UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (8-2, 3-1 B1G), ranked No. 8 in the NFHCA Coaches Poll, won a thrilling double-overtime game over No. 4 Northwestern (9-3, 1-2 B1G) in a battle of Big Ten powers. The Nittany Lions outlasted the Wildcats 2-1 (2OT) in the Sunday matinee played at Penn State, picking up an important Big Ten win.
The Nittany Lions took an early lead on a Mackenzie Allessie (Mount Joy, Pa.) goal and then won the game when Sophia Gladieux (Boyertown, Pa.) scored in extra time.
Penn State had the first solid offensive press in the game, moving the ball into the Northwestern circle at the 12:00 mark. Senior Hannah Zemaitis (Camp Hill, Pa.) had a pass into the circle that the Wildcats were able to defend to halt the early effort. Northwestern's best first opportunity came at the 8:00 mark. But the Nittany Lion defense, anchored by Kelsey Love (State College, Pa.) held firm early. Northwestern was able to control possession for the next few minutes until a Northwestern green card at the 3:42 mark gave Penn State a player advantage. Penn State regained possession and moved the ball down field. Bree Bednarski (Wyoming, Pa.) had a close shot in the final seconds, but Northwestern goalie Annabel Skubisz knocked the shot away. The Wildcat defense kept Penn State off the scoreboard and the game moved to the second stanza tied 0-0.
Northwestern forced an early penalty corner less than a minute into the second quarter but did not connect on the play. Penn State quickly moved the ball downfield. Emma Spisak (Boiling Springs, Pa.) and Gladieux worked the left side of the Wildcat circle but could not get the ball close to the cage. Northwestern returned the ball to the Lion circle but Love and freshman Sophia Mannino (Doylestown, Pa.) were able to keep Penn State goalie Brie Barraco (Allentown, Pa.) safe and the Lions regained possession. Spisak stole the ball at the 8:00 mark and fed Brianna O'Donnell (Lansdale, Pa.), forcing Skubisz into a diving safe. The Lions continued to pressure NU and picked up their first corner at the 7:23 mark. Gladieux took the corner from Allessie and got off a hard back hand that Skubisz once again knocked away. Another Lion corner a minute later that led to another Gladieux shot and a Wildcat save. Allessie's backhand at the 5:00 mark was also saved by Skubisz. After nearly five minutes of constant Lion pressure, Northwestern was able to move the ball down to the Lion circle and picked up a corner with 3:31 left in the half. Penn State blocked the shot off the corner and regained possession seconds later. The game moved to halftime scoreless.
Penn Sate outshot Northwestern 5-2 in the opening half but Skubisz' s five saves kept the Lions off the scoreboard. Barraco had one save for Penn State and both teams had two penalty corners.
Northwestern took the ball right down field to start the third period but had a deep pass just miss on the end line and Penn State retook possession. The Lions worked the ball down to the NU circle where Jemma Punch (McDowall, Australia) had a shot knocked away. The Lions continued to pressure Northwestern, but Skubisz and the Wildcat defense kept the game scoreless. Allessie, O'Donnell and Grace Wallis (Blue Bell, Pa.) worked inside the circle, but NU's defense did not break as the clock hit 6:30. Northwestern returned the ball to the Penn State circle and forced a penalty corner at the 6:24 mark. Penn State blocked the Wildcat shot to keep the game tied 0-0. Megan Reese (Coopersburg, Pa.) helped anchor the Penn State midfield as the Lions regained the ball at the 4:40 mark. Northwestern had a close shot blocked by Gery Schnarrs (Camp Hill, Pa.) late in the period. Penn State moved the ball downfield. Schnarrs stole a Northwestern clear at the 0:35 mark and fed Allessie, who dribbled into the circle, twirled once and drilled a shot past Skubisz to put Penn State on the board, scoring with just :24 left in the period and the Lions led 1-0 after three.
Penn State worked the ball right back in front of the NU cage to start the fourth period. Zemaitis passed the ball in to Spisak who had a close shot knocked away by the Wildcat keeper. Elena Vos (Grave, The Netherlands) and the Lion defense quickly retook possession of the ball, and the Nittany Lions went back on attack. A Nittany Lion green card at the 11:57 mark gave the Wildcats a player advantage. Penn State, however, nearly scored after the card. Punch stole the ball and led a fast break that ended with a Gladieux shot sailing just high at the 10:20 mark. Northwestern forced a corner seconds later, but the shot was high, and action resumed with the Lions holding the one goal lead. With 7:44 left in the game, Wallis forced a corner at the top of the circle, but Allessie's shot off the corner was blocked. Two minutes later, Northwestern forced a penalty corner with 5:42 to play. The Lion defense held, and the Wildcat shot flew wide. Northwestern maintained possession and picked up another corner at the 5:00 mark. Barraco made a solid kick save on the ensuant shot and Penn State maintained its 1-0 lead as the clock moved to 4:30. Northwestern pulled their goalie with just over 3:00 left to play and then Northwestern picked up a corner at the 2:54 mark. The Lion defended the effort and Northwestern picked up another corner with 2:10 to play. A blocked shot off that corner led to another Wildcat corner just seconds later. This time, the Wildcats connected, with Bente Baekers connecting off assists from Ana Medina Garcia and Clara Roth to tie the game at the 1:52 mark. Northwestern maintained possession for the rest of regulation and the game went to overtime tied 1-1.
Northwestern had possession to start the first overtime period and kept the ball on the Penn State side of the field. Penn State kept the ball away from the Lion cage, however, and action went back and forth in the midfield as the clock hit 6:00. Vos made a great steal in the Loin circle at the 5:30 mark that led to a fast break for the Lions. After a reset, Allessie had a hard shot knocked away by Skubisz. A Wildcat shot sailed wide at the 4:11 mark. With 1:47left, Penn State forced a corner on an Allessie pass deep into the zone to Spisak. Allessie's hard pass of the corner back to Bednarski was tipped high and the clock moved under the 1:00 mark. Action moved to a second overtime tied 1-1.
Penn State had possession at the beginning of the second overtime. Northwestern withstood Penn State's initial press, worked the ball downfield only to have the Lions regain the ball and moved back into the Wildcat circle. But a turnover on the fast break gave the ball back to Northwestern. The two teams traded offensive bursts until the Wildcats forced a penalty corner at the 7:41 mark. Meghan Reese blocked the shot and Simon started a fast break. Northwestern held off the rally and regained the ball, forcing another corner at the 6:34 mark. But the Wildcat shot was high and hit the post. Allessie had a fast back hand saved by the goalie and Gladieux followed with another that Skubisz swatted away. Penn State kept control of the ball and Gladieux forced a corner at the 3:21 mark. Gladieux's shot was knocked away by the goalie, but the Lions picked up another quick corner with 2:47 on the clock. Penn State quickly picked up another corner at 2:38. Wallis took the corner and fed Gladieux who, after a slide to the left, rocketed a backhand past Skubisz for the goal and the 2-1 (2 OT) win.
"That's just another battle in the Big Ten against and outstanding and talented team," said head coach Char Morett-Curtiss. "I thought our girls did a great job o competing and sticking with our game plan. We felt if we just stuck with it, it would pay off and it did. Elena (Vos) was outstanding on defense, Brie (Barraco) really kept control of the cage and Mackenzie (Allessie) dominated the midfield. Sophia's (Gladieux) shot was great in overtime. I'm very happy to get such an exciting win in front of a great Alumni Day crowd here."
Penn State held a slim 17-15 edge in shots in what was a tightly contested game. Northwestern had 11 corners to seven for the Nittany Lions. Barraco ended the game with three saves while Skubisz had 11 for Northwestern.
Penn State is now 8-2 overall, 3-1 in the Big Ten. Northwestern falls to 9-3, 1-2 in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions host Rutgers on Friday, Oct. 8, at 4 p.m. in their next outing.
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 OT1 OT 2 FINAL
PENN STATE 0 0 1 0 0 1 2
Northwestern 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
STATS: PSU NU
Shots 17 15
Corners 7 11
SCORING SUMMARY (goal/assist) – TIME
3rd: PSU – Mackenzie Allessie (unassisted); 0:24
4th: NU – Bente Baekers (Clara Roth, Ana Medina Garcia); 1:52
2OT: PSU – Sophia Gladieux (Grace Wallis); 2:30
GOALKEEPERS: MIN GA S
PSU: Brie Barraco 77:30 1 3
NU: Annabel Skubisz 75:47 2 11
Team 1:43 0 0