UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lions (3-4, 0-1 Big Ten) fell to the Monmouth Hawks (6-1, 1-0 CAA) at So Sweet a Cat Field in West Long Branch, N.J. on Sunday afternoon, 1-2.
Sophomore forward Olivia Marthins, who was just recently invited to attend the U-21 USA Junior Women's National Team Selection Camp, scored the only Penn State goal of the afternoon and her third of the season. Newcomer Sienna Dunn secured the assist for Marthins’ goal for her eighth of the year. Goalie Aby Deverka, who will join Marthins at the U-21 USA Junior Women's National Team Selection Camp, secured four saves in the contest.
FIRST PERIOD | PSU 0 - NO. 19 MONMOUTH 0
Penn State and Monmouth started the game in a defensive standstill. For the first four and a half minutes of the contest, neither team’s offense could get anything going until the Nittany Lions earned a penalty corner opportunity midway through the period. With Natalie Freeman inserting, Dunn fired off a pair of shots with both finding Hawks’ defenders inside the circle. Those shots would be the only ones allowed by either team in the opening stanza with both defenses holding throughout the rain.
SECOND PERIOD | PSU 0 - NO. 19 MONMOUTH 0
The second frame started out quickly with another penalty corner opportunity for the Nittany Lions. With Freeman inserting again, Ella Gaitan took the shot this time around but was saved by the Hawks. A few minutes later, Monmouth was able to go down and take the team’s first shot of the game with the result going wide. Another penalty corner presented itself to Penn State with Marthins inserting, but the shot came off the stick too high and resulting in a foul. The Hawks took the last two shots of the half with both being saved by Deverka for her first two saves of the game.
THIRD PERIOD | PSU 1 - NO. 19 MONMOUTH 2
After a green card was given to Penn State to put the Nittany Lions a woman down, Monmouth was able to take advantage of the opportunity and scored the first goal of the afternoon. The Hawks were able to continue to put the pressure on Penn State with a pair of penalty corners that eventually converted into a penalty stroke goal for Monmouth. Down by two goals, the Penn State offense found new life and bounced back for a quick goal. On a penalty corner inserted by Freeman, Dunn fired off a shot that was saved but rebounded to Marthins who placed it in the back of the cage for the first Nittany Lion goal of the day. Penn State had the opportunity to tie things up on a penalty stroke late in the stanza, but was unable to convert.
FOURTH PERIOD | PSU 1 - NO. 19 MONMOUTH 2
Both offenses continued to exert pressure on the opposing defenses. Monmouth got off the opening shot put Deverka swatted it away while the Nittany Lions were able to get a penalty corner not long after. Gaitan fired off the shot that was initially inserted by Cam Standish, but the shot found the Hawks’ goalie. Deverka registered another save and a Monmouth penalty corner was shot wide. Penn State secured another penalty corner opportunity but the shot by Joji Purdy was blocked and the subsequent volley by Freeman was saved. The Hawks’ were able to fire off another shot that went high. The Nittany Lions had a few other opportunities that did not go their way as the team fell on the road.
UP NEXT
The Nittany Lions will continue the team’s three-game road stint with a trip to Lewisburg, Pa. to take on the Bucknell Bison on Monday, September 28 at 6 p.m. at Graham Field at Holmes Stadium. Fans can watch the contest on ESPN+.
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