UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Women's Lacrosse team hosts Ohio State on Thursday night in a key Big Ten matchup. First draw is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Panzer Stadium. Mark Dixon, play-by-play, and Sheehan Stanwick Burch, color analyst, will be on the call. Fans are encouraged to wear white as part of a Whiteout. There will also be poster and button giveaways.
The Nittany Lions, led by Head Coach Missy Doherty, are 4-6 overall and look for their first win in Big Ten action. Last Thursday, Penn State fell 19-11 at No. 5 Northwestern.
Ohio State, coached by Alexis Venechanos, is 8-3 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes are coming off an 11-5 win over Oregon.
Follow the action on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensLacrosse) and Twitter/Instagram (@pennstatewlax).
TICKETS
Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth (ages 12 and under), available for purchase at the Panzer Stadium ticket window. Students get in free by showing their Penn State ID.
Tickets are now also available through presale, for all April home games, through Penn State Account Manager, 1-800-NITTANY or visiting the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office in person Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
All presale ticketing will utilize mobile ticketing for entry. For help with mobile ticketing, fans are encouraged to go here.
NATIONAL AUDIENCE
The Nittany Lions will play their third nationally televised game this year, including its second on BTN.
Last Thursday, Penn State played at Northwestern on Big Ten Network, PSU's first of three appearances on BTN. The blue and white will also be on BTN on April 27 vs. Rutgers, an 11 a.m. first draw.
Penn State hosted Maryland in the first nationally televised game in Panzer Stadium history, on ESPNU, on March 21. The blue and white also face No. 19 Johns Hopkins in an ESPNU matchup on April 19.
The stadium opened this year with full broadcast capabilities.
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUP
The Nittany Lions welcome Ohio State to Panzer Stadium for a key Big Ten matchup. Both squads are looking for their first conference victory of the year.
In last year's contest, the Nittany Lions picked up an 18-10 road victory. PSU outscored the Buckeyes, 11-4, in the second half. Madison Carter led PSU with five goals as one of five players with at least two goals. PSU finished the game with a 43-25 advantage in shots.
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State, led by Head Coach Alexis Venechanos, is 8-4 this season and 0-2 in Big Ten play. In conference action, the Buckeyes fell 16-1 at Maryland and 15-10 against Michigan.
Last Saturday, Ohio State earned an 11-5 win over Oregon. Sophie Baez and Liza Hernandez each led the Buckeyes with four points. Baez had two goals and two assists, while Hernandez had a hat-trick and an assist. Lindsay Epstein also scored two goals and Jill Rizzo made six saves to collect the win.
The Buckeyes rank fifth in the Big Ten in scoring offense (12.7 goals per game) and fourth in scoring defense (11.1). OSU leads the Big Ten, and ranks sixth nationally, scooping up 23.3 ground balls per game. Baley Parrott leads OSU with 33 goals, while Liza Hernandez paces the Big Ten with 21 assists. Jill Rizzo leads the conference in ground balls per game (3.75), saves (132) and saves per game (11.0).
STEPPING UP IN CONFERENCE PLAY
Halfway through the Big Ten schedule, a few Nittany Lions have stepped up in big ways.
Sophomore Quinn Nicolai has emerged as a key leader of the offense, leading the unit with nine goals and tying for a team-high three assists.
Senior Kayla Brisolari has made plays on both ends of the field. She has five goals to go with six ground balls, eight draw controls and seven caused turnovers, leading the team in all three stats in conference play. Freshman Taylor Suplee has made 40 saves in three conference games, making 10 more saves in each contest.
BRISOLARI ON TEWAARATON WATCH LIST
Kayla Brisolari was added to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List on March 21. She joined teammate Madison Carter on the watch list.
Brisolari has collected 15 goals, five assists, 24 ground balls, 36 draw controls and 18 caused turnovers this season, leading the Nittany Lions in ground balls, draw controls and caused turnovers. She ranks third on the team in points. The senior leads the Big Ten with 1.80 caused turnovers per game.
Her top offensive performance this year came at Loyola when she scored four goals. She has seven games with two or more points and five games with two or more goals.
Last year, Brisolari was a third-team All-America selection by the IWLCA.
Carter was named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List on February 28. It marked her third straight season on the watch list. The two-time All-American leads PSU with 17 goals and 21 points this year.
STEADY PRESENCE IN GOAL
Freshman goalie Taylor Suplee has emerged as a consistent force at the back of the Penn State defense.
She has posted six double-digit save totals this year, including a career-high 16 stops against Maryland. Eleven of her 16 saves came in the first half. The Maryland native collected 14 saves, including 10 in the first half, at Michigan. She also made 11 stops at Cornell and 10 at Northwestern.
She was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on March 12 after making 11 saves against James Madison and eight against Albany.
Suplee sits No. 2 in the Big Ten in saves per game (9.80) and third in total saves (98). She is also No. 4 in save percentage (.462).
SECOND HALF SURGE
PSU is currently averaging 6.3 goals per second half, outscoring opponents 63-56. PSU scored six goals in the period at Northwestern.
Penn State outscored Michigan, 7-5, in the second half on March 16, including a 5-1 run to start the period. The Nittany Lions found the net eight times in the second half against Albany, including a 4-0 run to start the period. The Nittany Lions scored seven times in the second half against Princeton, led by Carter's five goals.
Against Lehigh, PSU scored the first seven goals of the second half, including two goals each from Lauren Craft and Delaney Muldoon. PSU outscored Lehigh, 9-2 in the half. In the season opener, PSU scored 10 goals in the second half against Towson, starting the period on a 6-1 run.
FIRST WIN IN PANZER
The Nittany Lions earned a 15-5 win over Lehigh in the first ever regular season game at Panzer Stadium on February 16. The state-of-the-art venue was dedicated on September 23, 2018. The facility features a new videoboard, permanent concessions, accessible bathrooms and a ticket office.
The first goal in Panzer Stadium history was scored by Kristin Roberto with 26:50 left in the first half.
Senior Kelly Daggett