UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team, under the guidance of head coach Char Morett-Curtiss, has announced its 2021 schedule. The team returns to regular fall action with eight home games on its 17-game slate.
Penn State will open up the season with two road games in Virginia. Morett-Curtiss' squad will visit the University of Virginia on Friday, Aug. 27, at 5 p.m. and then head to Williamsburg to take on William & Mary on Sunday, Aug. 29, at 12 p.m. The team returns to Happy Valley for its home opener the next weekend, welcoming St. Joseph's to the Penn State Field Hockey Complex on Sunday, Sept. 5, for a 3 p.m. contest.
The Nittany Lions remain at home the following week, hosting Albany on Friday, Sept. 10, at 4 p.m. and Delaware on Sunday, Sept. 12, at 12 p.m. The Big Ten season begins the next weekend when the team heads to Maryland for a 1 p.m. contest on Saturday, Sept. 18.
Conference action continues the following weekend as Penn State heads to Iowa City to play the Iowa Hawkeyes twice. The teams will battle on Friday, Sept. 24, at 7 p.m. (Eastern) in a conference-counted game. Two days later, Penn State and Iowa tangle on Sunday, Sept. 26, at 1 p.m. in a non-conference battle.
Penn State beings a four-game home stand on Friday, Oct. 1, by hosting Indiana at 6 p.m. The Lions welcome Northwestern on Sunday, Oct. 3, at 12 p.m. to close out the first weekend of October. Rutgers visits Penn State on Friday, Oct. 8 at 4 p.m. for a Big Ten battle and then Bucknell invades Penn State for a 2 p.m. non-conference contest on Saturday, Oct. 9, at 2 p.m.
Penn State heads east for two non-conference games the next weekend, visiting Lafayette on Friday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. and Princeton on Sunday, Oct. 17, at 12 p.m. The Lions continue a four-game road stint the next weekend with two Big Ten contests. The Lions visit Ohio State on Friday, Oct. 22, for a 3 p.m. game and then head to Michigan State on Sunday, Oct. 24, for a 12 p.m. contest. The Nittany Lions close out the Big Ten and regular season at home, hosting Michigan on Friday, Oct. 29, at 6 p.m.
The 2021 Big Ten Tournament will be hosted by Rutgers University on Nov. 4-7. The NCAA tournament's first round weekend is set for Nov. 12-14 with the tournament continuing the following weekend.
The Nittany Lions will have two scrimmages prior to the start of the season, home against Villanova on Sunday, Aug. 15, and at Syracuse on Saturday, Aug. 21, to prep for the start of the regular season on Aug. 27. Penn State ended the 2020-21 season, played this past spring, with a 7-7 overall record and a 5-2 mark in Big Ten tallied conference games, placing second in the regular season standings.
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.
