THIS WEEK'S PREVIEW
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lions (4-10, 3-3 B1G), host No. 22 Ohio State (6-8, 1-5 B1G) on Friday night in their lone game of the week. The Lions and Buckeyes face off on Friday, Oct. 25, in a 6 p.m. contest at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex.
Penn State is coming off a split weekend in Michigan. The Lions won 3-1 at Michigan State on Friday last weekend before dropping a 3-1 contest at No. 9 Michigan on Sunday.The Lions have won four of their last seven games. The Lions are 4-10 overall, 3-3 in the conference.
The Nittany Lions are being led by Anna Simon, who has a team-high 18 points off eight goals and two assists. Freshman Paityn Wirth has 12 points off four goals and four assists while Alexis Horst has nine off three and three. Freshman Jemma Punch and sophomore Grace Wallis each have eight points. Punch has three goals and two assists while Wallis has two and four. Goalie Brie Barraco, who had eight saves in the 3-1 victory at Michigan State, has 77 saves and a 2.52 goals against average.
Ohio State is coming off a tough 0-2 weekend that saw the Buckeyes drop a close 1-0 home game to Rutgers on Friday before falling 6-3 to Maryland. The Buckeyes are 6-8 overall, 1-5 in Big Ten action. Ohio State is being led by Mackenzie Allessie who has 29 points off 12 goals and five assists. Keeper Aaliyah Hernandez sports a 1.95 goals against average with 57 saves and three shutouts.
Penn State is at Bucknell on Wednesday, Oct. 30, for a 6 p.m. non-conference battle in Lewisburg. The Nittany Lions then host Rutgers on Sunday, Nov. 3, at 12 p.m. in the regular season finale for the squad.
Fans are encouraged to follow the Nittany Lion field hockey team online at www.GoPSUsports.com (click teams, click field hockey), on twitter @pennstateFH and on facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstatefieldhockey.
For gameday parking information, please check out the color graphic within the pdf posted online in every set of weekly game notes at GoPSUsports.com.
NOTES
LIONS DOWN MICHIGAN ST. FOR B1G ROAD WIN
Penn State used balanced offense and great defense to post an important 3-1 win at Michigan State in Big Ten action on Oct. 18. The Lions got goals from three different players. Madison Morano, Paityn Wirth and Jemma Punch each notched goals in the game while keeper Brie Barraco had a season-high eight saves.
SIMON'S GOAL LEADS PENN STATE TO 3-2 DOUBLE-OT WIN OVER #8 NORTHWESTERN
Sophomore Anna Simon scored the game-winning goal shortly into the second overtime period to lead Penn State to a 3-2 double-overtime win over #8 Northwestern. Simon's goal lifted Penn State to the home Big Ten victory and was her third game-winning goal of the season.
MORETT-CURTISS TO BE INDUCTED INTO PHILADELPHIA SPORTS HALL OF FAME
Char Morett-Curtiss, long-time head coach of the Penn State field hockey team and a former All-American as a player for the Nittany Lions, will be inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 2019 Inductee Class. The organization announced its new class earlier this summer and the induction ceremony is set for Nov. 7. Morett-Curtiss is being inducted for her local accomplishments in field hockey and lacrosse. The Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame inducts individuals as both local athletes or as part of the city's professional sports teams. A native of Aldan, Pennsylvania, Morett-Curtiss is a graduate of Lansdowne-Aldan High School and is now a member five Hall of Fames: The Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame (a 2019 inductee); Delaware County Hall of Fame; Pennsylvania Hall of Fame; USFHA Hall of Fame and the NFHCA Hall of Fame.
SIMON LEADS PENN STATE TO B1G WIN AT INDIANA
Sophomore Anna Simon led Penn State to its first Big Ten win of the year on Oct. 4. The sophomore had two goals and an assist in the Nittany Lions' 3-1 victory at Indiana. Emma Spisak had Penn State's third goal in the contest.
PENN STATE PICKS UP FIRST WIN IN AN 8-2 HOME VICTORY OVER VILLANOVA
Penn State grabbed its first win of the season in an 8-2 home victory over visiting Villanova on Sept. 29. Anna Simon had two goals while Jemma Punch had a goal and an assist to lead the Nittany Lions in the victory. Goalie Brie Barraco had five saves in the contest.
NITTANY LIONS DROP TOUGH 4-3 OT GAME TO CALIFORNIA IN LANCASTER
The Penn State Nittany Lions dropped a hard-fought 4-3 overtime thriller to the Cal Bears on Sept. 26 in a game played at Lancaster's Spooky Nook Sports facility. Grace Wallis, Jemma Punch and Anna Simon scored goals for Penn State but Cal notched the game's final three goals to secure the win.
HUTSON NOTCHES GOAL IN TOUGH LOSS AT #3 MARYLAND
Junior co-captain Madison Hutson had Penn State's goal in the Nittany Lions' 3-1 loss at #3 Maryland on Friday, Sept. 20. Hutson's goal was her first of the season.
LIONS DROP TWO 2-1 CONTESTS TO ODU
AND AT #5 PRINCETON
The Nittany Lions dropped two close 2-1 games the weekend of Sept. 13-15. Penn State fell 2-1 to Old Dominion on Friday, Sept. 13, then fell 2-1 at #5 Princeton on Sunday, Sept. 15. Alexis Horst notched the goal against ODU and Abby Myers scored early against Princeton.
WIRTH NOTCHES FIRST COLLEGIATE GOAL IN TOUGH LOSS AT DELAWARE
True freshman Paityn Wirth scored her first collegiate goal in the first period of Penn State's game at Delaware on Sept. 8. The Blue Hens bounced back with three unanswered to post the 3-1 victory, however.
NITTANY LIONS DROP TOUGH 2-1 GAME AT #11 VIRGINIA
Penn State dropped hard fought 2-1 game at #11 Virginia on Sunday, Sept. 1. The Nittany Lions tied the game with a late goal from Anna Simon, but the Cavaliers scored with just over 1:00 to play to steal the win in Charlottesville. Lion keeper Brie Barraco had five saves in the contest.
PENN STATE IS HOST SITE FOR 2019 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
The Penn State Field Hockey Complex will be the site of the 2019 Big Ten Field Hockey Championship Tournament. The tournament, which will determine the conference's automatic qualifier for the 2019 NCAA Championships, reverts to its original format and features six games over four days in November. The first three games take place on Thursday, Nov. 7, the semifinals occur on Friday, Nov. 8, with the Big Ten Championship game set for Sunday, Nov. 10. Times will be determined at a later date and more information is to follow as the event nears.
HUTSON AND MORANO NAMED CAPTAINS
The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team, under the guidance of head coach Char Morett-Curtiss, has named senior Madison Morano and junior Madison Hutson captains for the 2019 campaign.
