THIS WEEK'S ACTION
#4 Penn State (14-5) vs. #10 Syracuse (13-5) // 12 p.m.
#5 Maryland (13-6) vs. #13 Virginia (12-8) // 2:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 12, 2021
Host Site: Maryland // College Park, Md.
Winners meet in Quarterfinals
Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021
Time: 1 p.m.
Host Site: Maryland // College Park, Md.
THIS WEEK
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; November 9, 2021 -- The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (14-5), under the direction of veteran head coach Char Morett-Curtiss, is the No. 4 overall seed in the 2021 NCAA Field Hockey Championship Tournament and will travel to the University of Maryland, one of four sites, for the first and second rounds. The Nittany Lions will face Syracuse on Friday, Nov. 12, in the first round at 12 p.m.
Penn State enters the NCAA tournament with a 14-5 record and is coming off an appearance in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals this past weekend. The Nittany Lions opened the Big Ten Tournament with a 3-2 win over No. 6 Maryland and then fell to host No. 3 Rutgers in the semifinals, 2-1. Penn State has won six of its last eight games, including victories over No. 2 Michigan and No. 6 Maryland. Syracuse enters the tournament with a 13-5 overall record. The Nittany Lions own a 24-4-1 lead in the all-time series. The two teams have not met since 2014.
"We are excited to be a part of this championship tournament," said Morett-Curtiss. "We feel very good about where the season we've had to date, and it has put us in a position to be playing for a national championship. I'm so proud of this team and how these girls have grown and improved each week. The strength of the Big Ten conference has prepared us for the competition ahead and we are excited about our match-up with Syracuse."
Regional site host Maryland meets Virginia in the other half of this site's bracket. Friday's winners will meet each other on Sunday, Nov. 14, in the NCAA quarterfinals at 1 p.m. The quarterfinal winner will head to Ann Arbor, Mich., for the national semifinals hosted by the University of Michigan. The NCAA semifinals and title games will be on Friday and Sunday, Nov. 19 and 21.
Sophomore Sophia Gladieux (Boyertown, Pa.) leads Penn State with 36 points off 17 goals and two assists. Gladieux was a first team All-Big Ten selection and a member of the 2021 Big Ten Tournament All-Tournament Team. Junior Anna Simon (Hanau, Germany) was also a 2021 Big Ten Tournament All-Tournament selection after scoring all three goals in Penn State's win over Maryland in the quarterfinals. Simon has 33 points off 14 goals and five assists. Junior Mackenzie Allessie (Mount Joy, Pa.), also a first team All-Big Ten honoree, checks in with 30 points off nine goals and a team-best 12 assists.
Elena Vos (Grave, The Netherlands) has nine assists and was a second team All-Big Ten selection on defense. Senior Emma Spisak (Boiling Springs, Pa.) has 11 points off four goals and three assists. Junior goalie Brie Barraco (Allentown, Pa.) has 83 saves, three shutouts and a .748 save percentage for the Nittany Lions this year, playing in all but one minute over the course of the campaign.
This will be Penn State's seventh NCAA appearance in the last decade alone and for the 29th time in Morett-Curtiss' 35 seasons at Penn State.
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.
NOTES
NITTANY LIONS ADVANCE TO B1G SEMIS, GO 1-1 AT CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
The Penn State Nittany Lions advanced to the semifinals of the 2021 Big Ten Tournament on Nov. 4-5 in Piscataway, N.J. Anna Simon scored all three goals in a thrilling 3-2 win over No. 6 Maryland on Nov. 4. A night later, the Nittany Lions dropped a hard-fought 2-1 game to host Rutgers in the Big Ten semifinals.
SIMON AND GLADIEUX NAMED TO 2021 ALL-BIG TEN TOURNAMENT TEAM
Junior Anna Simon and sophomore Sophia Gladieux were named to 2021 All-Big Ten Tournament Team after Penn State's run to the conference semifinals on Nov. 4-5. Simon scored all three goals in Penn State's 3-2 win over No. 6 Maryland on Nov. 4 and Gladieux scored Penn State' lone goal in the Nittany Lions' close 2-1 loss to No. 3 Rutgers on Friday in the Big Ten semifinals.
ALLESSIE/GLADIEUX FIRST TEAM ALL-B1G; VOS SECOND TEAM; ZEMAITIS SPORTSMANSHIP
Four Penn State Nittany Lions were honored by the Big Ten with the announcement of the 2021 All-Big Ten teams and Sportsmanship Award honorees the week of the Big Ten tournament. Sophia Gladieux and Mackenzie Allessie were named to the first team (Gladieux for the second time, Allessie for the third), Elena Vos was named to the second team (for the second year in a row) and Hannah Zemaitis earned Penn State Field Hockey's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
ALLESSIE, SPISAK, BARRACO LEAD PENN STATE TO WIN OVER #2 MICHIGAN; ALLESSIE B1G AoW
Junior Mackenzie Allessie and senior Emma Spisak each scored three points in Penn State's thrilling 3-2 overtime victory over No. 2 Michigan on Oct. 29. Both players notched a goal and an assist in the game. Spisak's was the first of the game for Penn State and Allessie's was the game winner in overtime. Goalie Brie Barraco had eight saves in the win as well. Allessie was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for her efforts (week ending Oct. 31).
BARRACO NOTCHES TWO SHUT-OUTS AS LIONS WIN AT #21 OHIO STATE AND MICHIGAN STATE
Junior keeper Brie Barraco notched two shut outs in a two-game road swing in the Big Ten on Oct. 22 and 24. Barraco and the Nittany Lions downed No. 21 Ohio State 4-0 on Friday and won 1-0 at Michigan State on Sunday.
PUNCH LEADS PENN STATE IN WIN AT LAFAYETTE
Junior Jemma Punch had a goal and an assist in Penn State's 3-1 win at Lafayette on Oct. 15. The Lions trailed 1-0 heading into the fourth period and exploded for three goals, thank in large part to a Punch assist on the first and the game winning goal less than a minute later.
PENN STATE FALLS 3-2 IN OT AT #16 PRINCETON
Junior Mackenzie Allessie scored with just :06 on the regulation clock to send the game to overtime but the Nittany Lions lost 3-2 in extra time at No. 16 Princeton on Oct. 17. Allessie had a goal and an assist in the contest.
GLADIEUX SCORES THREE GOALS IN HOME WIN OVER BUCKNELL
Sophomore Sophia Gladieux notched three goals in Penn State's 4-1 victory over visiting Bucknell on Oct. 9. Mackenzie Allessie added the fourth as the Lions rolled to the non-conference win.
GLADIEUX LIFTS LIONS TO 2-1 (2OT) WIN OVER #4 WILDCATS; NAMED B1G AoW!
Sophomore Sophia Gladieux scored the game-winner in extra time in Penn State's 2-1 double-overtime win over No. 4 Northwestern at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex on Oct. 3. The goal built on the goal from Mackenzie Allessie during regulation that helped send the game to extra time. Gladieux, who also had two goals two days earlier in a win over Indian, was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending Oct. 3, for her efforts.
NITTANY LIONS DOWN INDIANA 4-1
Sophia Gladieux scored twice to lead Penn State to a 4-1 win over visiting Indiana on Oct. 1. The Nittany Lions broke open a close game with a fourth-quarter burst to down the Hoosiers.
GLADIEUX SCORES TWICE TO LEAD PSU TO 3-2 OT WIN AT #7 MARYLAND; B1G OFFENSIVE AoW
Sophia Gladieux scored twice to lead Penn State to a 3-2 overtime win at #7 Maryland on Sept. 18. Gladieux connected on two backhands in the game, including the winner in overtime. Gladieux was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for her efforts.
BARRACO'S SIX SAVES AND A BALANCED ATTACK LEADS LIONS TO 3-0 WIN OVER #19 DELAWARE
Junior goalie Brie Barraco notched six saves to anchor a stingy Penn State defense and picked up her first shutout of the season in a 3-0 win over #19 Delaware on Sept. 12 in State College. Anna Simon, Mackenzie Allessie and Sophia Gladieux each scored in the win.
SIMON'S TWO GOALS LEADS PENN STATE TO 3-1 WIN OVER ALBANY
Senior Anna Simon connected twice on Penn State's penalty corner set, taking assists from Mackenzie Allessie and Elena Vos, to spark Penn State to a 3-1 win over Albany on Sept. 10 in Happy Valley.
GLADIEUX'S TWO GOALS LEAD PENN STATE TO 3-2 WIN OVER #20 ST. JOSEPH'S
Sophomore Sophia Gladieux notched two goals to lead Penn State to a 3-2 victory over St. Joseph's on Sept. 5. Gladieux's two-goal effort was joined by a solo score from Emma Spisak as Penn State won its home opener at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex.
SIMON'S HAT TRICK LEADS PENN STATE TO ROAD WIN AT WILLIAM AND MARY
Senior Anna Simon notched a hat trick to lead Penn State to a 7-2 road win at William and Mary on Aug. 29. Simon's three goals all came off Penn State's superb penalty corner set. Mackenzie Allessie had two assists, Elena Vos had two assists, Meghan Reese had a goal and an assist, Emma Spisak had a goal and Sophia Gladieux had a goal and two assists. Brie Barraco had four saves in the win as well.
PUNCH'S BREAKAWAY LIFTS PENN STATE TO 3-2 VICTORY AT #8 VIRGINIA TO START SEASON
Junior Jemma Punch took a pass from senior Emma Spisak in overtime and broke away for the game-winning goal in a 3-2 (ot) win at #8 Virginia in Penn State's 2021 season opener on Aug. 27. Punch's goal capped off a thrilling road win. Anna Simon and Sophia Gladieux each had goals as well and keeper Brie Barraco withstood 25 Cavalier shots, collecting nine saves.
TEAM CAPTAINS
Meghan Reese
Anna Simon
Emma Spisak
HONORS WON
Mackenzie Allessie
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (10/31)
Penn State Student-Athlete of the Week (11/1)
First Team All-Big Ten
Sophia Gladieux
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (9/20)
Penn State Student-Athlete of the Week (9/21)
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (10/4)
Penn State Student-Athlete of the Week (10/5)
First Team All-Big Ten
All-Big Ten Tournament Team
Anna Simon
Penn State Student-Athlete of the Week (9/1)
All-Big Ten Tournament Team
Elena Vos
Second Team All-Big Ten
Hannah Zemaitis
Penn State Big Ten Sportsmanship Honoree
