UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 14 Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (12-5, 6-2 Big Ten) took down the No. 1 Northwestern Wildcats (16-2, 7-1 Big Ten) in a massive 2-0 shutout from the Penn State Field Hockey Complex on Friday night. While the first two periods of play remained scoreless for both teams, the Nittany Lions pulled off two massive goals, one in the third period and one in the fourth period, to give them their second victory over a No.1-ranked team in program history. Aby Deverka had 7 saves against the Wildcats, putting her at 205 career saves.
FIRST PERIOD | No. 14 PSU 0 – No. 1 NU 0
The first period opened with strong possession from both sides, with the Nittany Lions battling for the ball against the offensive press of the Wildcats. While Northwestern was able to get an early shot off, it was unable to produce any other offensive chances through the remainder of the first period. While possession went back-and-forth for the remainder of the half, Penn State was able to get one shot off late from Ella Gaitan, but both teams went scoreless in the first period.
SECOND PERIOD | No. 14 PSU 0 – No. 1 NU 0
The second period saw a similar start to the first. Northwestern was given a green, but, despite the woman advantage, Penn State was able to hold possession but were unable to score. Possession continued to waver between both teams, and the Wildcats were able to get two shots off late in the second period, but Penn State’s Aby Deverka made two massive, back-to-back saves to keep it scoreless. With a late green card going to Northwestern the second period ended with another 0-0 outcome.
THIRD PERIOD | No. 14 PSU 1 – No. 1 NU 0
The Nittany Lions started the third period playing heavy defense following a strong push from the Wildcats. Northwestern was able to earn the first penalty corner of the match, but the shot went wide. On the Wildcats’ second penalty corner, Deverka came up huge yet again with two more massive saves. Possession took a shift as the Nittany Lions gained control and took over in the Wildcats’ half of the field. A shot from Chloe D’Hage hit a Northwestern foot, leading to an eventual penalty corner. Gaitan shot the ball, which was saved by Northwestern, but the rebound was grabbed by the Blue & White. Cooper Cutchins sent the ball into the back of the net at, with an assist from Sienna Dunn and Gaitan. Penn State took the lead to close out the third period.
FOURTH PERIOD | No. 14 PSU 2 – No. 1 NU 0
The fourth period was do-or-die for the Nittany Lions. Deverka made an early save to keep Penn State with the lead, but a green card was assessed to the Nittany Lions. Despite the man advantage for the Wildcats, the Nittany Lions were able to fend off the offensive attack, keeping them in the game. Another card, this time a yellow, was given to the Blue & White, putting the Nittany Lions down a man for five minutes and giving the Wildcats a penalty corner. Against the odds, Penn State was able to prevent a Northwestern goal, keeping them up against the No. 1 team in the country. Another save from Deverka on a penalty corner got the Nittany Lions out of the hole. On the counterattack, Penn State was awarded a penalty corner and with an assist from Cam Standish, Lilly Holmes scored her first goal of the season for Penn State, giving them a massive 2-0 lead with only minutes remaining in the final period of play. As the period closed, Penn State continued to ward off the attack, giving it the second ever win over a No.1 team in program history.
UP NEXT
The Nittany Lions look to enter the Big Ten Tournament, with game times and opponents to be announced. The quarterfinals begin on Wednesday, November 4 from Buckeye Varsity Field in Columbus, Ohio. Fans can stream the contest on B1G+.