UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; Sept. 17, 2022 – The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (6-1, 1-0 B1G), ranked No. 6 in the NFHCA Coaches Poll, shut out Cornell (2-2) in a non-conference game played at the University of Michigan. The Nittany Lions rolled to a 3-0 win in the neutral site contest to improve to 6-1 on the year.
Penn State opened up the game by forcing an early penalty corner, but Anna Simon's (Hanau, Germany) had a shot blocked off the set. The Nittany Lions kept the offensive pressure on the Big Red and scored the first goal of the game at the 10:09 mark when Sophia Gladieux (Boyertown, Pa.) found the back of the cage, with an assist from Simon. Cornell picked up its first corner with 7:19 left in the period but Brie Barraco (Allentown, Pa.) made a save on a Caroline Ramsey shot to keep CU scoreless. The Nittany Lions picked up two corners in the 11th minute, but the Cornell defense held firm. The Nittany Lions carried a 1-0 lead into the second period.
Mackenzie Allessie (Mount Joy, Pa.) scored early in the second stanza with an unassisted goal under three minutes into the period. The reverse shot on the top of the circle gave the Nittany Lions a 2-0 lead with 12:07 on the clock. Penn State continued to pressure Cornell, forcing a corner as the clock moved below 10:00. Simon's shot was saved by Cornell goalie Aerin Park off the corner set. The two teams traded possessions over the course of the second period's final 10 minutes with Penn State's Grace Wallis (Blue Bell, Pa.) getting off a shot late in the half that was blocked. Penn State led 2-0 heading to intermission.
Penn State outshot Cornell 10-4 in the opening half and had a 4-1 edge in penalty corners. Barraco had one save for Penn State while Park had two for Cornell.
Penn State went on attack quickly to start the third period, picking up an early penalty corner. Gladieux and Simon both had shots that were blocked but the Lion offense took control quickly. The Nittany Lion offense forced three penalty corners in a :20 span six minutes into the half but three Lion shots could not find the back of the cage and the Lions continued with a two-goal lead. Penn State was undaunted however and scored its third goal of the game midway through the third period when Allessie notched another unassisted goal after a penalty corner scramble with 7:11 left in the period. Cornell picked up a penalty corner with 2:33 left in the quarter but Barraco was equal to the task with a save off the set. The Nittany Lions led 3-0 after three periods.
The Nittany Lions got hit with an early green card in the fourth, but the defense effectively killed the Cornell player advantage. A second Penn State green card at the 7:19 mark gave Cornell another player advantage midway through the final period. But it was Penn State that took possession, picking up a penalty corner with just over 5:00 to play in the game. Simon had a shot blocked, Penn State was awarded another corner, and Allessie had a shot blocked with 4:44 left in the game. Lauren Delgado (East Earl, Pa.) entered the game at goal for Penn State at the 4:48 mark. The Nittany Lion defense kept Cornell from threatening over the final minutes and Penn State was able to notch its first shutout of the season, picking up the 3-0 win.
"I'm very proud of how this team played this weekend," said head coach Char Morett-Curtiss. "We were able to get a lot of players in today and that experience will pay off so much down the road. We moved the ball around much better today on offense as well. This weekend sets us up well for next weekend. We'll work on defensive cohesiveness and structure during the week as we get ready for Michigan State and Ohio State."
Penn State outshot Cornell 19-4 and had a 13-2 corner advantage. Barraco had three saves for Penn State and Park had three for the Big Red.
Penn State is now 6-1 overall, 1-0 in the Big Ten, while Cornell falls to 2-2. Penn State returns home for the first time in a month next weekend. The Nittany Lions host Michigan State on Friday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. and Ohio State on Sunday, Sept.25, at 12 p.m.
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 1 1 1 0 3
Cornell 0 0 0 0 0
STATS: PSU CU
Shots 19 4
Corners 13 2
SCORING SUMMARY (goal/assist) – TIME
1st: PSU – Sophia Gladieux (Anna Simon); 10:09
2nd: PSU – Mackenzie Allessie (unassisted); 12:07
3rd: PSU – Mackenzie Allessie (unassisted); 7:11
GOALKEEPERS: MIN GA S
PSU: Brie Barraco 55:12 0 3
Lauren Delgado 4:48 0 0
CU: Aerin Park 45:00 3 3
Lexie HAusheer 15:00 0 0