THIS WEEK'S ACTION
2018 NCAA Tournament - Round 1
#9 Penn State (12-5) vs. #6 Harvard (16-1)
DATE: November 9, 2018 -- 2:30 p.m.
SITE: Princeton University
Princeton, N.J.
Penn State Head Coach: Char Morett-Curtiss
Harvard Head Coach: Tjerk van Herwaarden
All-Time Series: First meeting
Last Meeting: First meeting
POTENTIAL QUARTERFINAL OPPONENTS
DATE: November 11, 2018 -- 1:00 p.m.
SITE: Princeton University
Princeton, N.J.
#5 Princeton (13-4)
Head Coach: Carla Tagliente
All-Time Series w/ Penn State: Penn State leads 27-11j
Last Meeting: Princeton won 2-1 (2OT) on 9/4/18 at Penn State
#16 Virginia (9-9)
Head Coach: Michele Madison
All-Time Series w/ Penn State: Penn State leads 19-7
Last Meeting: Penn State won 1-0 on 8/26/18 at Penn State
OFFICIAL NCAA TOURNAMENT DIGITAL PROGRAM: CLICK HERE!
THIS WEEK'S PREVIEW
The Penn State Nittany Lions (12-5) earned an at-large bid to the 2018 NCAA Field Hockey Championship and will take on Harvard in the opening round. Penn State is one of four teams at the regional at Princeton University. Penn State and Harvard play at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 9. Host Princeton takes on Virginia at 12 p.m. in the first game of the day. The two winners meet Sunday at 1 p.m.
Penn State is coming off a hard-fought 3-2 double-overtime loss to Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten Championships back on Oct. 28. This marks the 12th time in the last 14 seasons that Penn State has earned a spot in the NCAA tournament, including the third straight year.
The Nittany Lions are being led by a balanced offensive attack and a strong defense. Moira Putsch (29 points off eight goals and 13 assists), Anna Simon (26 off 12 and two), Aurelia Meijer (19 off six and seven), Gini Bramley (17 off five and seven), Alexis Horst (16 off eight goals) and Abby Myers (15 off seven and one) all have 15 or more points. Katie Dembrowski and Cori Conley lead the Lion defense with keeper Jenny Rizzo checking in with 67 saves, a 1.70 goals against average and a .761 save percentage.
The Nittany Lions and Harvard have never met. Harvard won the Ivy League with a superb 16-1 record. The Crimson's only loss was a close defeat to Big Ten Champion Maryland. They own a win over Princeton. Harvard is being led by Maddie Earle, who has 35 points off 15 goals and five assists. Bente van Vlijmen has 30 off 12 and six. Keeper Ellie Shahbo has an .813 save percentage and a 0.56 goals against average while Libby Manela has a 1.03 goals against average and a .667 save percentage.
Princeton and Virginia meet in the regional's other contest. The Nittany Lions split with those two teams, downing Virginia 1-0 in the season opener for both teams on Aug. 26. Penn State dropped a hard-fought 2-1 double-overtime game to Princeton on Sept. 4. Both games were played in Happy Valley. Princeton comes in with a 13-4 record while Virginia is 9-9.
The winner of the two games on Friday will battle Sunday at 1 p.m. Sunday's winner advances to the 2018 NCAA Championship semifinals and finals in Louisville, Ky., on Nov. 16-18. Penn State is making its 12th appearance in the NCAA tournament in the last 14 years and its 33rd overall, second all-time in NCAA history.
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 any home 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
SIX PENN STATERS HONORED WITH BIG TEN POST-SEASON HONORS
Six Penn Staters were honored by the Big Ten with the announcement of its post-season awards. Two Nittany Lions (Cori Conley and Gini Bramley) were named to the 2018 All-Big Ten first team; three (Jenny Rizzo, Katie Dembrowski, Moira Putsch) were named to the 2018 All-Big Ten second team; and Emily Klingler was honored with one of nine Big Ten Sportsmanship Awards.
LIONS DROP TOUGH 3-2 (2OT) GAME TO IOWA IN BIG TEN QUARTERFINALS
Penn State and Iowa battled into extra time in the Big Ten quarterfinals on Sunday, Oct. 28, before the Hawkeyes escaped State College with a 3-2 (2 OT) win. Penn State got goals from Moira Putsch and Anna Simon in the loss.
PENN STATE ROUTS BUCKNELL IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE
The Penn State Nittany Lions used two early goals from senior Abby Myers to open up an early lead on their way to a 5-0 shutout win over the visiting Bison on 10/23. In the regular season finale for Penn State, the Lions outshot Bucknell 21-8.
LIONS SHUT OUT INDIANA ON SENIOR NIGHT
Penn State dominated visiting Indiana on 10/19, closing out its Big Ten regular season with a 4-0 shutout win on Senior Night for the Nittany Lions. Four different Penn Staters scored in the game and Penn State held IU to just five shots, outshooting the Hoosiers 20-5. Anna Simon led Penn State with a goal and an assist in the victory, which closed out PSU's B1G slate with a 6-2 mark.
BRAMLEY LEADS LIONS TO B1G ROAD WIN AT #15 NORTHWESTERN
Senior Gini Bramley notched a goal and an assist to lead the Penn State Nittany Lions to a 4-3 Big Ten road win at #15 Northwestern on 10/14. Bramley's scoring came in a first half burst that put Penn State up 4-1 at intermission. She then helped stave off a late NU rally as the Lions held on for the 4-3 victory.
BALANCED ATTACK LEADS LIONS TO 3-1 WIN OVER #2 MARYLAND
Penn State put together a complete and balanced team effort in an impressive 3-1 Big Ten win over #2 Maryland on 10/7. The Lions handed the Terrapins their first loss of the year thanks to outstanding performances on both offense and defense. Moira Putsch led the Lions with a goal and an assist while Abby Myers and Anna Simon each scored as well. Cori Conley anchored a superb Penn State defensive effort and goalie Jenny Rizzo had seven saves, giving up a lone goal on a late penalty stroke. Penn State held Maryland to only 13 shots.
LIONS SWEEP B1G AWARDS ON 10/8
The Penn State Nittany Lions swept the Big Ten's weekly honors on Oct. 8 after their 3-1 win over previously unbeaten Maryland. Moira Putsch was named B1G Offensive Player of the Week, Cori Conley was named B1G Defensive Player of the Week and Anna Simon was named B1G Freshman of the Week. For Conley and Simon, it marks the second time this year they have won honors.
LIONS ROLL OVER JAMES MADISON
Penn State used a balanced scoring attack, with eight different players notching goals and the team scoring four goals in each half, to down visiting James Madison 8-2 on 9/30. Senior Aurelia Meijer had two goals while six teammates each had one.
PENN STATE GRABS B1G ROAD WIN OVER #17 RUTGERS
Penn State rode a 2-0 halftime lead to a hard-fought 3-2 road win at #17 Rutgers on 9/28. Anna Simon and Abby Myers each scored goals in the first half while Cassie Kline scored what would be the game-winner in the second. Lion keeper Jenny Rizzo had eight saves to keep Penn State on top.
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
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
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.
