THIS WEEK
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (2-1, 0-0 B1G), ranked No. 8 in the latest NFHCA Coaches Poll, will visit No. 12 St. Joseph's (2-1) and No. 24 Delaware (1-3) this coming weekend on an non-conference road trip. Head coach Char Morett-Curtiss and her squad will visit St. Joseph's on Friday, Sept. 9, for a 4 p.m. game and then Delaware on Sunday, Sept. 11, for a 12 p.m. contest.
Penn State is coming off a 6-2 win at UAlbany on Saturday. The Nittany Lions used an effective penalty corner offense to post the win. With Jemma Punch and Anna Simon anchoring the offensive and midfield, Sophia Gladieux scored three goals off Penn State's set offense and added an assist.
Gladieux leads Penn State with 12 points off five goals and two assists through three games. Punch has four points off two goals, Mackenzie Allessie has four points off four assists and Anna Simon has two points off two assists. Brie Barraco has eight saves through three games.
St. Joseph's will enter Friday's game 2-1 record. The Hawks dropped a tough 2-1 double overtime game to Duke to start the season then downed No. 8 Rutgers 5-0 and beat Drexel 5-2 in their last two outings Lily Santi leads SJU with 11 points off four goals and three assists. Penn State leads the all-time series with SJU 10-0, including a 3-2 win last year on Sept. 5, 2021, in State College.
Delaware, which hosts UConn on Friday while the Nittany Lions are in Philadelphia, enters the weekend with a 1-3 record. The Blue Hens have lost to No. 12 Virginia, No. 21 American and Monmouth after opening the season with a win over VCU. Oudshoorn leads UD with four points off a goal and two assists. Penn State leads the all-time series 17-7-2, including a 3-0 win on Sept. 12, 2021, last year at the FH Hockey Complex.
Penn State continues an early season road stretch by opening up the Big Ten schedule in Ann Arbor next weekend. The Nittany Lions visit Michigan on Friday, Sept. 16, for a 5 p.m. game. The Lions then remain at Michigan where they will battle Cornell on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 3 p.m. in a neutral site non-conference game.
Home Game Note: With enhancements to the Penn State Field Hockey Complex underway, fans are reminded to bring their own chairs to home games this year as the stands are no longer accessible.
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.
NOTES
GLADIEUX NETS SEVEN POINTS IN 6-2 WIN AT UALBANY
Junior Sophia Gladieux netted seven points in Penn State's 6-2 road win at UAlbany on Saturday, Sept. 3. Gladieux scored three goals off Penn State's penalty corner offense and added an assist to lead the Lions.
LIONS DROP 2-1 GAME TO NO. 9 LOUISVILLE ON LATE PENALTY STROKE
No. 9 Louisville used a penalty stroke in the final 5:00 to break a tie game and post a 2-1 win over the Nittany Lions at the FH Complex on Aug. 28. Sophia Gladieux had Penn State's lone goal in the game.
GLADIEUX SCORES IN FINAL SECONDS TO LIFT PENN STATE OVER NO. 12 VIRGINIA
Junior Sophia Gladieux scored on a fast break with just :32 left in the game to lift Penn State to a 3-2 win over No. 12 Virginia at the FH Complex in the season opener for both teams on Aug. 26. Gladieux's goal capped off a thrilling Lion win that also saw Meghan Reese and Jemma Punch find the back of the cage.
ALLESSIE, REESE AND VOS VOTED TEAM CAPTAINS
Seniors Mackenzie Allessie, Meghan Reese and Elena Vos have been voted team captains by their teammates for the 2022 season. The trio have a combined 10 years of experience (with Reese returning for a fifth campaign). Allessie had 30 points last year, her first at Penn State. Reese has played in 70 games at penn State, having started the last 54 straight. Vos has started all but one time during her storied Lion career (39 of 40 games).
ALLESSIE, GLADIEUX AND WALLIS NAMED BIG TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH
The Penn State trio of Mackenzie Allessie, Sophia Gladieux and Grace Wallis have been named to the Big Ten Players to Watch list.
