Nov. 5, 2016
Bag Policy - Parking - Promotions
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COLLEGE PARK, MD - No. 2 seed Penn State is set to take on No. 1 seed Maryland Sunday at 12 p.m. ET in the Big Ten Championship game at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex on the campus of the University of Maryland.
The Nittany Lions hold a 29-16 all-time record at the Big Ten Tournament, winning it all six times. The six tournament championships are the most of any Big Ten team since Penn State joined the conference in 1991. 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 42 players receive the honor.
MARYLAND NOTES
The Terrapins came back twice and eventually won in overtime to beat Northwestern, 3-2, Friday afternoon in the Big Ten Semifinals. The Wildcats struck first with a goal 6:30 into the match. Grace Balsdon tied it up off a penalty corner four minutes later. Northwestern took the lead once more in the 20th minute. Maryland freshman Sophie Pelzer tied the game at 2 with a score from the baseline in the 54th minute. Welma Luus banged in the game-winner 1:41 into overtime.
SERIES HISTORY
Penn State leads the all-time series, 20-15-1. Penn State is 1-4 vs. Maryland in College Park at Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.
The Nittany Lions dropped their regular season match against the Terrapins, 5-4, in University Park on Oct. 16. UM's Luus scored first just 2:30 in, then Brooke Birosik tied it up. UM's Madison Maguire gave Maryland the lead once more in the 16th minute, and once again Penn State tied it up before half on Madison Morano's first career goal. Maryland scored three straight goals in the second half for a 5-2 lead. Penn State scored twice in the final eight minutes (Dembrowski, Putsch) make a push but the comeback fell short as the Lions ran out of time.
TUNE IN TO WATCH THE ACTION
Sunday's game will be shown live around the world on the Big Ten Network. Fans can also watch on BTN2Go, or on the BTN's mobile app, and will be asked to enter their cable login information. Dean Linke and Kara Lentz will have the call for Big Ten Network LIVE from College Park, MD.
HOW #WeAre HERE
Penn State defeated the Hoosiers of Indiana, 3-1, in the opening round of tournament play to advance to the semifinals for the third-consecutive season.
The semifinals found Penn State in a familiar place as last year's Big Ten tournament featured the match up of Penn State and Michigan as well with the Wolverines getting the win in overtime. Penn State battled through the semifinal with Michigan for 66 minutes before Moira Putsch ripped a shot to the back of the cage for the deciding score. Penn State advances to their first Big Ten Championship game since 2012 when the Nittany Lions brought home the title.
2016 ALL-BIG TEN HONORS
Earning First-Team honors for the second year in-a-row, sophomore Aurelia Meijer was joined by teammates Moira Putsch (First-team) and Skyler Fretz (Second-Team).
REGULAR SEASON NATIONAL COMPETITION
Penn State faced off against eight teams that were ranked in the 2016 NFHCA Poll, including conference-foes Maryland (6), Michigan (8), Northwestern (11), and Iowa 16 (17). Along with the conference opponents, the squad also has matchups against Virginia (5), Albany (9), Princeton (11) and Old Dominion (20). Five of those teams (Albany, Maryland, Michigan, Princeton and Virginia) made the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
TOP OF THE CHARTS
Averaging 1.06 assists per game and 2.94 points per game, Penn State's Moira Putsch is ranked No. 1 and No. 4 in the nation respectively. Fellow Nittany Lion Aurelia Meijer is not too far behind as her .73 assists per game currently ranks No. 5. In the cage, Jenny Rizzo is ranked No .6 in goalie win-loss percentage at .867. Recording five defensive saves this season, Skyler Fretz is ranked No. 8 in the nation and currently tied for the conference lead with Malia Fujisawa of Indiana and Caroline Rath of Ohio State with five defensive saves on the season.
ALL TIME GOALS
Thus far during the 2016 campaign, Penn State has scored 75 goals across 18 games. Dating back to 1964, the Nittany Lions are currently three short of cracking the top six in program history in total goals in a season. The program record is 99 set back in 1990.
COUNTDOWN TO 500
Currently sitting at 499 career wins over her 33 years of coaching, head coach Charlene Morett-Curtiss is just one win away from the 500 mark for her career.
CLOSE GAMES
Three of Penn State's last six Big Ten tournament games have been 1-0 decisions. The tournament's last three 1-0 regulation decisions have involved Penn State.
RETURNING BIG TEN ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
In 2015 the Penn State defeated Indiana 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Because of their outstanding performances, Brooke Birosik and Gini Bramley were selected to the 2015 Big Ten All-Tournament team. Birosik netted two goals including the game-winning goal, while Bramley was a key member of the Nittany Lions Defense.
FIRST TEAM ALL BIG TEN RETURNER
Aurelia Meijer is the lone First-Team All-Big Ten returner for the Nittany Lions. In the 2015 season Meijer started all 19 games and scored a total of nine goals. With 17 games under her belt this season, Meijer has already equaled her career high nine goals.
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