UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; Sept. 3, 2022 – The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (2-1, 0-0 B1G), ranked No. 11 in the NFHCA Coaches Poll, picked up a non-conference win at the University at Albany (1-2) on Saturday, Sept. 3. The Nittany Lions exploded for six goals in a 6-2 victory in New York in the first road game of the season for head coach Char Morett-Curtiss's squad.
Penn State got on the board quickly, with Grace Wallis (Blue Bell, Pa.) scoring at the 11:18 mark off an assist from Sophia Gladieux (Boyertown, Pa.). Gladieux used a strong backhand pass to find Wallis pressing towards the cage to give the Nittany Lions an early 1-0 lead. Penn State picked up the game's first penalty corner midway through the first period, but the Dane's defense held. But Penn State connected shortly thereafter. Anna Simon (Hanau, Germany) had a shot blocked on a corner, but the Lion senior then connected on a pass to Gladieux seconds later, with the latter finding the back of the cage to put the Nittany Lions up 2-0. Penn State continued to pour it on offensively. Mackenzie Allessie (Mount Joy, Pa.) took another penalty corner and fed Simon, who dished to junior Carly Gannon (Havertown, Pa.). Gannon sent the ball past UAlbany keeper Hannah Mangan with 7:18 left in the opening period to put the Nittany Lions on top 3-0. UAlbany picked up its first penalty corner in the final seconds of the first period but Alison Smisdom's shot hit the post and the first period ended with Penn State up by three.
UAlbany took the momentum early in the second period, forcing a quick corner. Smisdom took an assist from Charlotte Triggs and knocked the ball into the cage to cut Penn State's lead to 3-1 just 1:10 into the second stanza. Penn State worked the ball down to the Dane's side of the field after the initial Dane score. Simon had a shot on goal batted aside and UAlbany worked the ball back down field. The Great Danes cut the Penn State lead to one at the 9:35 mark when Sophia Schoonmaker scored to cut the lead to 3-2. The teams traded possessions for the next five minutes with neither defense giving ground. Penn State got hit with a green card with just :38 left in the first half, but the Nittany Lino defense held for the period's final seconds and Penn State led 3-2 heading into intermission.
Penn State outshot UAlbany 11-3 in the first half and had a slim 3-2 edge in penalty corners. UAlbany keeper Hanna Mangan had seven saves in the first half, the lone goalie saves in the first 30:00.
Penn State began the half on the offensive with Allessie getting off a quick shot just over a minute in. Her efforts led to an early penalty corner for the Nittany Lions. Jemma Punch (McDowall, Australia) had two shot on off the corner, the first blocked and the second saved by Mangan. Penn State continued to press on offense, with Wallis have a shot glide just wide of the UAlbany cage at the 8:07 mark. Penn State's consistent offense led to another Allessie corner with 5:56 left in the period. Penn State connected on the penalty corner with Allessie feeding Elena Vos (Grave, The Netherlands), who passed to Gladieux for the goal, putting Penn State up 4-2 with 5:51 on the clock. Gladieux connected yet again off another Nittany Lion corner, with an identical Allessie to Vos set up for Gladieux's third goal of the game with 2:30 left in the period. The goal gave Penn State a 5-2 lead after three periods of play.
Penn State continued to pour it on in the fourth period. Punch gave the Nittany Lions a 6-2 lead just over two minutes into the final period, scoring unassisted at the 12:51 mark. UAlbany countered with an offensive push of its own, forcing a penalty corner a minute later. But Penn State's defense did not give way and the Nittany Lions maintained their four-goal lead. Penn State continued to control possession for the bulk of the fourth period. The teams traded possession in the midfield until Albany was able to move the ball down to the Nittany Lion circle as the clock moved below 5:00. But Penn State's defense was up to the task and kept UAlbany from threatening. Penn State was able stifle any late UAlbany push and wound out the clock to roll to the 6-2 victory.
"This was a good win on the road and still gives us a lot to look at on film in order to get better as a team," said Morett-Curtiss. "Jemma and Anna really played well for us today and Sophia did a great job finishing on the corners. Jemma moved between the midfield and the line and really carried us, and Anna really controlled the middle of the field for us."
The Nittany Lions outshot UAlbany 21-3 and had a 7-3 advantage in corners. Albany's Mangam had 10 saves for the Great Danes while Penn State's Brie Barraco had none.
Penn State is 2-1 overall and the Great Danes are 1-2. The Nittany Lions have two road games this coming weekend. Penn State is at St. Joseph's on Friday, Sept. 9 at 4 p.m. and at Delaware on Sunday, Sept. 11, 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 3 0 2 1 6
UAlbany 0 2 0 0 2
STATS: PSU UA
Shots 21 3
Corners 7 3
SCORING SUMMARY (goal/assist) – TIME
1st: PSU – Grace Wallis (Sophia Gladieux); 11:18
1st: PSU – Gladieux (Anna Simon); 7:59
1st: PSU – Carly Gannon (Simon); 7:18
2nd: UA – Allison Smisdom (Charlotte Triggs); 13:50
2nd: UA – Sophia Schoonmaker (Elaina Burchell); 9:35
3rd: PSU – Gladieux (Mackenzie Allessie, Elena Vos); 5:51
3rd: PSU – Gladieux (Mackenzie Allessie, Elena Vos); 2:30
4th: PSU – Jemma Punch (unassisted); 12:51
GOALKEEPERS: MIN GA S
PSU: Brie Barraco 60:00 2 0
UA: Hannah Mangan 60:00 6 7