UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (3-2, 0-0 B1G), ranked No. 11 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Coaches Poll, dominated visiting Kent State (1-4) in the home opener for head coach Lisa Bervinchak Love's squad. Penn State shut out Kent State 5-0 and recorded its first shutout of the season.
The Nittany Lions wasted no time getting on the board at home. Senior back Gery Schnarrs connected with a breaking Carly Gannon on a long pass that found Gannon alone in the Kent State circle. Gannon controlled the ball, pivoted and hit Sophia Gladieux with a perfect pass. Gladieux connected on the shot, giving Penn State a 1-0 lead just :25 into the game. Kent State moved the ball down into the Lion circle midway through the period, but Penn State's defense stood firm. Penn State forced the game's first penalty corner with 6:51 on the clock. Mackenzie Allessie rocketed a shot off the play but Kent State goalie Cecile van Eijck made a nice kick save on the action. Kent State pushed the ball back down into the Lion circle, but back Kelsey Love intercepted a pass to keep the Flash from threatening. Anouk Knuvers broke up another KSU fast break at 2:20 and Penn State carried a 1-0 lead into the second period.
The teams traded possessions to start the second period and Kent State threatened at the 10:40 mark. Knuvers blocked a pass and then Sophia Mannino regained the ball for Penn State at 10:00 to keep Kent State off the board. Aubrey Semler rocketed a shot that forced van Eijck into another diving save and then the Nittany Lion rebound went just wide midway through the second period. Kent State moved the ball into the Lion circle at the 5:05 mark but had a pass sail past forward Madison Leety, returning the ball to Penn State. Ella Jennes pushed the ball towards the KSU cage at 3:00 but the Flash defense forced a turnover. Schnarrs and the Penn State defense pushed back on a Kent State push in with 1:45 left and then Semler forced van Eijck into another save in the final minute. Penn State, off an early goal in the first period, led 1-0- at halftime.
The Nittany Lions had five shots in the first half and the Penn State defense held Kent State to none. With Barraco facing no shots in the first 30 minutes, van Eijck had the game's only three saves for Kent State. Penn State had the first half's lone penalty corner as well.
Kent State had an early chance at the top of the Nittany Lion circle to start the third period, but Schnarrs moved in on the ball and regained possession for Penn State. The Nittany Lions forced a penalty corner with 10:52 on the clock after moving the ball downfield but the Kent State defense blocked a Gladieux shot off the set to keep the score 1-0. Penn State kept the pressure on van Eijck however, with Mannino dribbling the ball past the KSU defense and feeding Gannon in front of the cage. Gannon connected on the shot and Penn State led 2-0 with 10:15 on the clock. Penn State quickly added another goal when Gladieux slid a short pass to Allessie right in front of the Kent State cage with Allessie knocking the goal in with 5:40 left in the period. Penn State forced a corner at 4:18 and pushed its lead to 4-0. After a short scramble in front of the KSU goal, Natalie Freeman hit Mannino with a pass and the Lion junior knocked the ball past van Eijck to put Penn State up 4-0 with 4:09 left in the period. Penn State forced another corner and got of three shots, but two KSU saves and a high effort followed. The Nittany Lions led 4-0 heading into the final stanza.
Penn State controlled action early in the fourth, getting off a shot that went wide early. Kent State moved the ball down field and forced its first penalty corner. Lion goalie Lauren Delgado, who entered the game to start the period, made a save on the shot. An ensuing KSU corner led to another Delgado save and Penn State continued to lead by four as the clock moved to the 11:00 mark. The Lion defense kept Kent State in check to the midway point and Penn State's offense pushed the ball back into the Flash circle briefly at 7:30. But Kent State regained possession but did not threaten on the drive. Allessie scored Penn State's fifth goal, unassisted at the 5:29 mark, pushing the score to 5-0. Allessie's goal was the game's final and Penn State rolled to the 5-0 win.
"This was a great team effort tonight," said Bervinchak Love. "We did a great job of attacking and was awesome to see so many people involved in our offense, on our scoring plays. Defensively we took care of the ball very well and were patient. Our passing game was better tonight and that allows us to control the flow of the game. I'm extremely happy with how we played tonight."
Penn State outshot Kent State 17-2 and had a 4-1 edge in corners. Kent State's van Eijck had six saves while Delgado had two saves in the fourth period for the Nittany Lions as she and starter Brie Barraco collected Penn State's first shutout of the year.
Penn State is now 3-2 overall, 0-0 B1G. Kent State falls to 1-4. Penn State welcomes No. 19 Delaware to the FH Complex on Sunday, Sept. 10, for a 1 p.m. contest in its next outing.
Fans are encouraged to follow the Nittany Lion field hockey team online at www.GoPSUsports.com (click teams, click field hockey), on X/Twitter @pennstateFH and on facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstatefieldhockey.
GAME BREAKDOWN
SCORING: 1 2 3 4 FINAL
PENN STATE 1 0 3 1 5
Kent State 0 0 0 0 0
STATS: PSU KSU
Shots 17 2
Corners 4 1
SCORING SUMMARY (goal/assist) – TIME
1st: PSU – Phia Gladieux (Carly Gannon); 14:35
3rd: PSU – Carly Gannon (Sophia Mannino); 10:15
3rd: PSU – Mackenzie Allessie (Phia Gladieux); 5:40
3rd: PSU – Sophia Mannino (Natalie Freeman); 4:09
4th: PSU – Mackenzie Allessie (unassisted); 5:29
GOALKEEPERS: MIN GA S
PSU: Brie Barraco 45:00 0 0
Lauren Delgado 15:00 0 2
KSU: Cecile Van Eijck 60:00 5 6