UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; October 20, 2024 – The Penn State Nittany Lions (8-7, 2-4 B1G), ranked No. 16 in the latest NFHCA Coaches Poll, notched a 2-1 overtime victory over Michigan State (7-8, 0-5 B1G) to close out a two-game weekend homestand in Big Ten Field Hockey. Nittany Lion Julienne van Bekkum scored late in regulation to send the game to overtime and Ella Jennes ended the game late in overtime for the Penn State win.
Michigan State moved the ball into the Penn State circle to start the game but graduate van Bekkum forced a quick turnover, allowing the Nittany Lions to go on attack. With the clock dipping below 12:00, Michigan State was able to retake possession and pressed the Lion defense again. The Spartans worked the ball towards the cage and took a 1-0 lead on a Carmen Pucheta goal at 11:09. Penn State pressured the Spartan cage over the next 4:00 but shots by Sophia Mannino and Phia Gladieux were tipped wide. Drew Taylor had a shot saved by Spartan keeper Lyra Gavino at 6:54 but the Nittany Lions picked up a penalty corner in the process. Gladieux’s shot off the corner was blocked. Van Bekkum stopped a deep MSU drive at 4:10 and the Nittany Lions moved action down to the Spartan side of the field. Penn State kept possession through the 2:00 mark before Michigan State regained possession and the Nittany Lions trailed 1-0 after the opening period.
The second period began with Michigan State working the ball into the Lion circle, but Morgan Snyder forced a Spartan pass wide and out of bounds to half the Spartan effort to increase the lead. The visitors maintained possession through the 11:00 mark. Penn State stole the ball and drove downfield. Gladieux led a break and passed to Jennes as action moved into the MSU zone. Jennes drove down the right side and pushed the ball into the Spartan cage. But the goal was overturned on review and the Lions continued to trail 1-0. Michigan State was hit with a green card on the play, however, giving PSU a player edge for 2:00. Michigan State killed of the penalty, but the Nittany Lions picked up a corner as it expired with 8:31 on the clock. Van Bekkum’s shot off the corner was blocked but another was awarded. Another block led to another corner and the Spartan defense held again at 7:50. Michigan State forced a corner at 6:54. Delgado made a save on the Spartan shot, then another on a subsequent shot after another corner to keep the score at 1-0. Penn State regained the ball and had two shots miss wide as time moved below 5:00. The Nittany Lions forced a corner with 4:28 on the clock. The Lion shot off the set was saved by Gavino. Michigan State moved action to the Lion circle and forced a corner at 2:26 and the Lion defense forced a wide pass. Gladieux had a last second shot that forced Gavino into a diving save and the Lions trailed 1-0 at the break.
Penn State outshot Michigan State 11-4 in the first half and had a 5-3 lead in corners. Delgado had three saves for Penn State and Gavino had three for MSU.
Delgado made a save on an early Spartan shot to begin the third period and the Lion defense held on a quick MSU penalty corner. Penn State then moved the ball into the Spartan zone. Both teams were hit with green cards at 11:26 and play continued through the 11:00 mark. Jennes forced a penalty corner at 10:20 for Penn State. Jennes’ shot off the play was saved, and Aubrey Semler forced another corner for Penn State. Gavino made a save on Gladieux’s next shot, but the Lion senior forced a third corner at 10:00. Penn State’s next shot was blocked and Michigan State regained possession. A Penn State green card at 9:21 gave MSU a player edge. But the Spartans were able to work the 2:00 off the clock and sides were evened up at 7:21 with MSU still leading 1-0. Katelyn Strawser drove into the Spartan zone at 6:15, forcing another corner for the Nittany Lions. A first Lion shot was blocked, leading to another quick corner. Gavino made two saves on the next series as well. Penn State picked up another corner at 5:45, leading to another Gavino save and another PSU corner. The Spartans held off the next Lion effort as well and took control of the ball with 5:15 on the clock. The Nittany Lion defense blocked a Spartan shot at 3:15, then Gery Schnarrs forced a Lion corner with 2:19 left in the period. But Penn State could not connect on the play and the Nittany Lions trailed by one after three.
The fourth period began with traded possessions through the 12:30 mark. Schnarrs stole the ball at 12:10, starting a Penn State break. Natalie Freeman’s shot was kicked aside by Gavino with 11:45 on the clock. Morgan McMenamin had a shot that was tipped high and MSU regained the ball. The Spartans moved into the Lion zone at 10:15 but Schnarrs once again came up big with a steal to halt the quick Spartan break. Still, Michigan State was able to move into the Lion circle. Madison Tambroni halted that MSU press, and the clock moved below the 8:00 mark. Madison Britton forced a penalty corner for Penn State at 7:49. Gladieux rocketed a shot that Gavino made a diving save on. But van Bekkum was there on the rebound, knocking the tying goal in at 7:43, knotting things at 1-1. Michigan State was hit with a yellow card at 5:21, giving the Lions a player advantage for the next 5:00. Michigan State held off Penn State through the 3:00 mark and then moved the ball into the Lion zone. Penn State’s defense took the ball back at 2:20 and the Lions worked back to the MSU side of the field. Jennes forced a penalty corner at the 2:00 mark. The Spartan defense was able to stop the Lions on the corner and the game moved to overtime tied 0-0.
Gladieux nearly ended the game at 8:20 of the first overtime, but Gavino made a nice save to keep action going. Mannino fed Gladieux at 7:56, forcing a corner for Penn State. The Lions forced another quick corner after an MSU stop at 7:40. Another Gavino save led to another Lion corner and another Gavino save, keeping things tied as the clock moved below the 7:00 mark. Both Gladieux and Drew Taylor had shots at 4:30 that Gavino was able to knock aside. Michigan State then moved the ball down to the Nittany Lion zone as the clock hit 4:00. Van Bekkum and Snyder both came up with big steals as MSU kept the ball on the Lion side through the 2:00 mark. Freeman made a steal at 1:00 and had a backhand blocked by Gavino. Penn State kept possession, and Jennes ended the game with a sweet drive to the center of the zone and a backhand for the 2-1 win with just :32 left on the clock.
“We showed a lot of grit late in the game and in overtime to come away with the win,” said head coach Lisa Bervinchak Love. “Michigan State played a great game, and their goalie was outstanding today, but we did what we needed to do down the stretch to pick up a big conference win.”
Penn State outshot Michigan State 34-7 on the day and had an 18-4 margin in penalty corners. Gavino collected 17 saves to keep the Spartans in the game and Delgado had four for Penn State to pick up the win in the cage.
Penn State is now 8-7 overall, 2-4 B1G. Michigan State falls to 7-8, 0-5 B1G. The Nittany Lions hit the road next weekend for a matinee at Rutgers on Friday, Oct. 25, at 2 p.m. in Piscataway, N.J.
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 OT1 FINAL
PENN STATE 0 0 0 1 1 2
Michigan State 1 0 0 0 0 1
STATS: PSU MSU
Shots 34 7
Corners 18 4
SCORING SUMMARY (goal/assist) – TIME
1st: MSU – Carmen Pucheta (Brynn Shaffer); 11:09
4th: PSU – Julienne van Bekkum (unassisted); 7:43
OT: PSU – Ella Jennes (unassisted); 0:32
GOALKEEPERS: MIN GA S
PSU: Lauren Delgado 69:28 1 4
MSU: Lyra Gavino 69:28 2 17