THIS WEEK'S ACTION
#6 Penn State (3-2, 0-0 B1G) at #22 Ohio State (4-2, 0-0 B1G)
DATE: Friday, Sept. 14, 4 p.m.
SITE: Columbus, Ohio
Penn State Head Coach: Char Morett-Curtiss
Ohio State Head Coach: Jarred Martin
All-Time Series: Penn State leads 36-11-2
Last Meeting: W, 3-0 at home, 10/6/17
#6 Penn State (3-2, 0-0 B1G) vs. #21 Boston University (4-2)
DATE: Sunday, Sept. 16, 1 p.m.
SITE: College Park, Md. (played at Maryland)
Penn State Head Coach: Char Morett-Curtiss
Boston U. Head Coach: Sally Starr
All-Time Series: Penn State leads 1-0
Last Meeting: W, 3-0 at home, 11/17/91 in NCAA tournament
THIS WEEK'S PREVIEW
The Penn State Nittany Lions (3-2, 0-0 B1G), ranked No. 6 in the NFHCA Coaches Poll, open up Big Ten play with a trip to Columbus on Friday to face No. 22 Ohio State (4-2, 0-0 B1G) at 4 p.m. The Lions close out the weekend taking on No. 21 Boston University (4-2) in a game played at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md. at 1 p.m.
Penn State is coming off a hard-fought 1-2 week, including a tough 4-1 loss to No. 3 Duke on Sunday in a game played at Temple. Penn State opened up the week with a close 2-1 double-overtime loss to No. 6 Princeton on Tuesday then shutout Kent State 8-0 on Friday night.
The Nittany Lions are being led by a balanced attack and strong defense. Senior Aurelia Meijer leads Penn State with eight points off three goals and two assists while true freshman back Anna Simon has six points off three goals (all of penalty corners). Emily Klingler has five points off two goals and assist while Gini Bramley has two goals for four points. Senior defender Cori Conley, classmate Lauren McNally and Simon anchor a strong backfield with senior keeper Jenny Rizzo in goal. Rizzo has a 1.65 goals against average with 22 saves and a .786 save percentage.
Ohio State enters the week with a 4-2 record. The Buckeyes are coming off a 3-0 week that included a 4-2 win over Boston University, a 5-0 win against Lehigh and a 6-0 win over Ball State on Sunday. Ohio State is led by Esther Clotet, who has 11 points off four goals and three assists, and Casey Cole, who has ten points off five goals. Keeper Aaliyah Hernandez has a 1.04 goals against average with 13 saves and a .722 save percentage.
No. 21 Boston University, which is at American University on Saturday, post-press, enters the week with a 4-2 mark as well. The Terriers went 2-1 last week, losing 4-2 to the Buckeyes in Boston then winning road games at Miami (Ohio) 2-1 and at Northwestern 4-3. Boston is led by Alisa Connolly's 12 points off five goals and two assists and Ally Hammel's eight points off two goals and four assists. Goalie Kathleen Keegan has a 1.49 goals against average and Millie Baker has a 1.49 GAA. Keegan has started all six games.
The Nittany Lions are 36-11-2 all-time against the Buckeyes, including a 3-0 victory last season in Columbus on Oct. 6. . Penn State is 1-0-0 all-time against BU. Penn State downed the Terriers 3-0 on Nov. 17, 1991, in an NCAA tournament game played in State College.
Penn State has two home games next weekend, both Big Ten contests. The Lions welcome Michigan on Friday, Sept. 21, for a 6 p.m. battle and then take on Michigan State on Sunday at 12 p.m. Both games are at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex.
Fans are encouraged to follow the Nittany Lion field hockey team online at www.GoPSUsports.com (click teams, click field hockey), on twitter @pennstateFH and on facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstatefieldhockey.
For gameday parking information, please check out the color graphic within the pdf posted online in every set of weekly game notes at GoPSUsports.com.
NOTES
#4 DUKE PULLS AWAY FROM PENN STATE LATE
The Penn State Nittany Lions fell victim to a second half rally against No. 4 Duke on 9/9 in a game played at Temple. Penn State got a first half goal from freshman Anna Simon and were tied at the halftime mark before Duke scored three unanswered goals to post the 4-1 win.
MEIJER SOARS IN 8-0 WIN OVER KENT STATE
Senior Aurelia Meijer soared to a career high six points in Penn State's 8-0 shutout victory over Kent State on 9/7 at the FIeld Hockey Complex. Meijer had two early assists and then notched two unassisted goals in the second half to blow the game open and lead Penn State to the victory. Penn State outtshot KSU 27-9 and Jenny Rizzo and Colleen Conway combined for four saves to post Penn State's third shutout in the season's first four games.
LIONS DROP TOUGH 2-1 DOUBLE OT GAME TO #6 PRINCETON
Penn State and Princeton battled evenly for over 80 minutes on 9/4 before the Tigers inched out a 2-1 double-overtime victory in State College. Penn State got a goal from Emily Klingler in the second half to tie the game and rode nine Jenny Rizzo saves into extra time before Princeton got the game winner in the second OT.
SIMON LEADS LIONS TO 4-0 WIN AT TEMPLE; NAMED B1G FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK (9/3)
True freshman Anna Simon scored her first collegiate goals to lead Penn State to a 4-0 win at Temple on 8/31. Simon found the back of the cage twice off penalty corners (assists to Mary Nell Smith and Madison Morano on both) to spark Penn State. The Lions out shot Temple 42-1 in the victory. She was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the week ending Sept. 2 for her efforts.
CONLEY, BRAMLEY SPARK LIONS TO 1-0 WIN OVER #7 VIRGINIA
Seniors Cori Conley and Gini Bramley sparked Penn State to an impressive 1-0 win over No. 7 Virginia in the season opener for both teams on 8/26. Conley anchored a strong Penn State defense and classmate Jenny Rizzo notched four saves as Penn State shutout the Cavaliers. The shutout was the ninth of Rizzo's career. Bramley scored the game's lone goal off an assist from Abby Myers as Penn State out shot Virginia 17-9.
CONLEY B1G PLAYER OF THE WEEK (8/27)
Senior Cori Conley as named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending Aug. 26, 2018. Conley anchored a smothering Penn State defense that held a high-powered Virginia offense scoreless and to only nine total shots. Conley's prowess in the middle of Penn State's defense kept the Cavaliers from pressing the Lion cage and lead Penn State to a 1-0 shutout win in the season opener over No. 7 Virginia. Conley played nearly the entire game for a Penn State defense that kept the Cavs scoreless in a national field hockey showdown to start the 2018 season. The victory has Penn State off to a 1-0 start to begin the campaign
TRIO OF NITTANY LIONS ON BIG TEN PRESEASON 'PLAYERS TO WATCH' LIST
A trio of Penn Staters are on the 2018 Big Ten Preseason 'Players to Watch' list. Seniors Gini Bramley, Colleen Conway and Jenny Rizzo are all included on the conference-compiled list to open the campaign. All three were named to the 2018 U.S. Developmental Team this summer and are coming off outstanding 2017 seasons for the Nittany Lions. Rizzo was a first team All-Region and second team All-Big Ten selection while Bramley and Conley were second team All-Region selections.
BTN AND LIONVISION HAVE HOME SLATE COVERED
Penn State's nine home games will be available for fans all over the world to see. Eight of Penn State's nine home contests (Virginia, Princeton, Kent State, Michigan, Michigan State, James Madison, Indiana and Bucknell) will be streamed live for free via Lionvision at GoPSUsports.com. Penn State's Oct. 7 battle with Maryland will air live on the Big Ten Network.
TEAMMATES VOTE RIZZO AND DEMBROWSKI TEAM CAPTAINS
Seniors Jenny Rizzo and Katie Dembrowski will serve as team captains for the 2018 season. The duo earned the honors in a vote by their teammates during preseason practices.
