UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; August 26, 2022 – The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (1-0, 0-0 B1G), ranked No. 11 in the NFHCA Coaches Poll, downed No. 12 Virginia (0-1) in the season opener for both teams. Junior Sophia Gladieux (Boyertown, Pa.) scored a late goal to lift Penn State to a 3-2 win over the Cavaliers at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex.
Virginia turned an early turnover into a quick shot right in front of Lion goalie Brie Barraco (Allentown, Pa.) but Laura Janssen's shot slid wide just minutes into the game. Virginia picked up the game's first penalty corner at the 7:50 mark but Barraco kicked the ensuing shot aside to keep the game tied at 0-0. Penn State forced its first corner with 6:01 on the clock but an Anna Simon (Hanau, Germany) shot off the play was blocked. The first period ended in a scoreless tie.
The Nittany Lions got hit with a green card just over :30 into the second period but the Lions worked the ball down into the Cavalier circle, forcing two quick penalty corners. Gladieux's hard shot off the second was ruled too high and the game continued at zeroes. Gladieux had a goal disallowed at the 10:10 mark after a successful Virginia review. A Virginia corner at the 8:55 mark led to the game's first goal with Jans Croon scoring off assists from Daniela Mendez-Trendler and Lindsay Dickinson. The Cavaliers took the 1-0 lead at the 8:45 mark. Penn State tied the game with 2:03 left in the game, scoring off a Mackenzie Allessie (Mount Joy, Pa.) corner. Allessie's inbound pass sent to Gladieux who drilled the ball inside where Meghan Reese (Coopersburg, Pa.) redirected the ball past Virginia goalie Tyler Kennedy. Virginia had two late corners, but the Lion defense stood firm, and the game moved to halftime tied 1-1.
Penn State posted a slip 9-7 edge in shots during the first two periods and both Barraco and Kennedy had two saves. The Nittany Lions had an 8-4 edge in penalty corners.
Penn State forced a penalty corner with 12:58 on the clock but Gladieux's shot was blocked. The Nittany Lions responded with two corners around the 11:00 mark. Neither effort was successful but appeared to take the lead on a Sophia Mannino (Doylestown, Pa.) goal, but for the second time a Penn State goal was overturned on review and the game moved on tied 1-1 at the 9:51 mark. Virginia had a red card at the 7:00 mark but Penn State got hit with a green at 5:00, negating much of the player edge. With teams at even strength, Penn State's Grace Wallis (Blue Bell, Pa.) drove the ball into the Virginia circle to force a penalty corner at 1:16. Kennedy made the save for Virginia, but the Lions forced another corner with :49 left in the period. Allessie's shot was blocked and the game moved to the fourth period tied 1-1.
Virginia pressured the Lion defense quickly to start the fourth period, forcing a penalty corner at the 13:45 mark, then a second, and a third. The first two were blocked and Barraco made the save on the third to keep the game tied. Virginia took the lead with 11:15 left in the game when Laura Jannen scored unassisted from the top of the circle to put the Cavaliers up 2-1. Penn State quickly tied the game up. Jemma Punch (McDowall, Australia) took a Julia Lam (Phoenixville, Pa.) assist off a corner to knot the game at 2-2 with 9:09 left to play. Allessie fed the ball into Carly Gannon (Havertown, Pa.) with 2:42 on the clock and Gannon forced a corner. A subsequent Lion corner was awarded at 2:12 but Kennedy knocked a hot Gladieux shot away. With the final seconds winding down, Gladieux made good. She took possession just shy of midfield and broke free down to the Virginia circle. The Lion junior rocketed a shot past the Cavalier keeper for an unassisted game winner with just :32 left in the game. Gladieux's late heroics gave the Nittany Lions a thrilling 3-2 win.
"We felt like we had to get behind them in the second half, we were playing right into their defense in the first," said head coach Char Morett-Curtiss. "Our pressure was much better, and we worked the corners effectively, allowing us to open up on offense. This team has a lot of grit and a lot of heart, I'm pleased with how they responded after having two goals overturned. They never wavered or got down. This is a great win against a great opponent to start the season."
Penn State outshot Virginia 21-11, including a 12-4 edge in the second half. The Nittany Lions added six more corners in the second half and owned a 14-7 advantage as well. Barraco ended the game with three saves while Kennedy kept Virginia in the game with eight saves.
Penn State is 1-0 overall and Virginia is 0-1. The Nittany Lions will host No. 9 Louisville on Sunday, Aug. 28, at 12 p.m. in their next outing.
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.
GAME BREAKDOWN
SCORING: 1 2 3 4 FINAL
PENN STATE 0 1 0 2 3
Virginia 0 1 0 1 2
STATS: PSU UVA
Shots 21 11
Corners 14 7
SCORING SUMMARY (goal/assist) – TIME
2nd: UVA – Jans Croon (Daniela Mendez-Trindler, Lindsay Dickinson); 8:45
2nd: PSU – Meghan Reese (Mackenzie Allessie, Sophia Gladieux); 2:03
GOALKEEPERS: MIN GA S
PSU: Brie Barraco 60:00 2 3
UVA: Tyler Kennedy 59:28 3 8
TEAM 0:32 0 0