Nov. 9, 2017
Field Hockey Complex | University Park, Pa.
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Returning to the NCAA tournament following an early exit last season, Penn State enters the tournament drawing a first-round matchup against Delaware Saturday, Nov. 11 at 2:00 p.m. at George J. Sherman Family-Sports Complex in Storrs, Conn.
DELAWARE SERIES HISTORY
Penn State leads 15-6-2 all-time in their series with the Blue Hens dating back to 1976. Penn State fell 2-0 earlier this season to Delaware at the Nook in Lancaster, Pa.
SCOUTING DELAWARE
The Blue Hens sit at 15-4 on the year currently riding a seven-game win streak that includes wins over Columbia, William & Mary (twice), Hofstra, and Northeastern (twice).
Greta Nauck is the team leader in goals (24), while Taylor Lister has recorded 20 assists. Five Blue Hens have contributed six-or-more goals during the 2017 season.
ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS
A few Nittany Lions are among the best in the nation in their respective categories among active student-athletes, as well as a few that are rising in the Penn State record book.
Moira Putsch
- Fourth-most total assist (43) among all active athletes (DI, DII, DIII), second-most assists per game (0.69)
- Ranked T-No. 9 in PSU history in total assists (43)
- Averages the 22nd-most points per game among active athletes (2.17)
- 24rd-most assists among active DI athletes (24)
- Holds the 9th-best career GAA among active DI athletes (1.47)
- Ranked No. 9 in career save percentage among active DI athletes (.755)
- Ranked No. 2 in career defensive saves among active DI athletes (16), T-22nd amongst all active athletes (DI, DII, DIII).
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
Penn State's 32 NCAA berths move them into No. 2 all-time passing Old Dominion for the number of NCAA tournament berths. North Carolina leads the NCAA in field hockey postseason appearances qualifying for the tournament 34 times over the history of the program.
The Nittany Lions hold a 24-35 all-time record at the NCAA Tournament including two second-place finishes, one third-place finish, and four fourth-place finishes.
QUARTERFINAL POSSIBILITIES
Should Penn State advance to the quarterfinals, the Nittany Lions will face the winner of UConn vs. Boston Univ. on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. ET.
SERIES HISTORY VS QUARTERFINAL OPPONENTS
Penn State is 16-8-4 all-time vs. UConn having last faced them in 2014 in a 1-0 overtime loss vs. the Huskies. Penn State is 1-0 all-time vs. Boston Univ. with the lone win coming in 1991 1-0 en route to the NCAA Semifinal during the Nittany Lions last season before joining the Big Ten Conference.
B1G TOURNAMENT HONORS
The Nittany Lions have had five Big Ten Tournament MVPs, most recently with Gini Bramley in 2016. Since the Big Ten started selecting an All-Tournament team in 1997, Penn State has had 46 players receive the honor including Maddie Morano and Cori Conley receiving accolades this season at the 2017 B1G Tournament.
2017 BIG TEN HONORS
Four Penn State student-athletes earned Big Ten honors, the conference announced Wednesday afternoon. Moira Putsch (Media, Pa.) and Skyler Fretz (Oley, Pa.) were named 2017 Big Ten First-Team while Katie Dembrowski (Palmyra, Pa.) and Jenny Rizzo (Hershey, Pa.) earned second-team Big Ten honors. Putsch was also named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year following a career year that saw the junior post back-to-back hat tricks in a single weekend of Big Ten play.
NCAA ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
The Nittany Lions have had 12 All-tournament selections, the most recent being the quintet of Shaun Banta, Jen Beaumont, Jen Long, Allison Scola, and Mallory Weisen in 2007.
WHAT A PERFORMANCE BY BRAMLEY!
What a week it was for Gini Bramley. The junior midfielder earned Big Ten Offensive player of the week honors as well as being named the National Offensive player of the week by NFHCA. Bramley joins Jen Beaumont (10/28/08), Allison Scola (10/14/08) and Jen Long (11/13/07) as the only other Nittany Lions to earn National Player of the Week honors. On top of the fantastic week (Aug. 25-27) on the field for the Elizabethtown, Pa. native, Bramley celebrated her birthday the same weekend, turning 20-years-old on Aug. 28.
PUTSCH GOES BACK-TO-BACK!
What a week it was for Gini Bramley. The junior midfielder earned Big Ten Offensive player of the week honors as well as being named the National Offensive player of the week by NFHCA. Bramley joins Jen Beaumont (10/28/08), Allison Scola (10/14/08) and Jen Long (11/13/07) as the only other Nittany Lions to earn National Player of the Week honors. On top of the fantastic week (Aug. 25-27) on the field for the Elizabethtown, Pa. native, Bramley celebrated her birthday the same weekend, turning 20-years-old on Aug. 28.
BIG TEN ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Through nine weeks of play, four Nittany Lions have been selected as Big Ten Player of the Week, respectively. Gini Bramley earned the distinction during the opening week of play, Jenny Rizzo earned the nod following shutouts against Temple and Wake Forest, while Cori Conley took home the honors following wins against Michigan State and Kent State on the road. Moira Putsch earned B1G Honors following wins vs. No. 21 Rutgers and Indiana to close out the season.
Offensive Player of the Week (8/28/17)
Gini Bramley, Penn State
• Guided No. 7 Penn State to victories over No. 23 Old Dominion and No. 10 Virginia
•Scored two goals and added one assist against Old Dominion
•Scored two goals and tallied two assists in Penn State's, 4-2, win over Virginia
Defensive Player of the Week (9/5/17)
Jenny Rizzo, Penn State
• Anchored a Penn State defense that defeated Temple, 5-0, and No. 15 Wake Forest, 6-0
• Posted two shutouts in Penn State's home opening weekend
• Recorded a season-high nine saves
• Earns her second Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor and her first of the season
• Last Penn State Defensive Player of the Week: Jenny Rizzo (Oct. 4, 2016)
Defensive Player of the Week (10/2/17)
Cori Conley, Penn State
• Played every minute on the pitch as Penn State posted two road wins this week, earning PSU its 10th win of the season
• Anchored the Nittany Lion defense that shutout Michigan State in East Lansing earning Penn State's its fifth shutout of the season
• Scored her first career goal versus Kent State
• Earns her first Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor
• Last Penn State Defensive Player of the Week: Jenny Rizzo (Sept. 5, 2017)
Offensive Player of the Week
Moira Putsch, Penn State
• Posted back-to-back hat tricks this weekend earning 12 points for the No. 6 Nittany Lions
• Scored six goals on only nine shots in PSU's 4-1 win over No. 21 Rutgers and 7-1 victory against Indiana
• Leads the Nittany Lions and Big Ten in goals with 19
• Earns her second Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honor and the first of the season
• Last Penn State Offensive Player of the Week: Gini Bramley (Aug. 28, 2017)
CHEERING ON THE BLUE & WHITE
Penn State finished ranked No. 1 in average attendance in the nation in back-to-back seasons (2016, 2017). Penn State broke the Field Hockey Complex record with a total of 967 in attendance for a conference game against Maryland and was a part of the most attended game during the 2016 season as the Nittany Lions played in front of 968 fans at home.
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