Oct. 23, 2015
Oct. 23, 2015
| 3 | 2 |
| Field Hockey Complex | University Park, Pa. | 714 | |
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Game Winning Goal (video)
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Freshman Aurelia Meijer's (Hattem, Netherlands) hat trick sealed the win for Penn State, as she scored her third goal of the day with no time remaining to lift the Nittany Lions over Iowa, 3-2, in Big Ten field hockey action Friday afternoon at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex.
An Iowa (9-8, 2-5 B1G) foul in the circle with less than a minute remaining gave Penn State (7-9, 3-4 B1G) an untimed penalty corner attempt. Meijer's shot on the corner was saved by Iowa goalkeeper Alexandra Pecora -recording her 13th save of the game - but a subsequent foul by Iowa would set up a second attempt for Penn State.
Meijer again would take the shot for Penn State, this time finding the back of the cage on a shot traveling left to right.
"I'm proud of my team, I knew we could do it and we did," said Meijer
Meijer would net two first half goals to give the Nittany Lions a 2-0 lead heading into the half.
First-half goals for Penn State were assisted by junior Brooke Birosik (Ickesburg, Pa.), and freshman Gini Bramley (Elizabethtown, Pa.)
Birosik found Meijer right in front of the cage for the first goal in the 11th-minute, then Bramley set up a breakaway with a pass from the left sideline for the second goal in the 33rd-minute.
Iowa would fight their way back into the game, scoring six minutes into the second half on an Isabella Brown goal assisted by Veronique Declercq, who would be a key contributor on the next scoring play for the Hawkeyes. Declercq would handle the insert pass, assisting Stephanie Norlander on a corner attempt in the 52nd-minute to knot things up at two goals apiece.
"I think when we called the time out with about eight minutes left , Iowa really had momentum back on their side when they scored those two goals, and then they were really pushing the pace and we weren't," said head coach Charlene Morett-Curtiss. "I told the girls we have to push the pace right now, we have to flip the momentum to our side and start to compete, and I think that's where we started to get those corners at the end of the game."
Meijer would take three of the final five shots for Penn State in the final eight minutes of the game.
"I wasn't comfortable after scoring two goals in the first half," said Meijer. "We've been in this situation every game, and every game we've won the first-half and lost the second-half, so when I scored I knew we had to score more and continue to be aggressive."
The final goal of the game gave Meijer her third for the game and sixth on the season, tying the team lead of six by Birosik, and Stephanie Hussey (Miami, Fla.)
"We had a similar situation at Indiana but this time it was great to see Aurelia finish, what a day for her!" said Morett-Curtiss.
Penn State - as they have in all but three games this season - outshot their opponent, recording 23 shots and 10 penalty corners while limiting Iowa to six shots and two penalty corners.
"To get this win was huge, we've been here too many times and haven't closed the game out, and to see them at this point in the season, you know, dig deep and get that win that gives us a huge surge of confidence going in to Northwestern next week, and hopefully the Big Ten Tournament the following weekend," said Morett-Curtiss.
Penn State will travel to Evanston, Illinois, for a 3 p.m. regular season finale against Northwestern Friday, Oct. 30.