Nov. 5, 2017
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| Ralph Young Field Hockey | East Lansing, Mich. | 368 |
EAST LANSING, Mich. - On a cool foggy afternoon on the campus of Michigan State at Ralph Young Field, Michigan's Esther De Leijer was the difference maker for the Maize & Blue as Penn State fell 1-0 to the Wolverines in the Big Ten Tournament Championship game Sunday afternoon.
"Our kids played really hard," said head coach Charlene Morett-Curtiss.
"We sadly didn't capitalize on the opportunities that we had, especially in the first half. I think we've really elevated our competitiveness, which I really like, that this tournament brings out. So this puts us in a good mindset for the NCAA Tournament. Congratulations to Michigan, I thought it was a really exciting game of field hockey by both teams," Morett-Curtiss finished.
It was a battle for field position as the Nittany Lions and Wolverines swapped position on the field over the first 35-minutes battling to a scoreless tie at the half.
Penn State held the advantage in shots, dominating Michigan 7-1, while each team earned a single penalty corner.
The second-half saw each defense make incredible steals, tackles and saves for 30-minutes until Michigan was able to put one in the cage.
Michigan's Esther De Leijer took a Carly Bennett pass and sent it straight to the back of the cage to score the game-winning goal and seal the Big Ten Tournament title for Michigan - the sixth in the history of their program.
For their outstanding performances, this weekend, Maddie Morano and Cori Conley were named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team.
Penn State will return to State College to await their next opponent as the NCAA Tournament bracket is slated to be released tonight at 10 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.
For more on Nittany Lion Field Hockey, log onto www.GoPSUsports.com or follow the team on Twitter and Instagram at @PennStateFH, and on Facebook at PennStateFieldHockey.
