Penn State women’s lacrosse took down a traditional powerhouse Friday afternoon, and earned a trip to the second round of the NCAA tournament in the process. Behind four goals from Jenna Mosketti and Tatum Coffey, the Nittany Lions defeated the Blue Jays 14-11 at Virginia’s Klöckner Stadium.

How It Happened

A back and forth affair for most of the first half, the two teams found themselves tied at six with less than half a minute to play in the first frame. After Coffey forced a turnover, the senior found the ball on the other side of the field, and flung a shot into the back of the net. It gave the Lions a 7-6 halftime advantage, an edge they wouldn’t give up.

From there, the Lions momentum continued. They took a 7-2 run into the second half to assume a five-point lead with 20 minutes to play. Hopkins fought back to some extent, clawing within two goals (9-7) after Kelly Kenul scored.

Katie O’Donnel put all comeback possibilities to rest after she netted a shot with 4:25 remaining. The goal gave Penn State a 14-10 tilt, and Alexis Malfucci’s goal for the Blue Jay served as a futile effort, but closed the final deficit to three.

Quotes And Notes

• “I think the momentum started to pick up in the second half,” Mosketti said to Penn State athletics. “We had a slow start to the first half, but once we started getting the draw and things started going our way. I just had to put my shots away.
• This is Penn State’s 21st time in the NCAA tournament, and have scored 10 or more goals in every game this year.
• Hopkins entered as the No. 7 defense in the country before the game.

What’s Next

Penn State will battle No. 7 Virginia on Sunday at 4 p.n. That game will also be played at Klöckner Stadium, Virginia’s home field.

Photo: Ben Solomon/GoPSUSports