No. 13 Penn State (9-3-2, 5-1-2 Big Ten) tied Rutgers (9-2-4, 3-2-3 Big Ten) on the road in a tough, defensive affair.

The Nittany Lions hoped to keep their strong conference play going following a two game homestand where they shutout the state of Michigan — winning 2-0 against the Wolverines and 4-0 against the Spartans. Rutgers proved to be a slightly more difficult opponent, fighting Penn State tooth and nail the whole match.

How It Happened

The match got going quickly with an attack early on by Rutgers. Three shots came its way, but the Penn State defense stayed put and kept pressure. A Nittany Lion corner would lead to a header from defenseman Elizabeth Ball that just went wide over the net. The Scarlet Knights would counter and go after the Penn State net, launching three consecutive shots.

The first half was a back and forth between the two teams, with Rutgers getting into the box more. Stellar saves from goalkeeper Rose Chandler and excellent play from the defense kept Rutgers out of the net in the first half, though the Nittany Lions couldn’t find themselves a goal either, and the score stood at 0-0 by halftime.

The second half once again got going through a series of corners and shots from the Scarlet Knights. Like the first half, the Penn State line remained unwavering and Rutgers struggled to make its shots connect. It remained a back and forth affair, with both squads showing excellent defense. By the end of the period, Penn State found itself in scoring position with just seconds on the clock.

Two corners coming from the boot of midfielder Emily Ogle saw close chances broken up by stubborn Rutgers players. No doubt missing the explosiveness from star forward Frannie Crouse, who went down with an injury during their last game with Michigan State, the Nittany Lions went into overtime after just missing the chance to put away a last second goal.

Overtime continued much as the rest of the game, a tight match with both teams getting great looks at the net. The match finishing off with a close save by Rutgers goalie Casey Murphy after a shot from Ogle couldn’t beat the keeper with 17 second on the clock. Despite outstanding work by Chandler and the defense, the offense ran into a brick wall courtesy of the Rutgers defense, and the Nittany Lions took their second draw of the season.

Player Of The Game

Emily Ogle | Redshirt Junior | Midfielder

Ogle played a great game in the midfield, distributing the ball well and making great decisions. She also put the Nittany Lions the closet to getting a much needed goal — tallying 3 shots and 2 of them on goal, including almost winning it for the Lions on a last minute shot in the second OT period.

What’s Next?

Penn State will move south to take on another conference rival at Maryland on October 15 at 1 p.m.