THIS WEEK'S PREVIEW
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lions (7-6, 5-2 B1G) will meet Ohio State (5-8, 2-5 B1G) in their first game of the 2020-21 Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament. The event runs Tuesday through Saturday, April 20-24, and will be hosted by the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Penn State and Ohio State tackle each other on Wednesday, April 21, at 5 p.m. in the quarterfinals. The game can be seen live on the Big Ten Network.
The winner of the Big Ten Tournament receives the Big Ten's automatic qualifier to the 2020-21 NCAA Field Hockey Championship.
The meeting will be the third straight between the two teams as the squads split two contests last weekend at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex. Penn State won a hard-fought 2-1 victory on Friday afternoon and the Buckeyes turned around and claimed a thrilling 3-2 overtime win on Sunday. Penn State's win on Friday clinched the Big Ten Tournament's No. 2 seed as Penn State posted a 5-2 mark in the conference standings.
The Nittany Lions are being led by freshman Sophia Gladieux, who claimed her second Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor and was named first team All-Big Ten this week. Gladieux has 24 points off 11 goals and two assists. Bree Bednarski checks in with 15 points off four goals and seven assists. Elena Vos anchors the defense and has six assists while Abby Myers leads the midfield and has two assists. Vos and Myers were second team All-Big Ten selections. Goalie Brie Barraco has 63 saves and a .797 save percentage this year.
The Big Ten Tournament begins on Tuesday with Michigan State and Indiana battling at 1 p.m. for the right to face No. 1 seed Michigan on Wednesday at 12 p.m. Maryland and Iowa face off on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m., Penn State and Ohio State at 5 p.m. and Northwestern and Rutgers at 7:30 p.m. The semifinals are set for Thursday at 5 p.m. (Wednesday game 1 and 2 winners) and 7:30 p.m. (Wednesday game 3 and 4 winners). The title game is Saturday at 12 p.m. Every game will air live on the Big Ten Network.
Penn State will serve as one of two host sites for the NCAA tournament. The Penn State Field Hockey Complex will host two games on Friday, April 30 at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. and two games on Sunday, May 2, at 12 p.m. and 3 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.
THIS WEEK'S ACTION
Penn State (7-6, 5-2 B1G) vs. Ohio State (5-8, 2-5 B1G)
Quarterfinals - 4/21 - 5 p.m. (BIGN)
2020-21 Big Ten Tournament
DATE: Tuesday, April 20 through
Saturday, April 24
SITE: University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Penn State Head Coach: Char Morett-Curtiss
Ohio State Head Coach: Jarred Martin
All-Time Series: Penn State leads 39-13-2
Last Meeting: L, 2-3 OT (4/17/21 at Penn State)
2020-21 scheduling note: In instances where teams are schedule to play each other twice, only the first game between opponents is considered for the Big Ten regular season standings.
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT MATCH-UPS
(all games live on B1G Network)
TUESDAY, APRIL 20
Indiana vs. Michigan State, 1 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21
Michigan vs. winner MSU/IU, 12 p.m.
Maryland vs. Iowa, 2:30 p.m.
Penn State vs. Ohio State, 5 p.m.
Northwestern vs. Rutgers, 7:30 p.m.
THURSDAY, APRIL 22
Semifinal, 5 p.m.
Semifinal, 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, APRIL 24
Championship game, 12 p.m.
NOTES
GLADIEUX FIRST TEAM ALL-BIG; MYERS, VOS SECOND TEAM; SPISAK SPORTSMANSHIP!
Four members of the Penn State field hockey team earned post-season honors with the announcement of the 2020-21 All-Big Ten teams at the conclusion of the regular season. Freshman Sophia Gladieux earned first team All-Big Ten honors in her rookie campaign. Senior Abby Myers and sophomore Elena Vos were named to the second team All-Big Ten squad. Senior Emma Spisak was a Penn State's Sportsmanship Award winner.
SOPHIA GLADIEUX NAMED B1G FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK (4/18)
Sophia Gladieux earned her second Big Ten Freshman of the Week award for the week ending April 17. Gladieux was honored for a five-point weekend against Ohio State. She had a goal in Penn State's 2-1 win on Friday, April 16, and a goal and an assist in Penn State's 3-2 overtime loss on Saturday, April 17.
NITTANY LIONS SPLIT SERIES WITH OHIO STATE; SECURE TOURNEY #2 SEED WITH FRIDAY WIN
Penn State secured the second-seed for the 2020-21 Big Ten Tournament with a 2-1 victory over visiting Ohio State on Friday, April 16. The Nittany Lions capped off a 5-2 conference slate with the win. The next day, Penn State rallied from a two-goal deficit before dropping a 3-2 overtime game to the Buckeyes to end the regular season with a 7-6 overall mark.
DEFENSE LEADS PENN STATE TO TWO SHUTOUT VICTORIES OVER INDIANA
Penn State played stingy defense, led by sophomore Elena Vos, in two shutout victories over Indiana on April 9 and April 11 at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex. The Lion defense and goalie Brie Barraco held firm in 1-0 and 3-0 victories over the visiting Hoosiers. Offensively, Sophia Gladieux had three goals in two games while Vos had two assists.
PENN STATE FALLS TWICE AT #12 RUTGERS
Penn State lost two hard-fought games to #12 Rutgers on April 2 and 4 in Piscataway. The Nittany Lions lost 3-0 on Friday night and then dropped a close 1-0 game on Sunday to the Scarlet Knights.
NITTANY LIONS GET ROAD SWEEP AT MSU
Penn State travelled to East Lansing, Mich., on March 19 and 21 for two Big Ten road games. The Lions won both games, 5-2 on Friday and 3-0 on Sunday, using an offensive burst by freshman Sophia Gladieux. Gladieux scored four goals in Friday's 5-2 victory, sparking Penn State in a comeback victory (the Lions trailed 2-0 in the third). Two days later, with keeper Brie Barraco pitching her second shutout, Gladieux scored another goal to total five for the weekend.
GLADIEUX NFHCA OFFENSIVE; B1G OFFENSIVE PLAYER & FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK (3/23)
Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey player Sophia Gladieux (Boyertown, Pa.) has been named NFHCA Offensive Player of the Week and both the Big Ten Field Hockey Freshman and Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending March 21, 2021. Gladieux's honors are the second and third of the season for Penn State. Bree Bednarski earned the Offensive Player of the Week honor last week. Gladieux roared into East Lansing for her first two Big Ten road games and left Michigan State with five goals. With Penn State trailing the Spartans 2-0 in the second half of Friday's game, Gladieux rallied Penn State with four second half goals as the Lions won 5-2. Two days later, Gladieux notched her fifth goal of the weekend in Penn State's 3-0 shutout victory over MSU.
BREE BEDNARSKI B1G OFFENSIVE AoW (3/16)
Senior Bree Bednarski was named Big Ten field hockey Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending 3/14/21. Bednarski tallied points in each of Penn State's home games against Maryland this weekend at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex. Bednarski assisted on Penn State's first goal Friday, taking the penalty corner that led to an Anna Simon goal in the team's 3-0 shutout victory over the Terrapins. Two days later, Bednarski kept Penn State in contention in a tough 3-2 loss to Maryland. Bednarski had a goal and an assist in the game.
NITTANY LIONS SPLIT WEEKEND SERIES WITH VISITING MARYLAND
Anna Simon and Sophia Gladieux each had a goal and an assist and Brie Barraco collected seven saves in a 3-0 shutout win over Maryland on Friday, March 12, in the first of two games against the Terrapins. The win counted in the Big Ten standings as well. Two days later, Maryland scored a late goal to walk away with a 3-2 win at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex. Bree Bednarski had a goal and an assist in the contest.
BARRACO GRABS 12 SAVES, LIONS DOWN WILDCATS IN SHOOT OUT
Sophomore goalie Brie Barraco collected 12 saves in Penn State's March 5 win over Northwestern in Virginia Beach. Her outstanding effort in the cage led Penn State to a 2-1 victory in a shoot out. Bree Bednarski scored the Lions' goal in regulation and the team won the shoot out 4-3, with Barraco stopping two Northwestern shots.
PENN STATE DROPS TWO 1-0 GAMES TO IOWA
The Penn State Nittany Lions battled Iowa evenly for the entirety of its season opener on Feb. 28, but dropped a close 1-0 game to the Hawkeyes. While the teams were basically dead-even statistically, Iowa used a fourth quarter goal to secure the victory. A week later, the two teams met again in Virginia Beach and this time Iowa made a second period goal stand, in the game played on March 7.
TRIO OF LIONS NAMED TO BIG TEN'S PRESEASON PLAYERS TO WATCH TEAM
Three Nittany Lion seniors have been named to this year's Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch team. Captains Abby Myers, Madison Hutson and Emma Spisak have been named to the team.
