THIS WEEK'S PREVIEW
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lions (3-9, 2-2 B1G), hit the road for two Big Ten battles this weekend. Head coach Char Morett-Curtiss and crew will visit Michigan State (6-7, 0-4 B1G) on Friday, Oct. 18, for a 3 p.m. game. The team then heads to Ann Arbor to take on No. 9 Michigan (*10-3, 3-1 B1G) on Sunday, Oct. 20, at 12 p.m. *Michigan hosts Maryland on Friday while Penn State is at Michigan State.
Penn State is coming off a split decision this past weekend in home Big Ten action. The Lions downed No. 8 Northwestern 3-2 in double-overtime on Friday night, getting the winning goal from Anna Simon in extra time. Penn State then battled No. 6 Iowa tough before dropping a 4-1 game. The Lions are now 3-9 overall, 2-2 in Big Ten action.
The Nittany Lions are being led by Simon, who has 16 points off seven goals and two assists. Alexis Horst and Paityn Wirth each have nine points. Horst has three goals and three assists while Wirth has two goals and a team-leading five assists. Grace Wallis has eight points off two and four. Keeper Brie Barraco has a 2.60 goals against average with 66 saves.
Michigan State enters the week with a 6-7 overall record, 0-4 in the Big Ten. The Spartans won over the Ohio Bearcats 1-0 last Friday before falling at Wake Forest 3-1 on Sunday. Lia Sinisi leads Michigan State with 12 points off six goals while Nienke Bloemsaat and Aisha Osinga each have 11 points off four goals and three assists each. Goalie Jade Arundell has 108 saves and a 2.52 goals against average.
Michigan, which hosts Maryland prior to its battle with the Lions, heads into the weekend with a 10-3 record, 3-1 in the Big Ten. The Wolverines are coming off wins over Ohio State and Ball State last weekend and have won four straight games since a 1-0 loss to Northwestern at the end of September. Meg Dowthwaite has 17 points off seven goals and three assists and Fay Keijer has 16 off six and four. Goalie Anna Spieker has 22 saves and a 0.75 goals against average.
Penn State has one game next week, hosting Ohio State on Friday, Oct. 25. The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes square off in the Big Ten battle at 6 p.m. at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex.
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 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
SIMON'S GOAL LEADS PENN STATE TO 3-2 DOUBLE-OT WIN OVER #8 NORTHWESTERN
Sophomore Anna Simon scored the game-winning goal shortly into the second overtime period to lead Penn State to a 3-2 double-overtime win over #8 Northwestern. Simon's goal lifted Penn State to the home Big Ten victory and was her third game-winning goal of the season.
MORETT-CURTISS TO BE INDUCTED INTO PHILADELPHIA SPORTS HALL OF FAME
Char Morett-Curtiss, long-time head coach of the Penn State field hockey team and a former All-American as a player for the Nittany Lions, will be inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 2019 Inductee Class. The organization announced its new class earlier this summer and the induction ceremony is set for Nov. 7. Morett-Curtiss is being inducted for her local accomplishments in field hockey and lacrosse. The Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame inducts individuals as both local athletes or as part of the city's professional sports teams. A native of Aldan, Pennsylvania, Morett-Curtiss is a graduate of Lansdowne-Aldan High School and is now a member five Hall of Fames: The Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame (a 2019 inductee); Delaware County Hall of Fame; Pennsylvania Hall of Fame; USFHA Hall of Fame and the NFHCA Hall of Fame.
SIMON LEADS PENN STATE TO B1G WIN AT INDIANA
Sophomore Anna Simon led Penn State to its first Big Ten win of the year on Oct. 4. The sophomore had two goals and an assist in the Nittany Lions' 3-1 victory at Indiana. Emma Spisak had Penn State's third goal in the contest.
PENN STATE PICKS UP FIRST WIN IN AN 8-2 HOME VICTORY OVER VILLANOVA
Penn State grabbed its first win of the season in an 8-2 home victory over visiting Villanova on Sept. 29. Anna Simon had two goals while Jemma Punch had a goal and an assist to lead the Nittany Lions in the victory. Goalie Brie Barraco had five saves in the contest.
NITTANY LIONS DROP TOUGH 4-3 OT GAME TO CALIFORNIA IN LANCASTER
The Penn State Nittany Lions dropped a hard-fought 4-3 overtime thriller to the Cal Bears on Sept. 26 in a game played at Lancaster's Spooky Nook Sports facility. Grace Wallis, Jemma Punch and Anna Simon scored goals for Penn State but Cal notched the game's final three goals to secure the win.
HUTSON NOTCHES GOAL IN TOUGH LOSS AT #3 MARYLAND
Junior co-captain Madison Hutson had Penn State's goal in the Nittany Lions' 3-1 loss at #3 Maryland on Friday, Sept. 20. Hutson's goal was her first of the season.
LIONS DROP TWO 2-1 CONTESTS TO ODU AND AT #5 PRINCETON
The Nittany Lions dropped two close 2-1 games the weekend of Sept. 13-15. Penn State fell 2-1 to Old Dominion on Friday, Sept. 13, then fell 2-1 at #5 Princeton on Sunday, Sept. 15. Alexis Horst notched the goal against ODU and Abby Myers scored early against Princeton.
WIRTH NOTCHES FIRST COLLEGIATE GOAL
IN TOUGH LOSS AT DELAWARE
True freshman Paityn Wirth scored her first collegiate goal in the first period of Penn State's game at Delaware on Sept. 8. The Blue Hens bounced back with three unanswered to post the 3-1 victory, however.
NITTANY LIONS DROP TOUGH 2-1 GAME AT #11 VIRGINIA
Penn State dropped hard fought 2-1 game at #11 Virginia on Sunday, Sept. 1. The Nittany Lions tied the game with a late goal from Anna Simon, but the Cavaliers scored with just over 1:00 to play to steal the win in Charlottesville. Lion keeper Brie Barraco had five saves in the contest.
THREE NITTANY LIONS NAMED TO 2019 BIG TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST
Three Penn State Nittany Lions have been named to the 2019 Big Ten 'Players to Watch' list as compiled by the conference's head coaches. Senior Madison Morano, junior Abby Myers and sophomore Anna Simon are Penn State's players on the early season watch list. Morano enters her final season at Penn State with 32 career points, having played in 60 games over three years. Myers, who redshirted as a true freshman in 2016, has 19 points over the last two seasons and has played in 40 games. Simon started all season long last year as a true freshman and had 28 points off 13 goals and two assists.
PENN STATE IS HOST SITE FOR 2019 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
The Penn State Field Hockey Complex will be the site of the 2019 Big Ten Field Hockey Championship Tournament. The tournament, which will determine the conference's automatic qualifier for the 2019 NCAA Championships, reverts to its original format and features six games over four days in November. The first three games take place on Thursday, Nov. 7, the semifinals occur on Friday, Nov. 8, with the Big Ten Championship game set for Sunday, Nov. 10. Times will be determined at a later date and more information is to follow as the event nears.
HUTSON AND MORANO NAMED CAPTAINS
The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team, under the guidance of head coach Char Morett-Curtiss, has named senior Madison Morano and junior Madison Hutson captains for the 2019 campaign.
