UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (12-4, 5-2 B1G), ranked No. 7 in the NFHCA Coaches Poll, used a fourth quarter goal to down Michigan State (7-7, 0-7) in East Lansing. The Nittany Lions downed the Spartans 1-0 in the game seen nationally on the Big Ten Network.
The Nittany Lions were on attack from the beginning of the game. The Lion attack dominated action, keeping the ball, predominantly, on the Spartan side of the field during the opening minutes of the game. Sophia Gladieux (Boyertown, Pa.) got off a quick shot just :09 into the game, forcing Spartan goalie Monique Jardell into an early save. Anna Simon (Hanau, Germany) had an early shot go wide just seconds later. Michigan State was able to keep Penn State off the board during the first five minutes despite the bulk of the action occurring in the MSU circle. Grace Wallis (Blue Bell, Pa.) used a solo fast break at the 7:45 mark to force penalty corner, but Simon's shot skipped just wide off the set. A Penn State green card at the 6:00 mark gave MSU a player advantage, but Penn State continued to press on offense. Mackenzie Allessie (Mount Joy, Pa.) drove the ball deftly on the right side of the MSU circle and forced another corner at the 4:41 mark. Simon's shot was blocked high, and action continued with the green card released. Gery Schnarrs (Camp Hill, Pa.) made a quick steal with 2:15 and fed Allessie in the midfield. But the Spartans were able to defend the effort. Michigan State moved the ball into the Lion circle in the period's final seconds and picked up a corner with just :01 on the clock. Lion keeper Brie Barraco (Allentown, Pa.) made a save on the corner, but another was awarded with no time on the clock. The shot off the second corner went wide, and the first period ended in a scoreless tie.
The Spartans began the second period with the ball, but Kelsey Love (State College, Pa.) stole the ball early in the Spartan possession, fed Meghan Reese (Coopersburg, Pa.) who dished to Emma Spisak (Boiling Springs, Pa.) as action moved into the Spartan circle. Michigan State was able to stop the push and regain possession and the clock moved to the 12:00 mark. Penn State was unable to break through the Spartan defense as the second period clock hit 9:00 but kept the pressure on. Simon fed Jemma Punch (McDowall, Australia) right in front of the cage with 8:40 left but Punch's shot was blocked, and the game continued at 0-0. Gladieux launched a rocket of a backhand with 6:10 left that Jardell made a save on. Penn State kept possession of the ball and Simon forced a corner with 4:56 on the clock. But the Spartan defense defended the Lion corner effort and the game continued tied 0-0. Gladieux led a fast break at the 4:00 mark and fed Elena Vos (Grave, The Netherlands) who worked the ball into the Spartan circle. After a quick change of possession, Allessie stole the ball and forced a corner at 3:47. Gladieux's shot off the corner that was just high. The teams traded possession over the last minutes and the game moved to intermission tied 0-0.
Penn State outshot Michigan State 7-3 and had a 4-3 edge in corners. Barraco had two saves while Jardell had three for MSU.
Michigan State pushed the ball into the Lion zone to start the third period, but Penn State's defense pushed back. Freshman Anouk Knuvers ('s-Hertogenbosh, The Netherlands) stole the ball and the Lion offense took over. The Spartan defense continued to keep Penn State off the board as the clock hit the 10:00 mark in the third period. The Nittany Lions forced their first corner of the second half with 8:19 on the clock. Gladieux's shot banked off the cage's left post. The Lion sophomore fired off a backhand seconds later that Jardell had to knock down with 7:04 left and a Lion corner ensued. Once again, however, the Spartans defended the play and the clock moved under 6:00. Bree Bednarski (Wyoming, Pa.) had two solid, close shots knocked away by Jardell with under 4:00 left in the period, with the second ending in a Penn State corner. Michigan State defended the corner, which led to another corner, another save on a Gladieux shot, and another corner with 3:40 left. Allessie's shot off the third consecutive corner was just wide. Gladieux nearly scored on another backhand with 1:40 left but Jardell notched another save. With 1:13 left in the third, Penn State picked up a penalty corner with Allessie launching a shot that was blocked at the 1:03 mark, leading to another Lion corner. Michigan State defended two more Lion shots off the set and the third period ended tied 0-0.
Michigan State had possession to start the fourth period, but Knuvers made a great defensive steal on the onset and the Lion offense moved the ball back down field. Spisak and Gladieux worked the ball into the Spartan circle once more with 12:00 on the cock and forced another corner, Penn State's 11th of the game. This time, the corner set worked. Punch took the corner, fed Vos, who dished to Allessie. Allessie found Simon to the right of the circle and launched a hard shot past Jardell to give Penn State a 1-0 lead with 11:52 left in the game. The Penn State offense continued to control the ball, keeping action in or near the MSU circle for the next few minutes. Simon and the Lion offense pushed the ball around the Spartan circle as the clock hit the 6:30 mark but Michigan State's defense held, preventing Penn State from increasing its one-goal lead. Michigan State then had its best offensive series of the game. The Spartans moved the ball deep into the Penn State circle as the clock moved to 5:00, forcing Barraco and the Penn State defense into action. A Spartan corner seconds later led to a missed shot and another Spartan corner. Michigan State's shot missed just wide on the second corner with Meghan Reese and the Lion corner defense holding off the effort. Gladieux made a drive into the MSU circle, and the Lions picked up another penalty corner with 2:58 left in the game. Her shot off the corner set was blocked wide. Penn State spent the final minutes killing the clock and the Lions used Simon's late goal to grab the 1-0 win.
"Michigan State's goalie played very well, and their defense was able to keep us from scoring early," said head coach Char Morett-Curtiss. "But I was very proud of the way we stick with it. We continued to work on offense, our midfield played good defense and the backs were steady. We head home with two wins on the road in the Big Ten and that is exciting. Now we need to rest up and get ready for Michigan on Friday night."
Penn State dominated the statistics if not the scoreboard. The Lions outshot MSU 24-6 and had a 13-5 lead in corners. Barraco had two saves for Penn State while Jardell had 10 for the Spartans.
Penn State is now 12-4 overall, 5-2 in the Big Ten. Michigan State falls to 7-7, 0-7 B1G. The Nittany Lions host No. 2 Michigan on Friday, Oct. 29, at 6 p.m. in the regular season finale for Penn State. The game will also serve as Senior Night.
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 1 1
Michigan State 0 0 0 0 0
STATS: PSU MSU
Shots 24 6
Corners 13 5
SCORING SUMMARY (goal/assist) – TIME
4th: PSU – Anna Simon (Mackenzie Allessie); 11:52
GOALKEEPERS: MIN GA S
PSU: Brie Barraco 60:00 0 2
MSU: Monique Jardell 60:00 1 10