THIS WEEK'S PREVIEW
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lions (4-11, 3-4 B1G) close out the regular season with a non-conference game at Bucknell (8-7) and a home game with No. 16 Rutgers (10-6, 4-3 B1G). Penn State visits Lewisburg for a 6 p.m. game on Wednesday, Oct. 30, then hosts the Scarlet Knights at 12 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3. Sunday's game will also serve as Senior Day for Penn State.
Penn State is coming off a tough 2-1 loss to No. 22 Ohio State last Friday. The Nittany Lions got a goal from Bree Bednarski in the loss and had a late tying goal from Bednarski waved off after review.
The Nittany Lions are being led by Anna Simon. Simon has 18 points off eight goals and two assists. Paityn Wirth checks in with 12 points off four goals and four assists. Jemma Punch and Alexis Horst each have nine points off three and three. Grace Wallis has eight points off two goals and four assists as well. Goalie Brie Barraco has 79 saves and a 2.49 goals against average with a .675 percentage.
Sunday's game with Rutgers will serve as Senior Day for the Nittany Lions. Five seniors will be honored prior to the contest. Alexis Horst, Maddie Morano, Colleen Conway, Lauren McNally and Madison Hutson will all be honored in Senior Day ceremonies before the game with the Scarlet Knights.
Bucknell is coming off a 2-1 loss to Lafayette on Saturday. The Bison are 8-7 overall and 3-2 in the Patriot League. Bucknell is being led by Brittany Willwerth, who has 15 points off five goals and five assists. Emily Doyle has 14 points off seven goals while Allie Christopher has 13 off five and three. Goalie Olivia Harris has 88 saves and a 1.65 goals against average.
Rutgers is coming off a 2-0 weekend that saw the team down No. 7 Michigan 3-0 on Friday night and then shutout Temple 1-0 on Sunday. The Scarlet Knights are 10-6 overall, 4-3 in the Big Ten, and have won six of their last seven games. Rutgers is being led by Austyn Cuneo, who has 22 points off seven goals and eight assists. Katie Larmour has 15 off seven and one. Keeper Gianna Glatz has 62 saves and a 1.34 goals against average.
Penn State will host the 2019 Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament next week. The event begins on Thursday, Nov. 7, and concludes Sunday, Nov. 10. Thursday will feature three first round games at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, will feature two semifinals at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The tournament title game will take place on Sunday, Nov. 10, at 2 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.
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
BEDNARKSI NOTCHES GOAL VS. OHIO STATE
Junior Bree Bednarski notched a goal in Penn State's 2-1 loss to #22 Ohio State on Oct. 25. The Lion also had a late game-tying goal waved off after review in the tough loss.
LIONS DOWN MICHIGAN ST. FOR B1G ROAD WIN
Penn State used balanced offense and great defense to post an important 3-1 win at Michigan State in Big Ten action on Oct. 18. The Lions got goals from three different players. Madison Morano, Paityn Wirth and Jemma Punch each notched goals in the game while keeper Brie Barraco had a season-high eight saves.
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.
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.
