UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; Sept. 23, 2022 – The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (7-1, 2-0 B1G), ranked No. 6 in the NFHCA Coaches Poll, dominated visiting Michigan State (4-3, 0-2 B1G) 4-0 at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex on Friday night. Penn State, playing at home for the first time in a month, recorded its second straight shutout victory.
Mackenzie Allessie (Mount Joy, Pa.) had a close-in shot just 1:30 into the game but Michigan State goalie Monique Jardell knocked the effort away to keep the game scoreless. Penn State kept the ball in the Spartan circle for the first 5:00 and forced a penalty corner with 10:52 on the clock. Sophia Gladieux (Boyertown, Pa.) had a shot blocked off the set, but the Lions maintained possession. The Lion pressure paid off with 8:24 on the clock when Carly Gannon (Havertown, Pa.) took a great pass from Grace Wallis (Blue Bell, Pa.) and found the back of the cage, giving Penn State a 1-0 lead. Junior Kelsey Love (State College, Pa.) worked the ball into the circle at the 4:38 mark and forced another penalty corner. Anna Simon (Hanau, Germany) had her shot blocked. The Lions had a late penalty corner as well, but Gladieux had her shot blocked as time ran out. Penn State controlled possession for the entirety of the first period and led 1-0 after the opening stanza.
Penn State picked up a quick penalty corner to start the second period. Simon got off a rocket of a shot that hit the right post and ricocheted into the Lion defense. Allessie scored unassisted at the 9:09 mark, hitting a shot from the top of the circle to give the Nittany Lions a 2-0 lead. Michigan State pushed the ball into the Lino circle for the first time after that, forcing its first corner with 8:59 left in the half. Isa van der Wiej's shot was saved by Penn State keeper Brie Barraco (Allentown, Pa.) for her first save of the game. Michigan State reeled off three more penalty corners in the next :30 but Barraco and the Lion defense held firm. Simon had a near goal midway through the second off a corner, but Spartan Georgia Davies made a defensive save to keep the contest a one-goal game. Emily Farrell (Wyoming, Pa.), Gery Schnarrs (Camp Hill, Pa.) and the Lion defense kept Michigan State off the board and with 2:51 left in the half, Gladieux dribbled into the Lion circle from the left side and scored unassisted to put Penn State up 3-0, a lead it carried into halftime.
The Nittany Lions outshot the Spartans 15-4 in the first half and had an 8-4 advantage in corners. Barraco had three saves for Penn State while Jardell had two for MSU (plus the one defensive save for a total of three).
The teams traded possessions early in the third period. Allessie worked the ball down the right side of the field at the 9:22 mark, into the Spartan circle, and forced a penalty corner. But Jemma Punch's (Queensland, Australia) shot sailed wide as the clock hit 9:00. Aubrey Semler (Orefield, Pa.) had a shot from the top of the circle blocked with 4:02 left in the period in another Penn State venture into Spartan territory. Semler had another shot with :20 left just miss the left side of the MSU cage, and the Nittany Lions led 3-0 after three periods.
Penn State forced a penalty corner just over 2:00 into the final period and Simon connected on the play. She scored at the 12:35 mark with assists from Allessie and Elena Vos (Grave, The Netherlands) to give the Lions a 4-0 lead. Junior keeper Lauren Delgado (East Earl, Pa.) went in to goal for Penn State with 11:32 left in the game. Michigan State got hit with a green card at the 9:00 mark but the Spartan defense was able to hold off the player advantage. Riley Taylor (Virginia Beach, Va.) forced a penalty corner with 5:48 on the clock but Penn State could not connect on the play. Michigan State picked up a late penalty corner with 3:06 on the clock but Delgado made a nice save on a Georgia Davies shot to keep the Spartans off the scoreboard. The Nittany Lion defense then withstood a late MSU charge and recorded its second straight shutout victory in a 4-0 win.
"We played a better game defensively tonight," said head coach Char Morett-Curtiss. "We are trying to get a bit more flow in our midfield. We're getting better at it and have some things we can improve upon as well. This is a very nice win for us against a quality Michigan State opponent. Their goalie played very well tonight but I was happy with how consistent we were."
Penn State outshot Michigan State 20-6 and had 11 corners to five for the Spartans. Barraco had four saves while Delgado had one of r the Nittany Lions. Michigan State had six saves, five for Jardell.
Penn State is now 7-1 overall, 2-0 in the Big Ten, while the Spartans fall to 4-3, 0-2 B1G. Penn State will host Ohio State on Sunday, Sept.25, at 12 p.m., in its next game.
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 2 0 1 4
Michigan State 0 0 0 0 0
STATS: PSU MSU
Shots 20 6
Corners 11 5
SCORING SUMMARY (goal/assist) – TIME
1st: PSU – Carly Gannon (Grace Wallis); 8:24
2nd: PSU – Mackenzie Allessie (unassisted); 9:29
2nd: PSU – Sophia Gladieux (unassisted); 2:51
4th: PSU – Anna Simon (Elena Vos, Mackenzie Allessie); 12:35
GOALKEEPERS: MIN GA S
PSU: Brie Barraco 48:28 0 3
Lauren Delgado 11:32 0 1
MSU: Monique Jardell 60:00 4 5
Team ----- 0 1