UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (3-8, 2-1 B1G) toppled No. 8 Northwestern (10-5, 3-2 B1G) in a Big Ten battle Friday night at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex. Nittany Lion sophomore Anna Simon (Hanau, Germany) scored the game-winning goal in the second overtime to give Penn State the 3-2 (2OT) victory.
Penn State's defense fought back solid early pressure from Northwestern's offense and then worked the ball down to the Northwestern circle and forced the game's first penalty corner at the 11:34 mark. The Lion shot went wide and action resumed scoreless. Northwestern got its first shot off at the 6:38 mark and Lion goalie Brie Barraco (Allentown, Pa.) knocked it back. Penn State then defended an ensuing corner to keep NU off the board. Penn State had a late shot knocked back by Wildcat goalie Florien Marcussen and the opening period ended in a 0-0 tie.
Northwestern began the second period by controlling possession but Penn State's defense, anchored by Madison Hutson (Gloucester Point, Va.), was able to fight off the Wildcat charge. Penn State was hit with a green card at the 8:48 mark but was able to keep possession and kill the card. The Lions moved the ball down to the Wildcat side of field and got off two solid shots, but Marcussen saved the first and the second went wide. With the clock dipping below 5:00, Penn State continued to control the ball outside the Wildcat circle. Northwestern then took control of the ball and quickly moved the ball downfield. Barraco made a save on a Wildcat shot as the clock moved to the 2:00 mark and the gam
Penn State outshot Northwestern 8-5 in the opening half and had two corners to one for the Wildcats. Lion goalie Barraco had three saves while Marcussen had four for the Wildcats.
The teams traded quick possessions in the third period before Penn State was able to force a quick penalty corner at the 13:40 mark. Penn State took advantage. After the corner was played, Lion freshman Paityn Wirth (Thompsontown, Pa.) dribbled the ball deep into the circle. The ensuing scramble led to Wirth hitting Meghan Reese (Coopersburg, Pa.) with a short pass and Grace Wallis (Blue Bell, Pa.) redirecting the shot for the goal at the 13:29 mark. Leading 1-0, Penn State continued to maintain possession as the third period moved below the 8:00 mark. Northwestern moved the ball downfield and Barraco had two nice saves to keep the Wildcats from scoring. But NU forced a corner at the 2:35 mark. Barraco pushed back the first shot but Wildcat Christen Conley was able to score on a solo shot with 2:13 left to tie the game at 1-1.
The Wildcats broke the tie early in the fourth. Saar De Breij scored on a quick short shot in front of the Penn State cage and Northwestern led 2-1 with 13:29 to play. Penn State forced a penalty corner less than two minutes later but Wildcat keeper Marcussen was able to defend the shot. The Nittany Lions kept up the pressure and picked up another corner a few seconds later but the shot went wide and action continued with under 11:00 left to play. Penn State's third corner in a two minute span was also defended and Northwestern continued to lead by one at the 10:00 mark. Northwestern got called for a yellow card at the 7:02 mark and the Lions quickly forced a penalty corner. Wallis inserted the ball nicely to Jemma Punch (McDowall, Australia) who fed the bell sharply into the circle. Meghan Reese redirected the hard shot for the goal to tie the game at 2-2 with 6:36 on the clock. Penn State defended two Wildcat corners as the clock moved below the 4:00 mark to keep the game tied. The final four minutes of regulation continued without a goal and the game moved to overtime.
In overtime, Northwestern won the toss and had first possession. But Penn State's defense held firm and the Loins took over. But the Lions got hit for a yellow card at the 8:53 mark and the Wildcats had a player advantage. The Lions were able to kill three minutes of the penalty before the Wildcats got the ball deep into the Penn State circle. The Lion defense, led by Madison Morano (Hammonton, N.J.) was able to kill the penalty and the game continued even strength to the 3:36 mark. Bree Bednarski (Wyoming, Pa.) took a hard shot that hit the post with 1:15 left in the game and the first extra period ended in a 2-2 tie.
Penn State began the second overtime with possession. The Wildcats regained possession quickly but could not convert and Penn State once again worked to get the ball downfield. Barraco made a nice save on a hard Wildcat shot with 7:40 on the clock to keep the game going. The Nittany Lions made Barraco's late save pay off. Penn State moved the ball downfield and Simon moved to the left side of the NU circle and scored the game winning goal just 3:38 into the second overtime to give the Nittany Lions the 3-2 victory.
"I love the way we played tonight because we showed so much heart," said head coach Char Morett-Curtiss. "We were able to improve on some things tonight offensively and Brie (Barraco) played very well to give us a chance. It was great to see us finish well on offense and get the win."
The Nittany Lions outshot Northwestern 20-16, including a 4-1 edge in the two overtimes. Barraco had 10 saves while Marcussen had seven for Northwestern. The Nittany Lions had nine penalty corners while the Wildcats had four.
The Nittany Lions are now 3-8 overall, 2-1 in the Big Ten, while Northwestern falls to 10-5, 3-2 B1G. Penn State returns to action in two days, hosting No. 6 Iowa on Sunday, Nov. 13, at 12 p.m.
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 3 4 1OT 2OT FINAL
PENN STATE 0 0 1 1 0 1 3
Northwestern 0 0 1 1 0 0 2
STATS: PSU NU
Shots 20 16
Corners 9 4
SCORING SUMMARY (goal/assist) – TIME
3rd: PSU – Grace Wallis (Meghan Reese, Paityn Wirth), 13:29
3rd: NU – Christen Conley (unassisted), 2:13
4th: NU – Saar De Breij (unassisted), 13:08
4th: PSU – Meghan Reese (Wallis, Jemma Punch), 6:36
2OT: PSU – Anna Simon (unassisted), 6:22
GOALKEEPERS: MIN GA S
PSU: Brie Barraco 73:38 2 10
NU: Florien Marcussen 73:38 3 7
