
- No. 16 Old Dominion broke a tie with 5:03 remaining to win the season-opener, 2-1, and No. 9 Virginia and California used late rallies to force overtime periods they would score first in.
Penn State would take Ohio State to double-overtime before a fast-break goal secured the sudden victory for the Buckeyes.
Youth Movement
- Penn State's roster includes 10 freshmen, eight sophomores, five juniors, and two seniors.
- The squad returns just three starters from 2014 in
junior Carly Celkos, junior Emilee Ehret and sophomore Cori Conley.
- Of the 25 players on the roster, 15 had never played in a regular season game for the Lions before 2015.
- Of Penn State's 57 goals and 36 assists (150 points) tallied last season, just seven goals and seven assists (21 points) returned.
Preseason Accolades
Senior Stephanie Hussey, junior Carly Celkos and sophomoroe Cori Conley were each named to the 2015 Big Ten Field Hockey Players to Watch List.
On the Turf and in the Classroom
The Penn State field hockey program had six athletes recognized by Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award. The list includes students from every institution and 38 different sports who have recorded a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.7 or higher for the previous academic year.
Katie Breneman, Carly Celkos, Amanda Dinunzio, Laura Gebhart, Kirsten Gochnauer, and Haley Kerstetter, all earned the accolade.
Challenging Schedule
Penn State has again put together a top-tier schedule, facing eight teams that were ranked in the 2015 NFHCA Preseason Poll, including conference-foes Maryland (3), Northwestern (10), Michigan (14), Iowa (17), and Michigan State (19). Along with the conference opponents, the squad also has matchups against Virginia (9), Princeton (15) and Old Dominion (16). Three teams (Princeton, Northwestern and Maryland) each made the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
In the Spotlight on BTN
Field hockey will have its home finale against Iowa broadcasted on BTN live Friday, Oct. 23 starting at 3:30 p.m. The crucial contest will be the second to last for the Lions before the Big Ten tournament. The two prior games at Rutgers (Oct. 16) and Indiana (Oct. 18) will be streamed on BTN2GO.
Leaders of the Pack
Seniors Haley Kerstetter and Stephanie Hussey were named the captains for the 2015 season.
Postseason Fixture
The Nittany Lions return after making the NCAA Tournament field each of the last five seasons. Penn State has been at the top of the Big Ten in those seasons as well, being named co-conference regular season champions in 2013 and the outright winner in 2012. The squad won the Big Ten Tournament in 2011 and 2012.
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.