UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; October 12, 2018 – The Penn State Nittany field hockey team (9-4, 4-2 B1G), ranked No. 6 in the latest NFHCA Coaches Poll, dropped a hard-fought game at No. 8 Iowa (12-3, 4-2 B1G) in a critical Big Ten road contest. The Nittany Lions rebounded from a halftime deficit to tie the game before eventually losing 3-2 in Iowa City.
The two teams traded early possessions over the first five minutes with Iowa getting one early shot that was blocked wide. Senior Cori Conley (Oak Park, Ill.) stood firm at the 29:30 mark, helping fight off an early Hawkeye push. Lion keeper Jenny Rizzo (Hershey, Pa.) and the Lion defense withstood a solid Iowa possession as the clock moved down below the 28:00 mark. Penn State took a player advantage thereafter but could not take advantage and the game continued tied 0-0 as the 26:00 mark slid by. Iowa controlled possession as the clock hit 23:00, trying to find an opening in the stout Penn State defense. The Lions held firm to keep the game scoreless and the game moved below the 20:00 mark.
Penn State could not get the ball past midfield as Iowa's forwards and midfielders forced turnovers that kept the action in front of Rizzo and the Lion cage. Anna Simon (Hanau, Germany) cleared a Hawkeye offensive effort and the Lions were able to move the ball down to the Iowa side of the field, but the Hawkeyes regained possession as the clock moved to 18:30. Iowa picked up its first penalty corner with 18:00 left in the opening half. Iowa's shot off the corner was just wide and Penn State kept the game tied with 17:00 left on the clock. Penn State's first solid push of the opening half came off a nice Aurelia Meijer (Hattam, Netherlands) drive that led to a Madison Morano (Hammonton, N.J.) pass that just drifted out of bounds with 15:00 left.
The Lions retained possession but a turnover seconds later gave Iowa the ball and ended Penn State's first, best offensive series. Iowa responded by moving the ball downfield and picking up its second penalty corner with 12:00 left in the first half. Iowa, with controlled the opening half, got the game's first goal when Maddy Murphy scored off a rebound on the penalty corner with 11:15 to play, giving Iowa a 1-0 lead. Iowa kept up the late pressure and forced its third penalty corner with 8:30 on the clock. Rizzo made a great save with 7:20 on the clock to keep the Lions down by just a 1-0 score. Katie Dembrowski (Palmyra, Pa.) had an outstanding long pass slip just past the stick of teammate Emma Spisak (Boiling Springs, Pa.) with just 5:00, denying Penn State a goal. Iowa carried the 1-0 lead into the halftime break
Penn State did not manage a shot in the opening half and Iowa took nine. Iowa had four corners to none for the Nittany Lions. Rizzo had two saves to keep Penn State in the game while Iowa keeper Leslie Speight was untested by the Lion offense.
Penn State came out energized in the second half, immediately taking the ball downfield and picking up its first penalty corner of the game just :30 into the half. Meijer had a first shot blocked high but Penn State picked up a second quick corner. Moira Putsch (Media, Pa.) took the ensuing second corner, fed Morano who tipped it to Simon for a game tying goal with at the 34:50 mark. Penn State continued to press the Hawkeyes, energized after the quick goal. Iowa struggled to regain any offensive flow as Conley and Madison Hutson (Gloucester Point, Va.) and the Lion defense kept the Hawkeyes bottled up and away from the Penn State cage as the clock moved under 25:00.
Iowa reset itself on offense and the Hawkeyes picked up their fifth penalty corner (and first of the second half) with 22:30 left in the game. A solid Hawkeye shot slid wide left and Iowa called for a review to see if the ball went off a Lion defender. But the call stood and Penn State retained possession with 21:55 left in the game. After the two teams traded possessions, Iowa began to find its footing and retook a 2-1 lead when Murphy scored again off a Lokke Stribos pass at the 17:37 mark. Lion head coach Char Morett-Curtiss took a timeout after the goal, looking to restart a Lion offense that had not shot since scoring a goal just 1:10 into the second half.
Dembrowski fed Putsch with a nice pass but Speight made a good save on a Putsch shot. The Lions picked up a penalty corner, however, but Speight made two saves on shots from Meijer and Dembrowski to keep Iowa on top 2-1 as the clock moved to the 15:00 mark. Penn State nearly tied it a minute later but a shot that snuck by Speight but the shot kicked off the post with 14:00 left to play. Penn State kept up the pressure and tied the game at the 13:03 mark when Gini Bramley (Elizabethtown, Pa.) fed Emily Klingler (Selinsgrove, Pa.) who scored to tie the game at 2-2.
Iowa turned a counter attack into a free hit with 9:30 left to play. The Hawkeyes nearly scored with 8:40 to play, but Rizzo kicked away an Iowa shot to keep the game tied 2-2. Iowa maintained possession and forced Penn State to play defense for the next couple minutes, keeping the Lions on their heels and from mounting any serious offensive threat as the clock moved to the 4:00 mark. Iowa had a series of free shots to the to the right of the Penn State cage and connected with 2:19 left to play when Murphy scored her third goal of the game from right in front of the Lion goal. Penn State tried to move the ball into Iowa territory as the clock moved below 1:30 but the Hawkeye defense held firm. Penn State could not regain possession as time ran out and dropped lost 3-2 in a hard-fought contest.
"Iowa played very well and the first half was tough," said Morett-Curtiss. "We weren't connected and did not play well as a team and that cost us. I'm proud of the way we came back in the second half and got back in the game, but it wasn't enough."
Penn State outshot Iowa in the second half but the Hawkeyes still owned a 14-8 shot advantage at game's end. Iowa had a 5-3 penalty corner edge as well. Rizzo ended the game with four saves while Speight had three.
The Nittany Lions are now 9-4 overall, 4-2 in the Big Ten, while Iowa improves to 12-3, 4-2 B1G. Penn State is at No. 15 Northwestern on Sunday, Oct. 14, at 1 p.m. (Eastern) to conclude a two-game Big Ten road weekend.
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.
GAME BREAKDOWN
SCORING: 1 2 FINAL
#6 Penn State (9-4, 4-2 B1G) 0 2 2
#8 Iowa (12-3, 4-2 B1G) 1 2 3
STATS: PSU IOWA
Shots 8 14
Corners 3 5
SCORING SUMMARY (goal/assist) -- TIME
1st: IOWA – Maddy Murphy (unassisted), 11:25
2nd: PSU – Anna Simon (Madison Morano, Moira Putsch), 34:50
2nd: IOWA – Murphy (Lokke Stribos), 17:37
2nd: PSU – Emily Klingler (Gini Bramley), 13:03
2nd: IOWA – Murphy (Katie Birch), 2:19
GOALKEEPERS: MIN GA S
PSU: Jenny Rizzo 70:00 3 4
IOWA: Leslie Speight 70:00 2 3
