UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; October 28, 2018 – The Penn State Nittany field hockey team (12-5), ranked No. 7 in the latest NFHCA Coaches Poll, fell to No. 9 Iowa (13-5) in the Big Ten quarterfinals today at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex. The Nittany Lions dropped a hard-fought 3-2 double-overtime game to the Hawkeyes at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex.
The two teams traded possessions early with neither team mounting a real threat as the clock moved to the 30:00 mark. Gini Bramley (Elizabethtown, Pa.) took control of the ball on the right side of the Iowa circle, looking to set Penn State up for a chance to score, but the Iowa defense held first and the Hawkeyes regained possession with 27:00 left in the opening stanza. Iowa got hit with a green card at the 25:09 mark, giving Penn State a player advantage for 2:00. Iowa was able to kill the penalty and the game continued scoreless with 23:00 on the clock.
Iowa had a brief offensive threat at the 20:30 mark, but Lion back Cori Conley (Oak Park, Ill.) stole the ball twice to keep the Hawkeyes from threatening the Penn State cage. Penn State turned the ball over at the top of the Iowa circle with 19:00 left in the half but Iowa could not take advantage of a brief fast break. With 16:40 left, Penn State moved the ball right in front of the Iowa cage and the ball was blocked out of the circle. Penn State called for a review but the call was upheld and Iowa retained possession. Penn State regained the ball and, with 15:31 on the clock, Madison Morano (Hammonton, N.J.) moved the ball inside the circle and forced the game's first penalty corner. Anna Simon (Hanau, Germany) had her shot blocked on the first corner, forcing a second corner. Aurelia Meijer (Hattam, Netherlands) had a solid shot saved by Iowa keeper Leslie Speight and Iowa took over possession.
The Nittany Lion defense kept Iowa from working the ball deep into Lion territory. Emily Klingler (Selinsgrove, Pa.) moved the ball down the left side of the field, passed the ball into Bramley, who shot towards the cage. Moira Putsch (Media, Pa.) tapped the hard shot past Speight with 12:49 to give Penn State a 1-0 lead. Iowa responded and took a player advantage on a Lion green card. Penn State effectively worked the 2:00 off the clock and continued with a 1-0 lead with 9:00 in the half. Iowa's Katie Birch got called for a 5:00 yellow card with 3:59 left in the half. Morano had a shot blocked with 1:40 left but forced a corner with the effort. Simon's shot was wide and Penn State led 1-0 after the opening 35:00. Penn State outshot Iowa 6-1 in the first half and had a 3-0 corner edge. Lion keeper Jenny Rizzo (Hershey, Pa.) had no saves while Speight had two for the Hawkeyes.
Penn State began the second half with another 1:01 left in their player advantage from the yellow card at the end of the opening half. Iowa was able to work off all the time and the teams continued at even strength after that. Penn State continued to pressure Iowa, however, and forced a corner with 32:00 on the clock but the Lions did not get off a shot. Iowa took possession and moved the ball down field, picking up its first corner of the game with 28:50 on the clock. But Ellie Holley's shot sailed high and the Lions maintained a 1-0 lead. Iowa forced another corner two minutes later, and appeared to tie the game on a Maddy Murphy goal, but the goal was waved off as two high and Iowa burned its video review in the process.
Iowa continued to press Penn State, however, picking up a penalty corner and taking a player advantage on a green card against the Lions. The Hawkeyes took advantage and tied the game with 24:34 left when Sophie Sunderland scored and knotted the score at 1-1. Penn State had a chance to regain momentum as Iowa got hit with a second five minute penalty with 21:33 on the clock. Iowa worked nearly all the 5:00 off and picked up a corner as well with 17:40 on the clock. The Hawkeyes scored a person down with Holley taking a pass from Anthe Nijziel to give Iowa 2-1 lead with 17:22 left to play.
Penn State worked the ball downfield and picked up a corner with 15:00 left to play. Simon blistered a shot towards the Hawkeye cage that Speight made a diving save on to keep the score at 2-1a with 14:20 left to play. A Morano to Bramley pass forced a Penn State corner with 12:30 on the clock. Meijer's shot was blocked but the Lions retained possession. Off-setting yellow cards at 11:17 had the teams playing at even strength as the clock moved towards 10:00. Speight stopped a Lion fast break at the 9:00 mark and the Hawkeyes took control and moved the ball down to the Penn State circle. Another set of simultaneous yellow cards was called at the 7:34 mark and Penn State took a timeout.
The Nittany Lions looked to even the score as the clock moved below 6:00, picking up a corner at 5:30. Simon's shot off the corner was blocked and Meijer's shot was saved by Speight, allowing Iowa to maintain a 2-1 lead with 4:00. Penn State faced a player disadvantage from that point on as the Lions got hit for a 10:00 yellow card. With 2:00 left to play, Putsch drove the ball downfield and forced a corner. This time, Simon connected with assists from Putsch and Morano and tied the game 2-2 with 1:14 left to play and the score held till the end of regulation.
The Hawkeyes began the first extra stanza a player up thanks to the 10:00 major and with possession. Iowa had a chance to end the game on a Katie Birch breakaway with 8:00 left but Rizzo had a save and Conley kept the Lions in it with a defensive save. Penn State regained possession with 6:00 left but Iowa's midfield stifled a Penn State break. With 4:42 left in the period, Iowa got called for a 10:00 yellow card and Penn State took control of the ball. With Penn State's 10:00 yellow released, the Nittany Lions now had a player advantage. Birch had another breakaway chance, but Rizzo stepped out to meet her with a superb save at the 2:40 mark. The teams traded fast breaks as the first extra period wound down. Meijer had two shots saved by Speight and the game moved to a second sudden victory period.
Penn State began the second extra period with possession and a player advantage. Putsch had a shot blocked, forcing a corner with 8:30 on the clock. Speight made a nice save on a solid Meijer shot and the game moved on with 7:30 left to play. Speight made another save on a Bramley shot as well and the clock slid below the 6:00 mark. Murphy then drove the ball downfield, using a fast break to force a penalty corner as Penn State picked up a 10:00 yellow card with 5:45 to play. A quick penalty forced another corer with 4:55 left and this time, the Hawkeyes ended the game. Nijziel scored on the corner off an assist from Murphy and Iowa posted the hard-fought 3-2 (2 OT) win to advance to the Big Ten semifinals next weekend.
"This was a battle of two teams that just did not want to lose," said head coach Char Morett-Curtiss. "We certainly had our opportunities during the game. Their goalie played well. We needed more composure at times offensively, which is something we have battled all season long."
Penn State outshot Iowa 18-12, including 6-4 in extra time. The Nittany Lions also had a 9-6 corner edge. Speight had 10 saves for Iowa while Rizzo had four and Conley one defensive for Penn State.
The Nittany Lions are now 12-5 while Iowa improves to 13-5. Iowa now advances to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals and finals next weekend, Nov. 2-4, at Northwestern University. Penn State will now await the announcement of the field of 18 for the 2018 NCAA Field Hockey Championships. The announcement will take place Sunday night, Nov. 4, at 10 p.m. on NCAA.com.
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 OT1 OT2 FINAL
#7 Penn State (12-5) 1 1 0 0 2
#9 Iowa (13-5) 0 2 0 1 3
STATS: PSU IOWA
Shots 18 12
Corners 9 6
SCORING SUMMARY (goal/assist) -- TIME
1st: PSU – Moira Putsch (Gini Bramley), 12:49
2nd: IOWA – Sophie Sunderland (Anthe Nijziel), 24:34
2nd: IOWA – Ellie Hollie (Nijziel), 17:22
2nd: PSU – Anna Simon (Putsch, Madison Morano), 1:14
2OT: IOWA – Nijziel (Murphy), 4:47
GOALKEEPERS: MIN GA S
PSU: Jenny Rizzo 85:13 3 4
Team (def.) 1
IOWA: Leslie Speight 85:13 2 10
