THIS WEEK'S ACTION
#7 Penn State (6-3, 2-1 B1G) at #17 Rutgers (7-2, 1-2 B1G)
DATE: Friday, Sept. 28, 3 p.m.
SITE: Piscataway, N.J.
Penn State Head Coach: Char Morett-Curtiss
Rutgers Head Coach: Meredith Civico
All-Time Series: Penn State leads 16-4-3
Last Meeting: W, 4-1 on 10/20/17 at Penn State
#7 Penn State (6-3, 2-1 B1G) vs. James Madison (2-5)
DATE: Sunday, Sept. 30, 12 p.m.
SITE: Field Hockey Complex
*JMU hosts Richmond on Friday, 9/28, post-press
Penn State Head Coach: Char Morett-Curtiss
James Madison Head Coach: Christy Morgan
All-Time Series: Penn State leads 19-4-1
Last Meeting: L, 0-1 on 9/7/07 at Penn State
(on penalty strokes)
THIS WEEK'S PREVIEW
The Penn State Nittany Lions (6-3, 2-1 B1G), ranked No. 7 in the NFHCA Coaches Poll, have a 'split' weekend in the offing to close out September. Penn State will travel to New Jersey to face No. 17 Rutgers (7-2, 1-2) in a Big Ten road clash before returning home to host James Madison (2-5) in a Sunday matinee at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex. The Lions and Dukes battle in a non-conference match-up at 12 p.m. on Sunday.
Penn State is coming off a split Big Ten weekend where it lost a heart-breaking 1-0 game to Michigan on a last minute penalty corner and then shut out Michigan State 8-0. The Nittany Lions find themselves 6-3 overall, 2-1 in Big Ten play.
The Nittany Lions are being led by a balanced offensive attack and one of the nation's top defenses. Moira Putsch, fresh off a nine point burst in the win over Michigan State, has 14 points off four goals and six assists (five of which came against the Spartans, tying a school record for assists in a game). Anna Simon leads the Lions with six goals and has 13 points off six and one assist. Emily Klingler and Aurelia Meijer each have 11 points while Alexis Horst has ten. The defense, anchored by Simon and Cori Conley, is backed up by senior goalie Jenny Rizzo. Rizzo has a 1.42 goals against average with 38 saves and an .809 percentage.
Rutgers enters the week with a 7-2 record, 1-2 in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights also had a split Big Ten weekend last weekend, downing Michigan State 5-1 and dropping a 4-3 double-overtime game to Ohio State two days later. The Knights are being led by Daphne Groothuis, who has 20 points off six goals and eight assists. Keeper Gianna Glatz has a 1.06 goals against average with 33 saves and a .786 save percentage.
James Madison, which hosts Richmond on Friday night (post-press), enters its week with a 2-5 mark. The Dukes are coming off an 0-2 weekend, dropping a 3-2 game at St. Joseph's and a 5-2 game at Duke. James Madison is being led by sisters Lindsay and Ashley Gippe, who each have seven points off three goals and an assist. Keeper Caitlin Nelson has a 3.15 goals against average with 54 saves and a .711 save percentage.
The Nittany Lions are 16-4-3 all-time against the Scarlet Knights, including a 4-1 win in State College last year on 10/20/17. Penn State is 19-4-1 all-time against James Madison. The Dukes won the last meeting, a 1-0 victory at Penn State on 9/7/07, winning on penalty strokes.
Penn State has one game next week, a critical Big Ten match-up against Maryland. The Nittany Lions host the Terrapins on Sunday, Oct. 7, at 12 p.m. at the 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
PUTSCH TIES SCHOOL ASSIST RECORD, LEADS PENN STATE TO 8-0 WIN OVER MSU
Senior Moira Putsch tied a Penn State record with five assists in Penn State's 8-0 win over Michigan State on 9/23. Putsch had a part in seven of Penn State's eight goals, notching two goals to go along with her five assists for nine points.
SIMON, PUTSCH, KLINGLER ALL NOTCH TWO GOALS IN PENN STATE'S SHUTOUT WIN OVER MSU
Freshman Anna Simon scored two goals in Penn State's 8-0 shutout win over Michigan State on 9/23, scoring twice off perfect penalty corners, with assists from Moira Putsch and Madison Morano. Simon had two goals, Putsch had two, Emily Klingler had two goals and Alexis Horst and Gini Bramley each had one in the lopsided victory.
LAST MINUTE PENALTY STROKE HANDS MICHIGAN 1-0 WIN OVER LIONS IN TOP TEN BATTLE
Michigan was awarded a last minute penalty stroke, effectively handing the Wolverines a 1-0 Big Ten win featuring two top ten squads on 9/21. The late penalty call overshadowed an outstanding effort from Lion keeper Jenny Rizzo, who had six saves in shutting down Michigan the rest of the way.
HORST LEADS PENN STATE TO 4-0 WIN OVER #21 BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Sophomore Alexis Horst scored two goals in Penn State's dominant 4-0 win over #21 Boston University on 9/16, in a game played at the University of Maryland. Horst had two goals while teammates Moira Putsch and Anna Simon each added one. Keeper Jenny Rizzo and the Lion backfield, anchored by Simon, Cori Conley and Lauren McNally, notched the shutout. Rizzo had five saves.
TWO LATE GOALS LEAD LIONS TO B1G WIN AT #22 OHIO STATE
Penn State used two goals in the game's final ten minutes to post a 3-2 road win at No. 22 Ohio State on 9/4, grabbing a victory in the Big Ten opener for both teams. Alexis Horst scored off a Gini Bramley assist at the 9:52 mark to tie the game and Katie Dembrowski scored unassisted at the 3:44 mark to put the Nittany Lions up for good in Columbus.
#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 out shot 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 2-1 2OT 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.
