UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (11-4, 4-2 B1G), ranked No. 7 in the NFHCA Coaches Poll, dominated No. 21 Ohio State (7-8, 1-5 B1G) in a Big Ten road battle. The Nittany Lions turned a one-goal lead entering the fourth period into a 4-0 win in the contest, seen nationally on the Big Ten Network.
The first period began with each team making an early trip into the other's circle. But neither goal was seriously threatened in the first five minutes. Lion junior Jemma Punch (McDowall, Australia) took a pass from Elena Vos (Grave, The Netherlands) at the 9:00 mark and nearly get the ball past Buckeye goalie Abby Danson, but Danson was able to kick the ball away and keep Penn State off the board. Three minutes later, Penn State's Grace Wallis (Blue Bell, Pa.) hit the far post on a driving effort past Danson, but the ball bounced away and the game moved deeper into the first period tied 0-0. Meghan Reese (Coopersburg, Pa.) and the Nittany Lion defense kept the pressure off Penn State goalie Brie Barraco (Allentown, Pa.) during middle part of the first period, allowing the Nittany Lion midfield and offense to control the action. The Buckeyes did pressure Barraco and the Lion defense as the clock moved below 5:00, but Penn State regained possession. Mackenzie Allessie (Mount Joy, Pa.) worked the ball into the Buckeye circle and forced the first penalty corner of the game at the :28 mark. Ohio State defended the corner and the first period ended in a scoreless tie.
Allessie began the second period the way she ended the first, forcing a corner just 1:12 into the period. Sophomore Sophia Gladieux (Boyertown, Pa.) paid the effort off, using her strong backhand to score with an assist from Anna Simon (Hanau, Germany) off the corner set. The goal put Penn State up 1-0 with 13:46 on the clock. The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes traded possessions over the next three minutes before Penn State picked up a green card. Anouk Knuvers ('s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands) cleared away Ohio State's offensive push off the card and Penn State successfully killed the card. Emma Spisak (Boiling Springs, Pa.) and Gladieux forced a corner with 7:43 left in the half for Penn State. Hanson made a save on shots from Punch and Spisak off the set. Kelsey Love (State College, Pa.) stole the ball as Ohio State tried to work the ball downfield, allowing Penn State to keep the pressure on the Buckeye defense. A Penn State corner led to a Simon shot that Hanson knocked back. Allessie nearly scored off the rebound, but the ball hit her body before finding the cage and the goal did not count. Penn State kept the pressure on by forcing another corner, but the Lion shot went wide with 4:48 left in the period. The Buckeyes picked up their first corner with 4:00 on the clock. Ohio State got off two shots on goal and Barraco made saves on both. Ohio State was awarded another corner off the second save but the shot went wide, and Penn State maintained its 1-0 lead. Gery Schnarrs (Camp Hill, Pa.) used a great aerial pass into the Buckeye circle helped the Lions pick up another corner with 2:10 left. Penn State did not threaten off the set and settled for a 1-0 lead at the break.
Penn State outshot Ohio State 7-5 in the first half and had six corners to just two for the Buckeyes. Barraco had on save for Penn State while Danson had two for Ohio State.
Ohio State began the second half by pushing the ball into the Lion circle and getting off a good shot that went just wide two minutes into the third period. The Buckeyes kept the ball on the Penn State side of the field for the next few minutes. But the Lions were able to return action to in front of Danson and the OSU cage. Gladieux had a point-blank backhand blocked with 10:00 on the clock, just missing on giving Penn State a two-goal lead. Bree Bednarski (Wyoming, Pa.) and Gladieux tried to connect on a fast break at the midway point, but the Buckeyes held. Gladieux had another backhand knocked away by Danson at the 7:10 mark, too. Bednarski finished off a fast break started by Wallis by forcing a penalty corner with 4:10 left in the third. Ohio State defended the corner, but Penn State forced another. The Lion shot off the next set was deflected out of bounds with 3:20 left in the third. The teams played evenly over the remaining minutes and the game moved into the fourth period with the Lions leading 1-0.
The Nittany Lions had possession to start the fourth period and picked up a corner just two minutes in when Love fed Gladieux from the right side with a nice pass. But the Lion shot off the corner was wide left as the clock hit the 13:00 mark. Penn State kept the ball on the Buckeye side and the consistent pressure paid off. Punch moved the ball in from the right side, entered the circle and made a quick short pass to Gladieux, who knocked the ball past Danson for a second goal with 10:33 left in the fourth period to give the Nittany Lions a 2-0 lead. The Lions withstood a brief Buckeye foray into the Penn State circle and went to back to work on offense. Brianna O'Donnell (Lansdale, Pa.) drove the ball down the middle of the field and made an outstanding pass to Bendarski, who made two moves and knocked in the goal at the 6:25 mark to put Penn State up 3-0. Ohio State pressured the Lion defense for a bit as the clock moved towards the final minutes. The Buckeyes forced a corner with 3:18 left to play but the Lion defense prevented Ohio State from getting off a solid shot. Allessie finished off the game in perfect fashion for the OSU transfer, slipping through the Ohio State defense and scoring unassisted with just :04 left to play to make the final 4-0 Penn State.
"I'm very pleased with how we played today, that is a very good Ohio State team," said head coach Char Morett-Curtiss. "We talked about wanting to score first and play good defense and we did just that. Elena (Vos) was outstanding today, and our defense really kept Ohio State off balance. We had some nice counter attacks on offense and it's good to see a lot of goals on the scoreboard. This is a good, signature win in the Big Ten, on the road, and we want to carry this momentum into the Michigan State game Sunday."
Penn State outshot Ohio State 15-11 and had a 9-3 edge in corners. Barraco had one save for Penn State, picking up her second shutout of the year. Danson had five for Ohio State
Penn State is now 11-4 overall, 4-2 in the Big Ten. Ohio State falls to 7-8, 1-5 B1G. The Nittany Lions are at Michigan State on Sunday, Oct. 24, at 2 p.m. in a Big Ten Network national telecast.
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 1 0 3 4
Ohio State 0 0 0 0 0
STATS: PSU OSU
Shots 15 11
Corners 9 3
SCORING SUMMARY (goal/assist) – TIME
2nd: PSU – Sophia Gladieux (Anna Simon); 13:46
4th: PSU – Gladieux (Jemma Punch); 10:33
4th: PSU – Bree Bednarski (unassisted); 6:25
4th: PSU – Mackenzie Allessie (unassisted); 0:04
GOALKEEPERS: MIN GA S
PSU: Brie Barraco 60:00 0 1
OSU: Abby Danson 60:00 4 5