THIS WEEK
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (15-3), under the direction of Big Ten Coach of the Year Char Morett-Curtiss, is headed to the 2022 NCAA Field Hockey Championship Tournament and will travel to Michigan, one of four host sites, for the first and second rounds. The Nittany Lions will face Louisville (12-7) on Friday, Nov. 11, at 2:30 p.m.
Michigan (14-5) battles UAlbany (15-4) in its first-round game in Ann Arbor on Friday at 12 p.m. The second round (quarterfinals) will take place on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. in Michigan. Penn State enters the NCAA tournament with a 15-3 record and was the 2022 Big Ten Co-Champions after a 7-1 regular season record in conference games.
The Nittany Lions hosted Louisville earlier this year, dropping a 2-1 game on Aug. 28 at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex. Louisville has a 2-0 lead in the all-time series between the two teams. Penn State went 1-1 against host Michigan and 1-0 against UAlbany this season as well.
"We're excited to be in the NCAA tournament once again," said Morett-Curtiss. "This team has worked extremely hard all season long and has earned the opportunity to play for an NCAA title. We've played all three teams who will be at our site, and it is going to be a great weekend of field hockey."
North Carolina is the tournament's top seed, Northwestern is No. 2, Maryland No. 3 and Michigan No. 4. For all four host sites, Friday's winners will meet each other on Sunday, Nov. 13, in the NCAA quarterfinals. The four quarterfinal winners will head to Storrs, Conn., for the national semifinals/finals hosted by the University of Connecticut. The NCAA semifinals and title games will be on Friday and Sunday, Nov. 17 and 20.
Penn State's balanced attack has been led by Big Ten Player of the Year Sophia Gladieux and fellow All-Big Ten honorees Mackenzie Allessie, Brie Barraco, Elena Vos and Anna Simon as well as veteran starters Jemma Punch, Grace Wallis, Meghan Reese, Kelsey Love, Gery Schnarrs and Anouk Knuvers.
Gladieux will head into the NCAA tournament with 45 points off 21 goals and four assists. Allessie has 38 off 11 and 16 while Simon has 22 off eight and six. Barraco has 75 saves and a .781 percentage.
This will be Penn State's seventh NCAA appearance in the last decade alone and the 30th time in Morett-Curtiss' 36 seasons at Penn State.
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
NITTANY LIONS DROP TOUGH 2-1 GAME TO
#6 MICHIGAN IN B1G SEMIS
The Penn State Nittany Lions dropped a tough 2-1 game to #6 Michigan in the Big Ten semifinals on Friday, Nov. 4. The Lions fell victim to two penalty stroke goals in the loss. Sophia Gladieux scored Penn State's lone goal late in the fourth period.
BARRACO AND SIMON NAMED TO 2022
ALL-BIG TEN TOURNAMENT TEAM
The Nittany Lion field hockey team had two players named to the 2022 All-Big Ten Tournament Team. Graduate midfielder Anna Simon and senior goalkeeper Brie Barraco represented Penn State on the team this year.
PENN STATE DOMINATES ALL-BIG TEN TEAMS;
GLADIEUX PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND
MORETT-CURTISS COACH OF THE YEAR
The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team dominated the 2022 All-Big Ten teams. The regular season co-champions and tournament top-seed, Penn State had the conference's coach of the year, player of the year, offensive player of the year and had four first-team and one second-team selections. Char Morett-Curtiss was named Coach of the Year for the seventh time (she last earned the honor in 2016). Sophia Gladieux was named both Big Ten Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year. She becomes the first Penn State Player of the year since Kiley Kulina in 2001 and the sixth overall. She is the first Offensive Player of the Year since Moira Putsch in 2017 and the ninth overall. Gladieux was a unanimous selection to the First Team All-Big Ten squad and was joined by Mackenzie Allessie, Brie Barraco and Elena Vos. Anna Simon was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten and Meghan Reese was Penn State's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner. Penn State's four first-team selections is the most since the Nittany Lions had six in 1998.
SIMON LEADS LIONS TO WIN AT RUTGERS AND SHARE OF 8TH B1G TITLE; EARNS B1G OFFENSIVE
PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD
Grad student Anna Simon scored Penn State's first two goals in a 3-1 win at No. 21 Rutgers on Oct. 28, helping Penn State clinch a share of the 2022 Big Ten Championship and the B1G tournament's top seed. Simon scored Penn State's first goal in the second period and the eventual game-winner in the third. Simon was named B1G Offensive Player of the Week (10/31) for her efforts.
PENN STATE SHINES IN 5-1 WIN OVER
#2 MARYLAND; VOS NAMED B1G DEFENSIVE P.o.W.
Penn State's Mackenzie Allessie and Sophia Gladieux each tallied four points to spark Penn State to a resounding 5-1 win over No. 2 Maryland on Oct. 21 in the home finale for Penn State. Gladieux notched two goals in the win while Allessie had a goal and two assists. The Penn State defense was superb in the contest, led by Elena Vos. Vos anchored the defense that held Maryland to just seven shots and she had two assists as part of Penn State's penalty corner offense. Vos was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.
GLADIEUX SCORES TWICE TO LEAD LIONS
TO 3-0 WIN AT KENT STATE
Nittany Lion junior Sophia Gladieux scored twice in Penn State's 3-0 win at Kent State on Oct. 16, completing a weekend shutout sweep of non-conference opponents (the Lions won 4-0 at Bucknell two nights earlier). Anna Simon scored Penn State's other goal in the win.
NITTANY LIONS SHUTOUT BUCKNELL 4-0;
BARRACO AND DELGADO COMBINE FOR SHUTOUT
Penn State broke open a close game at Bucknell on Oct. 14, scoring three goals in the third to roll to a 4-0 win in Lewisburg. Brie Barraco and Lauren Delgado combined for a shutout in the win, with Delgado collecting three of Penn State's four saves in the fourth period alone. Jemma Punch scored twice and Sophia Gladieux added a goal as well.
SIMON AND GLADIEUX, AGAIN, BOTH SCORE
AS LIONS BEAT LAFAYETTE IN DOUBLE-OT;
GLADIEUX NAMED B1G OFFENSIVE P.o.W.
Mirroring the Iowa game from two days prior, Anna Simon scored in regulation off a penalty corner and Sophia Gladieux scored in double overtime to spark Penn State to a hard-fought 2-1 double-overtime win against visiting Lafayette on Oct. 9. Gladieux's game-winner was the second in three days, both in extra time, for the Lion junior and she was honored as Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for her efforts (co-, week of 10/9).
SIMON AND GLADIEUX LEAD LIONS
TO OVERTIME WIN AGAINST #4 IOWA
Anna Simon scored in regulation and Sophia Gladieux notched the game winner (off a Simon assist) in overtime to lead the Nittany Lions to a 2-1 OT victory over visiting Iowa on Oct. 7. The win was the first of two extra time victories for the Nittany Lions in three days.
GLADIEUX'S HAT TRICK LEADS PENN STATE
TO 4-0 SHUTOUT WIN AT INDIANA
Sophia Gladieux scored three of Penn State's four goals in a 4-0 shutout win at Indiana on Oct. 2. Gladieux's offensive burst was on top of a goal and two assists from Mackenzie Allessie. Goalies Brie Barraco and Lauren Delgado combined for the shutout in goal for Penn State.
ALLESSIE NOTCHES 3 GOALS, LIONS
DROP 5-4 OT GAME AT #2 NORTHWESTERN
Penn State senior Mackenzie Allessie scored three goals against No. 2 Northwestern but a late penalty stroke for the Wildcats gave the home team a 5-4 (ot) win on Friday, Sept. 30 in Evanston, Ill. Allessie also added a goal and two assists two days later at Indiana for a 10-point week.
NITTANY LIONS DOWN #23 OHIO STATE 2-0
Penn State took down No. 23 Ohio State 2-0 on Sept. 25 behind Mackenzie Allessie's game-winning goal late in the third and a third straight shutout for goalie Brie Barraco. Jemma Punch added an open net goal late in the game for the final tally.
LIONS SHUTOUT MICHIGAN STATE 4-0
Mackenzie Allessie had a goal and an assist and Brie Barraco came up with three big saves to lead Penn State to a 4-0 shutout win over visiting Michigan State on Sept. 23. Allessie's three points led a balanced Lion offense and Barraco notched her second straight shutout.
BARRACO NOTCHES 10 SAVES TO LEAD
LIONS TO 2-1 WIN AT #7 MICHIGAN;
NAMED B1G DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior goalie Brie Barraco recorded 10 saves, including seven in a furious third period, to lead Penn State to a 2-1 victory at No. 7 Michigan on Sept. 16. Barraco's performance, and a goal and an assist from Sophia Gladieux, helped Penn State overcome a 23-3 deficit in shots during the game. Barraco was named B1G Defensive Player of the Week for her efforts.
ALLESSIE SCORES TWICE, LIONS
SHUTOUT CORNELL 3-0
Mackenzie Allessie scored twice and Brie Barraco notched her first shutout of the season as the Penn State Nittany Lions beat Cornell 3-0 in Ann Arbor, a neutral site game played at Michigan. The win came less than 24 hours after Penn State beat Michigan 2-1.
ALLESSIE NOTCHES TWO GOALS TO LEAD
PENN STATE TO 4-2 WIN AT NO. 24 DELAWARE
Mackenzie Allessie scored on two penalty strokes to lead Penn State to a 4-2 victory at No. 24 Delaware on Sept. 11. Allessie's goals helped Penn State close out a weekend road sweep of ranked foes (the Lions won at St. Joseph's on Friday, Sept. 9).
LIONS TAKE DOWN NO. 12 ST. JOSEPH'S
Penn State used fourth period goal from Grace Wallis to grab an important 2-1 win over No. 12 St. Joseph's on the road. The host team scored early in the game but Penn State's defense held firm after that. Carly Gannon tied the game with a first half goal, setting up Wallis' game-winner in the fourth.
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.
