UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (6-7, 2-4 B1G) notched a thrilling 1-0 double overtime win over No. 11 Iowa (8-4, 1-3 B1G) in Big Ten action on Friday. True freshman Olivia Marthins scored unassisted midway through the second extra period to lift Penn State to victory.
Iowa worked the ball down into the Nittany Lion circle in the opening minute, but the Penn State defense held. Ella Jennes forced a turnover at 11:30 to push action into the Iowa circle for the first time. Natalie Freeman tipped a Morgan Snyder pass at the Hawkeye cage, but Iowa keeper Mia Magnotta made the save to keep the game scoreless at the 9:16 mark. Phi Mannino’s blast from the right side resulted in a Magnotta kick save with 6:10 on the clock as well. Iowa threatened Penn State keeper Aby Deverka with 4:00 left in the period but a couple Hawkeye passes slid through the zone. Penn State gave up a green card at 3:01. Iowa forced the game’s first corner at :42 and Deverka made the save on the following shot and the game moved to the second period tied 0-0.
Penn State opened up the second period with a push into the Hawkeye circle. Natalie Freeman forced Magnotta into a save with an early drive at 13:30. The Nittany Lions kept pressure on Iowa’s defense and Joji Purdue rifled off a high shot at 9:40 that Magnotta tipped over the cage. Penn State maintained possession through the 8:00 mark before Iowa was able to regain the ball and move into the Penn State side. Iowa had a shot sail high over the Lion cage at 3:45. Madison Tambroni and the Penn State defense pushed back another Iowa threat with 2:40 on the clock. After Penn State moved back to the Iowa circle, Joji Purdy forced a penalty corner for the Nittany Lions at :52 and another at :45. Freeman forced Magnotta into a save and the game moved to halftime tied 0-0.
Iowa moved the ball into the Penn State circle to begin the third period. The Nittany Lion defense held through the 11:00 mark before regaining possession and moving into the Iowa side. But the Nittany Lions gave up a green card at 10:28 to give Iowa a player advantage. The Nittany Lions controlled the ball, however, and worked action back to Iowa’s side of the field and killed the penalty off. Deverka made a nice save on a tight Gia Whalen shot with 7:12 on the clock to keep the game scoreless. Iowa pushed into the Lion circle at 3:00 but misfired on a short shot. The teams battled evenly for the rest of the period and the game moved to the final stanza scoreless.
Iowa forced a penalty corner at 12:26 to start the fourth period and Dionne van Aalsum’s shot sailed wide. Purdy stopped another Iowa fast break at 11:02 to give Penn State a chance to reset on offense. Iowa forced a penalty corner at 7:04. The Lion defense blocked the first shot and Deverka made a kick save on the second to keep the game scoreless. Penn State then moved the ball downfield and forced a penalty corner at 6:23. Purdy’s shot was blocked but the Lions were awarded a penalty stroke on the play. Magnotta made the save on Snyder’s shot and the game remained tied 0-0. Iowa forced a penalty corner at 4:13 and the shot on the play was wide. Deverka made a diving save on an Iowa shot at 1:50 and the game moved to overtime tied 0-0.
The teams traded fast breaks to start overtime. The Nittany Lion defense held on a deep Iowa drive at 8:00, forcing a turnover in front of the cage. Another Iowa drive ended in a Frederique van Cleef shot missing high. Penn State returned action to the Iowa side and forced a penalty corner at 5:44. The Lion shot off the play was high. Cooper Cutchins intercepted an Iowa pass and set up a Nittany Lion drive that Freeman turned into a corner at 4:07. Penn State could not connect on the play and Iowa moved the ball down to the Lion side of the field. Deverka made a save on an Iowa shot at 1:50 and another Hawk shot sailed wide after that. Penn State had a late chance at the 1:00 mark but could not connect on a crossing pass and the game moved into a second overtime.
Iowa had a quick shot miss high in the opening seconds of the second overtime period. Penn State had a shot miss just wide shortly after that at the 8:04 mark. After a brief battle in the midfield, Lion freshman Olivia Marthins took control of the ball, drove to the center of the Iowa circle and knocked in the game winner at 5:30 to lift Penn State to a thrilling 1-0 double overtime win.
“This was an awesome win for us tonight against a great Big Ten opponent,” said head coach Lisa Bervinchak Love. “We played a complete game tonight, offensively and defensively and put together a solid fourth quarter. We played good possession offense and made some great defensive stops, and it paid off with a big win.”
Iowa outshot Penn State 16-11 and Penn State owned a 5-4 edge in penalty corners. Deverka had five saves for the Nittany Lions and Magnotta had six for Iowa.
Penn State is now 6-7, 2-4 in the conference. Iowa falls to 8-4, 1-3 B1G. The Nittany Lions host Indiana on Sunday, Oct. 19, at 12 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to follow the Nittany Lion field hockey team online at www.GoPSUsports.com (click teams, click field hockey), on X and IG @pennstateFH and on facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstatefieldhockey.
GAME BREAKDOWN
SCORING: 1 2 3 4 OT OT FINAL
Penn State 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Iowa 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
STATS: PSU IOWA
Shots 11 16
Corners 5 6
SCORING SUMMARY (goal/assist) – TIME
2nd OT: PSU – Olivia Marthins (unassisted); 5:30
GOALKEEPERS: MIN GA S
PSU: Aby Deverka 74:30 0 5
IOWA: Mia Magnotta 474:30 1 6