UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; September 27, 2024 – The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (5-3, 1-0 B1G), ranked No. 19 in the latest NFHCA Coaches Poll, downed visiting Indiana (2-5, 0-2 B1G) in its Big Ten opener. The Nittany Lions got goals from three different players in the 3-2 win on Char Morett-Curtiss Field at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex.
The teams traded possessions early in the first period with a consistent rain falling on the Penn State Field Hockey Complex. Indiana worked the ball into the Lion zone at the 12:45 mark but Julienne van Bekkum and the Nittany Lion defense pushed the early effort aside. The Hoosiers did force the game’s first penalty corner at the 11:58. Penn State blocked the shot off the set and returned the ball to the IU side. Senior Phia Gladieux blazed a fast crossing pass into the Hoosier circle and sophomore Natalie Freeman knocked it in at the 10:44 mark to give Penn State an early 1-0 lead. Penn State’s offense kept pressure on IU through the 7:00 mark before Indiana was able to move past the midfield line, but the Lion defense held. Drew Taylor drove at the Hoosier cage with 1:48 on the clock but IU keeper Sadie Canelli kicked the ball out of the way to keep the score at 1-0. Taylor gathered the ball seconds later at midfield and fed a driving Gladieux at the top of the IU circle. She drove to her left and launched a backhand past Canelli to give the Nittany Lions a 2-0 lead with :55 left in the first period.
Penn State pushed the ball into the Indiana circle early in the second period, looking to add to its lead. Indiana was able to hold off the Lions through the 12:00 mark but Penn State kept pressure on the Hoosier defense. The teams battled evenly for the next four-plus minutes, primarily in the midfield. Penn State had a penalty corner overturned at 7:58 but maintained possession at the top of the IU circle. Freeman pushed the ball in from the right side and forced a corner with 7:47 on the clock. Aubrey Semler’s hard shot on the play was blocked but Penn State kept the ball in the IU zone as the clock moved below 7:00. Indiana made a brief push to the Penn State side, but the Nittany Lions worked the ball back into the IU circle. Gladieux took a backhand that Canelli was able to make the save on, keeping the score 2-0 in PSU’s favor with 5:20 left in the half. Indiana answered with its first goal off a scramble in front of Penn State keeper Aby Deverka. Ines Garcia Prado scored off a Theresa Ricci assist with 3:48 on the clock to cut the Lion lead in half, 2-1. That score held into the halftime break.
Penn State outshot Indiana 6-4 in the opening half. Each team had one penalty corner and both Deverka and Canelli each had a save as well.
The third period began with Penn State holding off a quick IU push and then forcing a turnover in the midfield at 13:20. The two teams worked for possession in the middle of the field over the next minute-plus before Morgan McMenamin fed Gladieux from the left side. The Lion senior’s drive was stopped by the Hoosier defense, but Penn State kept the ball on the Indiana side as the clock hit 11:30. Penn State was hit with a green card at the 10:44 mark, giving IU a player edge. Gladieux and freshman Katelyn Strawser kept control of the ball for the middle portion of the penalty and the Nittany Lions effectively killed off the card, with Deverka making a save on an IU tipped shot at 8:55. Sophia Mannino made a steal in the IU zone at 7:45 and the Lions worked action back to the Hoosier side of the field. Madison Britton made a push down the right side of the IU circle seconds later and fed Taylor in front of the cage, who knocked the ball in for Penn State’s third goal at 4:58. Penn State pressured the Indiana circle through 1:30 and then the Deverka made a save on an IU shot at 1:00 to keep Penn State up 3-1 after three periods.
Indiana had an early chance to cut into the lead, but Deverka intercepted a pass deep in the Lion circle to stave off a quick Indiana burst. Deverka then made a diving save on another quick IU shot as the clock hit 11:30. The Penn State defense fought off IU pressure and then drove downfield. McMenamin had a hard shot saved knocked away by Canelli with 10:00 to play. Indiana returned the ball to the Lion circle, but Morgan Snyder and the Lion defense forced a turnover at 8:20. Penn State was hit with a green card at 7:35 and the Hoosiers, with a player advantage, picked up a penalty corner at the 7:03 mark. The Hoosiers connected off the set, with Sydney Keld scoring off a Lara Mortz assist to cut Penn State’s lead to 3-2 with 6:56 on the clock. The Nittany Lions worked on the Hoosier side of the field through the 4:00 mark but IU regained possession. Snyder came up with a big steal at 2:40, giving Penn State possession, but Indiana forced a Lion turnover to once again move the ball into the Lion zone. Indiana pulled its goalie at 1:27, looking to tie the contest. But Gery Schnarrs and the Lion defense held firm through the :45 mark. Indiana had one final push and forced a penalty corner with just :08 on the clock. The Penn State defense held, and the Lions walked away with the hard-fought 3-2 win.
“We played a very good first half and I was happy with the way we set up our offense and pressured Indiana,” said head coach Lisa Bervinchak Love. “We came out with a lot of energy and pressure to start the game which was important for us. In the second half, things got a bit chaotic, but we did a very nice job of settling down and regaining control of the tempo midway through the third period. Indiana did a really nice job in the second half, but we worked very hard down the stretch to come away with a big win in our first conference game.”
Each team tallied 10 shots in the game and the Hoosiers forced three penalty corners to Penn State’s one. Both Deverka and Canelli had three saves in the contest.
Penn State is now 5-3, 1-0 B1G. Indiana falls to 2-5, 0-2 B1G. Penn State returns to action when it hosts Lafayette on Sunday, Sept. 29, in a 1 p.m. contest.
Fans are encouraged to follow the Nittany Lion field hockey team online at www.GoPSUsports.com (click teams, click field hockey), on X and IG @pennstateFH and on facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstatefieldhockey.
GAME BREAKDOWN
SCORING: 1 2 3 4 FINAL
PENN STATE 2 0 1 0 3
Indiana 0 1 0 1 2
STATS: PSU IU
Shots 10 10
Corners 1 3
SCORING SUMMARY (goal/assist) – TIME
1st: PSU – Natalie Freeman (Phia Gladieux); 10:44
1st: PSU – Phia Gladieux (Drew Taylor); 0:55
2nd: IU – Ines Garcia Prado (Theresa Ricci); 3:48
3rd: PSU – Drew Taylor (Madison Britton); 4:58
4th: IU – Syndey Keld (Lara Mortz); 6:56
GOALKEEPERS: MIN GA S
PSU: Aby Deverka 60:00 2 3
IU: Sadie Canelli 58:33 2 3
Team 1:27 0 0