THIS WEEK
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (9-7, 4-4 B1G), ranked No. 14 in the nation, will head to Ann Arbor, Mich., for the 2023 Big Ten Tournament. The four-day event will be hosted by the University of Michigan and begins with three first-round games on Thursday, Nov. 2.
Penn State finished in a three-way tie for fourth in the B1G standings and will be the 4th-seed. The Nittany Lions face No. 11 Ohio State (13-5, 4-4 B1G), the 5th-seed, in the first quarterfinal game of the event, Thursday at 11 a.m. The Big Ten semifinals on Friday and the title game on Sunday will air on the Big Ten Network. The quarterfinals stream on B1G+.
Penn State is coming off a 3-1 win at Indiana last Friday. The Nittany Lions were led by Sophia Gladieux and Mackenzie Allessie, who accounted for Penn State's three goals in the game.
The Nittany Lions are being led by Gladieux's 42 points off a team-best 20 goals and two assists. Mackenzie Allessie has 21 off eight and five while Carly Gannon has 11 off four and three. Keeper Brie Barraco has 93 saves, a .795 percentage and two shutouts this season.
Ohio State enters the game off a long break, having last played on Oct. 22 when the Buckeyes downed Bellarmine 7-0. Ohio State has not played a Big Ten foe since Oct. 15. Penn State won the regular season meeting between the two, a hard-fought 2-1 victory at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex.
The winner of the Ohio State/Penn State game will face No. 1 Northwestern in the semifinals on Friday at 1 p.m. The Big Ten Tournament championship game is set for 12 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5. The field of 18 teams for the 2023 NCAA Field Hockey Championship tournament will be revealed live on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 10 p.m. on NCAA.com.
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.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
(# listed is seed, not ranking)
Thursday, Nov. 2
G1: #4 Penn State vs. #5 Ohio State, 11 a.m.
G2: #7 Michigan vs. #2 Rutgers, 2 p.m.
G3: #6 Iowa vs. #3 Maryland, 5 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 3
Semi 1: #1 Northwestern vs. #4/#5 winner, 1 p.m. (B1G Net.)
Semi 2: #3/#6 winner vs. #2/#7 winner, 3:30 p.m. (B1G Net.)
Sunday, Nov. 5
Championship Game, semifinal winners, 12 p.m. (B1G Net.)
NOTES
NITTANY LIONS CLAIM 4-SEED AT B1GS WITH 3-1 WIN AT INDIANA IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE
Penn State clinched the 4th-seed a the 2023 Big Ten Tournament with a hard-fought 3-1 win at Indiana in the regular season finale for the Nittany Lions. Phia Gladieux netted two goals and Mackenzie Allessie connected on a penalty stroke to lead Penn State. The win gave Penn State a 9-7 record overall and a 4-4 mark in Big Ten games, tied with Ohio State and Iowa. The Nittany Lions won the tie-breaker and earned the 4th-seed at B1Gs.
GLADIEUX SCORES TWICE TO LEAD LIONS TO 2-1 WIN OVER #5 IOWA; EARNS BIG TEN AND NFHCA OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Senior Phia Gladieux scored both of Penn State's goals, one in the second and one in the third, to lift the Nittany Lions to a 2-1 win over No. 5 Iowa in the home finale for Penn State. The Nittany Lions trailed 1-0 after a first period Iowa goal but strong defense and 11 saves from keeper Brie Barraco gave Gladieux and the Lion offense time to work towards the comeback victory. Gladieux was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for her efforts.
BRIE BARRACO COLLECTS CAREER-HIGH 12 SAVES IN TOUGH LOSS AT #16 MICHIGAN
Graduate student Brie Barraco collected a career high 12 saves against a flurry of 23 Michigan shots at No. 16 Michigan on Sunday, Oct. 15. Barraco kept Penn State in the game in a tough 2-1 loss in Ann Arbor.
NITTANY LIONS SHUT OUT MICHIGAN STATE
The Penn State Nittany Lions rolled to a 4-0 shut out victory at Michigan State on Friday, Oct. 13. Brie Barraco netted the shut out in goal while Phia Gladieux netted two goals in the win.
PENN STATE DOWNS #7 OHIO STATE 2-1
Phia Gladieux and Mackenzie Allessie each had three points (a goal and an assist each) and Anouk Knuvers and Brie Barraco anchored the Nittany Lion defense in a key Big Ten win over Ohio State on Oct. 6. The Nittany Lions broke open a 0-0 game in the second half with two goals to secure the home win, the first Big Ten win for head coach Lisa Bervinchak Love.
ANOUK KNUVERS NAMED B1G DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (10/9)
Junior back Anouk Knuvers was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending Oct. 8, 2023. Knuvers anchored the Penn State defense in a 2-1 win over No. 7 Ohio State on Oct. 6. She tallied numerous blocks in the game as the Lions picked up their first conference win of the season.
LATE RALLY FALLS SHORT AT #8 MARYLAND
Penn State rallied late at No. 8 Maryland on Oct. 1 in a Big Ten battle, but ran out of time in a 4-2 loss to the Terrapins. Phia Gladieux and Carly Gannon each scored for Penn State. Brie Barraco had eight saves in the game as well.
LIONS DROP TOUGH 2-1 GAME TO #10 SYRACUSE
Penn State dropped a hard-fought 2-1 game to No. 10 Syracuse on Sunday, Sept. 24, at the Field Hockey Complex in a game played during a steady rain. Phia Gladieux notched Penn State's lone goal in the third period while keeper Brie Barraco kept the Nittany Lions close with eight saves in goal.
NITTANY LIONS DOWN BUCKNELL 2-1
Mackenzie Allessie scored on a penalty stroke, Sophia Gladieux added a backhand rocket and Brie Barraco tallied three saves to lead Penn State to a tough 2-1 win over visiting Bucknell on Sunday, Sept. 17. The non-conference game was played in a steady rain at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex.
LIONS DROP 2-OT THRILLER TO #10 RUTGERS
Penn State dropped a hard-fought 1-0 double overtime thriller to No. 10 Rutgers on Friday, Sept. 15, in the conference opener for both teams. Penn State managed 17 shots and faced 16 and each goalie (PSU's Brie Barraco and RU's Sophia Howard) had seven saves a piece. But Rutgers found the back of the cage two minutes into extra time to get the win.
PHIA GLADIEUX'S HAT TRICK LEADS LIONS TO 4-1 IN OVER #19 DELAWARE
Phia Gladieux tallied her first hat trick of the season, scoring three goals to lead Penn State to a 4-1 victory over No. 19 Delaware on Sept. 10 at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex. Gladieux was joined in the scoring column by Aubrey Semler, who scored her first career goal in the victory.
BALANCED OFFENSE, STRONG DEFENSE LEADS PENN STATE TO 5-0 WIN OVER KENT STATE
Penn State had four different players pick up multiple points and a total of five involved in scoring plays, and had a defense that recorded its first shutout, as the Nittany Lions downed Kent State 5-0 in the team's home opener on Sept. 9. Mackenzie Allessie had two goals, Phia Gladieux had a goal and an assist, Carly Gannon had a goal and an assist, Sophia Mannino had a goal and an assist, and Natalie Freeman had an assist. Brie Barraco and Lauren Delgado combined for the team's first shutout and Penn State held KSU to only two shots.
CARLY GANNON TALLIES SIX POINTS; GLADIEUX SCORES TWICE IN WIN AT STANFORD
Senior Carly Gannon had a career-best six points in Penn State's 5-1 win at Stanford on Sept. 3. Gannon had two goals and two assists in the non-conference victory. Phia Gladieux also had two goals in the win while keeper Lauren Delgado had five saves in her 15 minutes during the fourth period.
PHIA GLADIEUX SCORES TWICE IN TOUGH ROAD LOSS AT CAL
Senior Phia Gladieux scored both of Penn State's goals in a hard-fought 3-2 double-overtime loss at Cal on Sept. 1. The game was the first of two during a weekend West Coast Road sing for the Nittany Lions.
ALLESSIE SPARKS PENN STATE TO 3-2 OVERTIME WIN AT AMERICAN
Mackenzie Allessie scored the game's final two goals to spark Penn State to a 3-2 come-from-behind win at American on Aug. 27. Allessie's goals helped Penn State erase an early 2-0 deficit to the Eagles. Sophia Gladieux had the other goal for Penn State in the win.
LIONS DROP SEASON OPENER AT #6 VIRGINIA
Penn State lost a hard-fought 2-1 game to #6 Virginia in the season opener for both teams on Aug. 25. Freshman Natalie Freeman scored her first career goal to start the game but the Cavaliers scored the game's final two goals to grab the win.
ALLESSIE, BARRACO, GANNON VOTED TEAM CAPTAINS
Seniors Mackenzie Allessie, Brie Barraco and Carly Gannon have been named team captains for the 2023 season. The tri-captains were voted on by their teammates.
ALLESSIE, BARRACO, GLADIEUX NAMED NFHCA PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST
Seniors Mackenzie Allessie, Brie Barraco and Phia Gladieux have been named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association's Players to Watch List.
ALLESSIE, BARRACO, GLADIEUX NAMED TO BIG TEN WATCH LIST
Seniors Mackenzie Allessie, Brie Barraco and Phia Gladieux have been named to the Big Ten Preseason Watch List.
RECORD WATCH:
Career Goals:
1: Candy Finn (78-81) -- 90
2: Christine McGinley (90-93) -- 86
3: Kelsey Amy (09-12) -- 76
4: PHIA GLADIEUX (20-Prsnt..) -- 73
Career Points:
1: Candy Finn (78-81) -- 196 (90, 16)
2: Christine McGinley (90-93) 00 180 (86, 8)
3: Kelsey Amy (09-12) -- 176 (76, 24)
4: Maegan Galie (97-00) -- 157 (55, 47)
5: PHIA GLADIEUX (20-Prsnt.) -- 155 (73, 9)
Saves (since 1975):
1: Michele Monahan (83-86) -- 588
2: Shelly Meister (92-95) -- 544
3: Michele Brenna (88-91) -- 465
4: Jamie Smith (95-98) -- 447
5: BRIE BARRACO (19-Prsnt) -- 443
