KENT, Ohio – The Penn State Nittany Lions (8-4, 2-1 Big Ten) utilized penalty corners and an unrelenting offense to overpower the Kent State Golden Flashes (3-10, 2-3 MAC) on Sunday afternoon at Murphy-Mellis Field, 3-0.
Freshman Chloe D’Hage led the offense with her first three-point outing since Lock Haven earlier this year. Ella Gaitan and Olivia Marthins both scored goals in the second quarter to push the momentum squarely in Penn State’s favor. Senior Natalie Freeman and graduate Sienna Dunn each added an assist to their totals. Goalie Aby Deverka did not face a single shot on goal as she earned her sixth clean sheet of the season.
Penn State led Kent State in every offensive statistical category. The Nittany Lions outshot the Golden Flashes, 25-7, while not allowing a single shot on goal and placing 15 into dangerous territory. The Blue & White held a 9-2 advantage in penalty corners. With the win, the Nittany Lions have recorded six shutouts, the most since the 2022 season, and extended the winning streak to five straight games.
FIRST QUARTER | PSU 0 – KENT 0
Penn State’s opened the contest with quick opportunities inside the Kent State circle with the Nittany Lions defense not giving up much ground either. A penalty corner early in the game for the Blue & White went wide. After back and forth play that saw a couple shots fired from the Nittany Lions, the Golden Flashes had a penalty corner blocked by a flyer out of the back of the net. Penn State would see their own penalty corner chance be blocked by a Kent State flyer with a Nittany Lion shot in the last minute finding another Golden Flash. The clock ticked down to end the quarter all tied up.
SECOND QUARTER | PSU 2 – KENT 0
The Nittany Lions offense pressured the Golden Flashes defense early on. In a 43 second period, Penn State fired off six shots and four penalty corners before Gaitan was able to place the ball in the back of the cage with Freeman inserting and Dunn stopping the corner. Both defenses held steady for the next four minutes with neither team letting off a shot until D’Hage was able to volley the across the circle on a fast break to give Marthins the second Penn State goal of the quarter. The Blue & White were able to secure on last shot before the end of the half, but it was saved to keep the Penn State advantage at two goals.
THIRD QUARTER | PSU 2 – KENT 0
Similarly to the beginning of the second, the Nittany Lions started the half with offensive pressure. Penn State sent out a trio of shots with two penalty corners to help set those up, but none were able to get through the Kent State defensive line. Both defenses were stout in the last two-thirds of the quarter with the only opportunity for the Golden Flashes coming from a penalty corner that went wide.
FOURTH QUARTER | PSU 3 – KENT 0
Offenses were quick to begin the fourth stanza. Kent State was able to fire off a shot that got blocked inside the circle while the Penn State counterattack forced a penalty corner that went wide. A few minutes later, the Nittany Lions went on fast break that saw a shot that was saved that eventually turned into a penalty corner set piece. Another three shots were fired off before D’Hage was able to find the back of the cage off a deflected shot. Kent State was able to get off a pair of shots and the Nittany Lions’ lone shot after the goal was saved as the clock expired on the Penn State win.
UP NEXT
Penn State will stay at home next weekend to first take on the Ohio State Buckeyes on Friday, October 16 at 5 p.m. for the team’s Dream Crazy game at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex on the Big Ten Network. On Sunday, October 18, the Blue & White will take on the Michigan Wolverines at noon at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex on B1G+.
Visit GoPSUSports.com for the up-to-date information on Penn State Field Hockey. Fans can follow Penn State Field Hockey social media on Facebook at /pennstatefieldhockey as well as Twitter and Instagram @PennStateFH.