UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; October 23, 2018 – The Penn State Nittany field hockey team (12-4, 6-2 B1G), ranked No. 7 in the latest NFHCA Coaches Poll, downed visiting Bucknell (8-7) in the regular season finale for the Nittany Lions. The Nittany Lions scored less than a minute into the game and never looked back on their way to a 5-0 win at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex.
Penn State wasted no time taking an early lead. Lion Moira Putsch (Media, Pa.) moved the ball down the right side of the field and passed the ball crisply into the Bison corner where Abby Myers (Hartland, Wis.) knocked it in for the game's first goal. Penn State led 1-0 just 0:46 into the contest. Penn State continued to pressure Bucknell for the next few minutes. Katie Dembrowski helped control action in the middle of the field and started a break that ended with Penn State's first penalty corner at the 28:40 mark. Penn State reeled off three shots on the first corner before Bucknell goalie Olivia Harris knocked the ball out of bounds, giving the Lions a second one. Harris made a nice save on a solid Gini Bramley (Elizabethtown, Pa.) shot, keeping the score close at 1-0.
Senior back Cori Conley (Oak Park, Ill.) stopped Bucknell's deepest threat with 25:31. The teams traded possessions for the next couple minutes before Bucknell picked up its first penalty corner with 22:28 left in the opening half. The lion defense was able to knock the ball out of the Lion circle and Penn State maintained its one goal lead. Penn State worked the ball back to the Bison side of the field as the clock moved below the 20:00 mark. Putsch and Myers struck again, with Putsch once again passing the ball into the circle from the right side where Myers was able to score again, this time with 17:13 left in the half. Penn State controlled the ball right away after the second goal, picking up another corner with 14:30 on the clock. Anna Simon's (Hanau, Germany) had her shot slide wide but Bucknell was not able to move the ball out of its own end of the field.
Penn State had another chance to score with 10:00 left but Harris made a nice save to keep the game close. Bucknell then rallied, moving the ball downfield and pressuring the Lion defense and goalie Jenny Rizzo (Hershey, Pa.). Rizzo was equal to the task and made two nice saves to keep Bucknell off the scoreboard. Each team then worked to control the midfield for the next few minutes with Bucknell gaining possession with 6:00 left and moving the ball into the Lion circle. Simon and the Lion defense kept BU from getting off a solid shot and Penn State regained possession. The Lions worked the ball downfield and forced another corner with 2:30 left in the half. Dembrowski took a slick pass from Aurelia Meijer (Hattam, Netherlands) and scored with 2:00 left and Penn State carried the 2-0 lead into the halftime break. Penn State outshot Bucknell 11-5 and had a 4-1 corner edge. Rizzo had one save for Penn State and Harris had four for the Bison.
Penn State began the second half in control on offense and picked up a penalty corner right out of the gates. Bucknell called for a review but the call stood just 2:30 into the second half. Putsch shot the ball in to Madison Morano (Hammonton, N.J.), who tipped it to Meijer whose hard shot was saved by Harris. But Putsch was ready and waiting and knocked in the rebound goal with 32:26 left to put Penn State on top 4-0. The Lions picked up another corner at the 28:00 mark and scored again. Putsch sent the ball in off the corner to Morano, who tipped it to Simon. The freshman knocked in a shot with 27:47 to put Penn State up 5-0.
Bucknell responded by moving the ball downfield and picking up a penalty corner with 24:20 left in the game. Penn State kept BU from a serious shot on the corner and the Lions regained possession as the clock moved to the 20:00 mark. The Bison were able to keep Penn State from any threat on offense and moved the ball down to the Penn State side of the field with 18:00 on the clock but were unable to threaten the cage. Penn State kept the ball on the Bison side of the field as the clock moved below 15:00 and forced a penalty corner. Harris made a solid save on a Meijer shot but the Lions picked up another corner right away. The Lions did not convert and Bucknell regained possession.
The teams battled evenly as the clock moved below the 10:00 mark with neither squad threatening to score. With the clock moving down towards 6:00, Bucknell had a shot sail just wide of the Lion cage in the Bison's best scoring opportunity of the game. The Lion defense then cleared the ball and moved into the Bucknell circle, forcing a corner with 4:20 left in the game. An Emma Spisak (Boiling Springs, Pa.) shot slipped just wide. Another Lion corner at the 2:00 mark went for naught and Penn State went on to post the 5-0 victory.
"We knew that, even though this was the last game of the regular season, we had to approach it like a championship game," said head coach Char Morett-Curtiss. "We're heading into the post-season, getting ready for the Big Ten tournament and NCAAs, and every game matters. Each game is a big game. We played well tonight against a good team and now we have to prepare for the start of the Big Ten tournament and Iowa."
Penn State outshot Bucknell 21-8 and had an 11-2 edge in penalty corners. Rizzo had just the one save while Harris had six saves for Bucknell.
The Nittany Lions are now 12-4, 6-2 in the Big Ten, while Bucknell falls to 8-7. Penn State has earned the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will host No. 6 seed Iowa on Sunday. Game time at the FH Complex is set for 12 p.m. The winner of the Penn State/Iowa game will advance to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals and finals next weekend, Nov. 2-4, at Northwestern University.
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
#7 Penn State (12-4, 6-2 B1G) 3 2 0
Bucknell (8-7) 0 0 0
STATS: PSU BU
Shots 21 8
Corners 11 2
SCORING SUMMARY (goal/assist) -- TIME
1st: PSU – Abby Myers (Moira Putsch), 34:14
1st: PSU – Myers (Putsch), 17:13
1st: PSU – Katie Dembrowski (Aurelia Meijer), 2:00
2nd: PSU – Putsch (unassisted), 32:26
2nd: PSU – Anna Simon (Putsch, Madison Morano), 27:47
GOALKEEPERS: MIN GA S
PSU: Jenny Rizzo 70:00 0 1
BU: Olivia Harris 70:00 5 6
