No. 6 Penn State field hockey (4-2, 1-0 Big Ten) opened conference play with a 3-2 victory over No. 22 Ohio State in Columbus.

Seniors Emily Klinger and Katie Dembrowski scored for the Nittany Lions, as did sophomore Alexis Horst. Horst and Dembrowski scored twice in 6:08 in the final ten minutes of the second half to overcome a 2-1 deficit. Penn State was persistent throughout Friday’s game, totaling 16 shots and six penalty corners.

Senior goalie Jenny Rizzo made five saves in the victory.

How It Happened

Forward Emily Klinger opened the scoring just under ten minutes into Friday’s game. Her third goal of the season was unassisted.

Despite the Nittany Lions’ strong start, Ohio State fought back with a goal 19 minutes into the first half to tie the game. The score remained tied entering the break with Penn State holding a 10-3 advantage in shots.

Ohio State put together a much better overall effort in the second half, outshooting Penn State 8-6 throughout the frame. Buckeye midfielder Kelsey Nolan gave her team its first lead of the afternoon 6:36 into the second half with an unassisted goal.

Penn State kickstarted its comeback effort with 9:52 to play in the second half. Alexis Horst buried a rebound to tie the game at two; her second goal of the season was assisted by senior Gini Bramley.

The Nittany Lions’ defense conceded two quick penalty corners following their equalizer, but a strong defensive effort kept the ball out of the net after what would be Ohio State’s final big chances of the evening.

Midfielder Katie Dembrowski saved the day by finding the back of the net with 3:44 to play, giving Penn State a 3-2 lead that it would not surrender. The goal was the result of a well-worked penalty corner, which was taken by senior forward Moira Putsch.

Ohio State needed an equalizer to force overtime, but the Nittany Lions’ staunch defense didn’t allow a single shot on goal following Dembrowski’s first goal of the season.

Player Of The Game

Emily Klinger | Senior | Forward

The Selinsgrove, PA native opened the scoring in today’s game and set the tone for a strong Nittany Lion performance.

What’s Next

Penn State will be back in action on September 16 for a neutral-site game in College Park, MD against Boston University. The game will be played at 1 p.m.