| PENN STATE VS. MARYLAND | |
| Friday, Oct. 9 - 4 p.m. ET | |
| Field Hockey Complex | University Park, Pa. | |
| GAME DAY LINKS |
TV: ESPN2 -->Live Video |Penn State Field Hockey BlogGame Notes: Penn State | MarylandStatistics: Penn State | Maryland
| PENN STATE VS.LOCK HAVEN | |
| Sunday, Oct. 11 - 1 p.m. ET | |
| Charlotte E. Smith Field | Lock Haven, Pa. | |
| GAME DAY LINKS |
TV: ESPN2 -->Live Video | Live StatsPenn State Field Hockey BlogFollow Us: @PennStateFH | Facebook | InstagramGameday Central
Game Notes: Penn State | Lock HavenStatistics: Penn State | Lock Haven
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State field hockey team returns to action in a Big Ten Conference match up before hitting the road to wrap up weekend action. Friday the Nittany Lions host Maryland at 4 p.m., followed by a road match against Lock Haven on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Maryland Gametime Change
The game time against Big Ten Conference opponent Maryland on Oct. 9 has been changed to 4 p.m. ET.
Gameday Promotions
Help the Lions whiteout the Terps Friday, Oct. 9 vs. Maryland. "Penn State Field Hockey Whiteout" t-shirts and shakers will be given away while supplies last. Fans can also enter Guess the Goal Contest, whoever comes closest to guessing the minute of the first goal of the game will win a prize.
Parking Due to Homecoming Parade at 6 P.M.
Spectators are encouraged to park in the East parking deck, access to the access to the deck will be avaliable by way of Park Avenue. For more information on parking on campus, visit www.homecoming.psu.edu.
Cheering on the Blue and White
Penn State is currently ranked No. 2 in average attendance in the nation, trailing only Temple. Penn State averages 600 fans per game, while Temple averages 646.
Weekend Update
The Nittany Lion offense came out hitting on all cylinders under the lights Friday night against Quinnipiac. Finding the back of the cage within the first three minutes, Gini Bramley scored the Lion's first goal with a reverse sweep into the back corner. Quinnipiac answered with a goal of their own a mere five minutes later. However, the tie did not last for long as the Lions put three more balls into the goal by the end of the game for a 4-1. On Sunday, the Lions traveled to for an afternoon match up against No. 20 Princeton. In a game that was a tale of two halves, the Nitany Lions fell to the Princeton Tigers 2-0.
Maryland Series History
Penn State is 20-13-1 all time in their series with the Terps dating back to 1975. Penn State lost to Maryland 1-0 in it's last meeting on Nov. 7, 2014 in the Big Ten tournament.
Scouting Maryland
- The Terps are currently the No. 1 team in the Big Ten, sporting a record of 10-3 over all with a perfect 4-0 in conference play.
- Linnea Gonzales is the Terps scoring leader, netting a team high 10 goals, 22 points, and 38 shots on goal (.704).
- The Terps have six players with 14 or more points on the season, with four of them having 20 or more.
- Maryland is ranked No. 9 in goal per game, averaging 3.77 goals per contest.
- Maryland joined the Big Ten conference for the first time, last year. The Terps are 95-33-3 (.737) all-time against Big Ten opponents.
- The Terps are 56-24 (.700) all-time in games that went to overtime or penalty strokes
Lock Haven Series History
Penn State is 19-14-1 all-time against Lock Haven in a series dating back to 1964. The Nittany Lions last faced the Bald Eagles in 2014, picking up a 5-1 win.
Scouting Lock Haven
- The Bald Eagles are currently 11-2 overall, with a 2-2 record in conference play.
- The Bald Eagles return 17 players from last season.
- Senior forward Rachel Valentine leads LHU with 10 goals, the most in the A-10 conference.
- Defender Stephanie Whiteman has a conference-best seven defensive saves on the season.
- LHU opened the 2015 season on a six-game win streak, followed by their current win streak as the Eagles are currently winners of four straight entering Friday's game.
New Lions Stepping Up
With graduating seniors accounting for 50 of 57 goals scored last season, new Nittany Lions as well as players in increased roles are filling the void.
- Penn State's 23 goals this season have been scored by nine different goal scorers. Of those nine goal scorers, six have notched their first career goal this season, and transfer Stephanie Hussey has scored her first goals with Penn State.
- The six first-time goal scorers have accounted for 17 of the team's 23 goals.
- Four of the first-time goal scorers are freshmen: Aurelia Meijer (3), Katie Dembrowski (1), Gini Bramley (3), Mary Nell Smith (1) and Emily Klingler (1)
- Meijer has a team-high three assists and nine points.
- Sophomore Shay Cannon has scored her first goals this season and is tied for the team lead with four.
- Junior Brooke Birosik has also scored her first career goals this season, tied for the team lead in goal (5), and holds the team lead in points with 12.
Close Contests
- Penn State has either been tied or in the lead approaching the final six minutes in all but two contest this season (Michigan, L 1-3, 9/18; Princeton, L 2-0, 10/4)
- No. 16 Old Dominion broke a tie with 5:03 remaining to win the season-opener, 2-1, and No. 9 Virginia and California used late rallies to force overtime periods they would score first in.
- Penn State would take Ohio State to double-overtime before a fast-break goal secured the sudden victory for the Buckeyes.
Youth Movement
- Penn State's roster includes 10 freshmen, eight sophomores, five juniors, and two seniors.
- The squad returns just three starters from 2014 in
junior Carly Celkos, junior Emilee Ehret and sophomore Cori Conley.
- Of the 25 players on the roster, 15 had never played in a regular season game for the Lions before 2015.
- Of Penn State's 57 goals and 36 assists (150 points) tallied last season, just seven goals and seven assists (21 points) returned.
- At one point during the Oct. 4 game against Princeton, Penn State had six freshmen on the field at the same time.
Preseason Accolades
Senior Stephanie Hussey, junior Carly Celkos and sophomoroe Cori Conley were each named to the 2015 Big Ten Field Hockey Players to Watch List.
On the Turf and in the Classroom
The Penn State field hockey program had six athletes recognized by Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award. The list includes students from every institution and 38 different sports who have recorded a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.7 or higher for the previous academic year.
Katie Breneman, Carly Celkos, Amanda Dinunzio, Laura Gebhart, Kirsten Gochnauer, and Haley Kerstetter, all earned the accolade.
Challenging Schedule
Penn State has again put together a top-tier schedule, facing eight teams that were ranked in the 2015 NFHCA Preseason Poll, including conference-foes Maryland (3), Northwestern (10), Michigan (14), Iowa (17), and Michigan State (19). Along with the conference opponents, the squad also has matchups against Virginia (9), Princeton (15) and Old Dominion (16). Three teams (Princeton, Northwestern and Maryland) each made the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
In the Spotlight on BTN
Field hockey will have its home finale against Iowa broadcasted on BTN live Friday, Oct. 23 starting at 3:30 p.m. The crucial contest will be the second to last for the Lions before the Big Ten tournament. The two prior games at Rutgers (Oct. 16) and Indiana (Oct. 18) will be streamed on BTN2GO.
Leaders of the Pack
Seniors Haley Kerstetter and Stephanie Hussey were named the captains for the 2015 season.
Postseason Fixture
The Nittany Lions return after making the NCAA Tournament field each of the last five seasons. Penn State has been at the top of the Big Ten in those seasons as well, being named co-conference regular season champions in 2013 and the outright winner in 2012. The squad won the Big Ten Tournament in 2011 and 2012.
Penn State Field Hockey on Social Media
Penn State field hockey is on social media. Follow the program on Facebook (www.facebook.com/PennStateFieldHockey) and Twitter/Instagram @PennStateFH. For all of your Penn State news, visit www.GoPSUsports.com.