VIDEO -- POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE: Char Morett-Curtiss, Anna Simon, Elena Vos
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (17-4), ranked No. 6 in the final NFHCA Coaches Poll, dropped a tough 3-0 game to No. 1 North Carolina (20-0) in the first of two NCAA national semifinal games. Head coach Char Morett-Curtiss' squad was one of the final four teams playing in the NCAA tournament, closed out at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn.
North Carolina moved the ball into the Penn State circle to start the game, but Anouk Knuvers and the Lion defense held firm. Penn State returned the ball to the Tar Heel zone, but North Carolina's defense answered as the clock hit 12:30. A fast paced game from the onset, Sophia Gladieux made a great steal as UNC pushed the ball, and North Carolina turned and did the same as Penn State tried to start a fast break. Elena Vos stopped a Carolina push at the 10:00 mark as play moved into the Lion zone. Penn State regained possession and moved the ball back to the North Carolina zone as the back-and-forth play continued.
Penn State picked up the first corner of the game at the 5:35 mark when Anna Simon moved the ball into the circle and got the call. Gladieux's shot was a bit high on the set and North Carolina moved the ball back down field. Lion keeper Brie Barraco and the Lion defense held as the clock moved below 5:00. North Carolina notched its first corner at the 4:48 mark. Barraco made an outstanding save on the Erin Matson shot and the game continued tied 0-0. North Carolina kept the pressure on Penn State's defense, but Barraco made another sweet kick save with 3:07 left in the quarter, but Carolina did get a corner off the scramble. Matson's shot was blocked off the set. North Carolina was awarded another corner with 1:38 on the clock but could not connect on the play. Penn State's defense managed to hold off North Carolina over the final minutes and the game moved to the second stanza tied 0-0.
Penn State began the second period by pushing the ball down into the Carolina circle and forcing a penalty corner less than a minute into the period. But the Nittany Lions were not able to get off a shot on the play. Penn State kept the pressure on the Tar Heel defense for the first few minutes of the second period, with Gladieux and Grace Wallis pressuring the right corner. But the Tar Heels broke out of the Penn State trap and transitioned through a fast break to the Lion circle and forced a corner with 11:28 on the clock. Penn State deflected the ball out of bounds and UNC kept possession of the ball.
North Carolina broke into the scoring column with 8:40 left in the second period when Matson scored from in close off a Romea Riccardo assist from the top left of the Lion circle. Trailing 1-0, the Nittany Lions moved the ball down to the Carolina zone. The Tar Heel defense stole the ball, however, and moved back into the Penn State circle. Barraco made a kick save at the 6:45 mark on a sliding Tar Heel shot. The Penn State defense withstood North Carolina's pressure and worked the clock down to the 2:00 mark. North Carolina had time for one final press, but the Lion defense forced a turnover and the game moved to halftime with Penn State trailing 1-0.
North Carolina had a 6-2 edge in shots and a 4-2 edge in corners during the first half. Barraco had two saves for Penn State while Abigail Taylor had none.
Penn State began the third period by moving the ball into the North Carolina circle right off the whistle. But the Tar Heels were able to regain the ball and work action down to the PSU side of the field. The teams traded possessions over the first five minutes with neither squad managing a shot. With 9:30 on the clock, North Carolina moved the ball into the Lion circle, forcing Barraco to clear a pass to let the Lion defense set itself. Gery Schnarrs forced a turnover with 8:40 left in the period but Carolina quickly regained possession. Vos stole a UNC pass to give Penn State the ball, but North Carolina was able to regain the ball. The back-and-forth play continued as the clock moved to the 7:30 mark.
North Carolina was awarded a penalty corner with 6:43 left in the third period but Penn State asked for a review of the call. The call on the field was reversed, negating the corner and giving Penn State possession. The Loins quickly moved the ball to the UNC side of the field, but Carolina responded wit a steal and a fast break, once again pressing the Lion circle. The Tar Heels were awarded a penalty corner with 5:51 left in the third. The Loin defense defended the corner to keep the game a one-goal contest. North Carolina was able to keep possession and pressure on the Penn State cage. Barraco defended a Tar Heel push with 4:20 left, but Matson was there for the rebound and put UNC up 2-0 with an unassisted goal at the 4:16 mark. Gladieux nearly cut the lead in half off the restart, pushing the ball deep and to the left of the Carolina cage. Her hard backhand just missed wide and the clock moved below the 2:00 mark. Penn State picked up a penalty corner with 2:32 on the clock after keeping pressure on the Tar Heel defense. Carolina goalie Taylor made a save on Simon's hard shot off the set and Penn State trailed 2-0 after three periods.
Penn State's early press to start the fourth period was defended by North Carolina. The Tar Heels moved the ball into the Penn State circle and pressed Barraco and the Lion defense. Carolina's Paityn Wirth scored with 11:58 left in the game off a Matson assist to give the Tar Heels a 3-0 lead. Matson had a low angle shot just seconds later and Barraco made a diving stick save to keep the score at 3-0. Penn State looked to cut into the Tar Heel lead as the clock hit 7:30, pushing the ball into the opponent's circle. But North Carolina defended the pressure and regained possession with 6:00 to play.
The Nittany Lions worked furiously to move the ball into the Carolina circle and picked up a penalty corner with 3:38 left in the game. Taylor was able to make a save on the Penn State shot off the corner set, but the Lions retained possession. North Carolina's defense was able to defend against the Nittany Lion efforts and retook possession. The Tar Heels worked action back to the Penn State zone briefly, but the Nittany Lions quickly forced a turnover with 1:40 left in the game. The teams worked off the final seconds in the midfield and the Nittany Lions fell 3-0 to North Carolina in the national semifinals.
North Carolina outshot Penn State 11-5 and had a slim 5-4 edge in penalty corners. Barraco had five saves for the Nittany Lions while Taylor had one for the Tar Heels.
The Nittany Lions end their season with a 17-4 record while North Carolina improves to 20-0. The semifinal setback wraps up a stellar Penn State season that saw the team earn a share of the 2022 Big Ten Championship and advance to the NCAA semifinals for the first time since 2007.
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 0 0 0 0 0
NORTH CAROLINA 0 1 1 1 3
STATS: PSU UNC
Shots 5 11
Corners 4 5
SCORING SUMMARY (goal/assist) – TIME
2nd: UNC – Erin Matson (Romea Riccardo); 8:40
3rd: UNC – Erin Matson (unassisted); 4:16
4th: UNC – Paityn Wirth (Erin Matson); 11:58
GOALKEEPERS: MIN GA S
PSU: Brie Barraco 60:00 3 5
UNC: Abigail Taylor 60:00 0 1