UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (4-5, 3-2 B1G) lost a hard fought road game at Rutgers (7-3, 4-2 B1G) to close out a weekend series in New Jersey. Head coach Char Morett-Curtiss' squad dropped a tight 1-0 game in Piscataway, its second of the weekend against the Scarlet Knights.
In instances where teams are scheduled to play each other twice during this year's Big Ten season, only the first game between the two squads is considered for the Big Ten regular season standings. Given that, today's game only counts in the overall standings.
Penn State and Rutgers battled for control over the opening minutes of the first quarter, with neither team able to create a solid scoring chance at the game's start. Penn State began to assert itself on offense midway through the period, forcing the Scarlet Knight defense into action. While beginning to win the ball control game, sophomore Jemma Punch (McDowall, Australia) pushed the ball deep into the RU circle only to be denied by the back half of the Rutgers defense. The Nittany Lions picked up the game's first corner with 4:55 left in the period. Anna Simon's (Hanau, Germany) shot off the corner was knocked away by RU keeper Gianna Glatz. Rutgers responded with a break down the field that resulted in RU's first corner with 4:04 on the clock. Penn State disrupted the effort to keep the game tied. Rutgers forced a second corner with 2:14 left in the period but Elena Vos (Grave, The Netherlands) and the Penn State defense pushed the Knights back, sending the game to the second period tied 0-0.
Bree Bednarski (Wyoming, Pa.) got things going in the second period, taking a hard shot less than 3:00 into the stanza, forcing Glatz into a save and earning Penn State a penalty corner. Sophia Gladieux (Boyertown, Pa.) got off a good shot off the corner but Glatz kept the Lions off the scoreboard with another save. Nittany Lion goalie Brie Barraco (Allentown, Pa.) moved forward to push back an ensuing Rutgers press, knocking back an initial flurry of shots. But Rutgers' Gianna Mancini knocked a rebound past the Lion keeper at the 8:58 mark to give the home team a 1-0 lead. Penn State battled to regain control on offense but Rutgers was able to keep the ball in the Lion circle deep into the second period. Madison Hutson (Gloucester Point, Va.) shot the ball deep into the Knight circle after Penn State regained possession, but the Knight defense held firm. Rutgers made one last push into the Penn State zone as the second period wound down but a high stick gave the ball back to Penn State. Punch worked the ball down the field and Meghan Reese (Coopersburg, Pa.) continued the break into the Knight circle in the final minute but a turnover handed the ball back to Rutgers and Penn State trailed by one at halftime.
Rutgers outshot the Nittany Lions by one, 4-3, in the opening half and both teams had two penalty corners. Glatz had three saves to keep Penn State off the scoreboard while Barraco had one for the Nittany Lions.
Rutgers picked up an early penalty corner to start the third period, pushing the ball into the Lion circle at the 13:13 mark. Barraco and the Lion defense kept Rutgers from getting off a good shot and the Nittany Lions regained control of the ball briefly. But Rutgers forced a Lion turnover seconds later and Penn state was back on defense. The teams traded possession deep into the third period. Penn State's offense moved into the RU circle late in the period, forcing a penalty corner with 3:16 left in the period. But Rutgers was able to defend the effort. The Lion defense held off a last second rush by Rutgers and the Nittany Lions trailed by one after three periods of play.
Rutgers opened up the fourth period on offense and moved the ball down to the Penn State circle off the whistle. But the Lion defense, with Vos, Simon and freshman Kelsey Love (State College, Pa.), forced a Knight turnover and moved the ball back to midfield. Penn State was unable to keep possession and Rutgers quickly got off a point blank shot at the 13:15 mark. But Barraco kicked the ball aside to keep the Lions within striking distance. The Nittany Lions worked to clear the ball from the Penn State end of the field as the clock moved down below the 9:00 mark. Punch finished off a fast break midway through the final period with a diving shot that drifted just wide of the Knight cage with 7:58 left to play. Eleni Prodes (Bethlehem, Pa.) had a shot blocked high seconds later and then Glatz knocked back a hard Gladieux shot less than a minute after that. Penn State picked up a penalty corner off the flurry, then another corner after that. Rutgers held off what was Penn State's best offensive effort of the game to maintain its one-goal lead and carry that to the end of the contest.
Like Friday night, Penn State outshot Rutgers over the course of the contest, 11-6. But Glatz had six saves to shut down Penn State's offense. The Nittany Lions had a 5-3 edge in corners. Barraco finished the game with two saves for Penn State.
"I think we played better hockey today," said Morett-Curtiss. "We had better structure and were more cohesive as a team. But we have to find a way to be more dangerous on attack, making better combo passes to the circle. Rutgers is a good team and played an excellent game, once again showcasing the strength of our conference."
Penn State is now 4-5 overall, 3-2 B1G. Rutgers improves to 7-3, 4-2 B1G. Penn State returns home for the first time a month when it hosts Indiana for two games on Friday and Sunday, April 9 and 11, 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.
GAME BREAKDOWN
SCORING: 1 2 3 4 FINAL
PENN STATE 0 0 0 0 0
Rutgers 0 1 0 0 1
STATS: PSU RU
Shots 11 6
Corners 5 3
SCORING SUMMARY (goal/assist) – TIME
2nd: RU – Gianna Mancini (unassisted); 8:58
GOALKEEPERS: MIN GA S
PSU: Brie Barraco 60:00 1 2
RU: Gianna Glatz 60:00 0 6
