No. 7 Penn State field hockey (9-3, 4-1 Big Ten) upset previously undefeated No. 2 Maryland (13-1, 4-1 Big Ten) in Happy Valley on Sunday.

Abby Myers, Anna Simon, and Moria Putsch contributed to the big win with one goal each. Penn State, who leads the NCAA in penalty corners per game with 9.27, had eight corners on the day. 

Jenny Rizzo made seven saves in the full 70 minutes.

How It Happened

The game started out slow but both offenses were able to get some shots off as the half continued on.

Things started to pick up when leading goal scorer and freshman phoneme Anna Simon got a shot to find its mark. That 1-0 lead would have to wait for the Nittany Lions however, as the call was overturned and the score returned to 0-0.

The reversed call didn’t seem to faze Penn State. Junior Madison Morano found Myers by the goal post with 10:12 left to play in the first half. Myers used her stick skills to dance around the goalie and send the ball into the lower left corner, giving Penn State the first goal of the game and that 1-0 lead back. 

Both teams put the pressure on for the rest of the half, but Penn State’s defense kept up its stellar play, leaving the Terrapins still scoreless at the end of the first half. 

Simon came back to claim her goal with 18:52 left in the second half. On a corner, Putsch got the ball right to Simon and she launched a rocket, driving it past all the defenders and slamming right into the back of the net. 

On Saturday afternoon, @PennStateFH delivered Maryland their first lost of the season in a 3-1 victory. pic.twitter.com/pwg9X3oKys

— Penn State On BTN (@PennStateOnBTN) October 7, 2018

The Nittany Lions continued finding success with their corner opportunities. Putsch sent a well-hit ball to Aurelia Meijer at the top of the circle and guarded the post. Putsch then caught a rebound from Meijer and got it past the Maryland goalkeeper, giving Penn State a solid 3-0 lead. 

Both sides traded shots and corners for the remainder of the match. The Terrapins got their chance when a penalty stroke was awarded to Maryland with 4:21 left. Defender Nike Lorenz shot to the lower right, passing Rizzo to give Maryland its only goal of the game.

It proved too little too late for the Terrapins as a last minute attack was beaten back. Rizzo made a big save to prevent a buzzer-beater goal as Penn State cruised to a 3-1 upset victory. 

Player Of The Game

Moria Putsch | Senior | Forward

The senior had herself a goal and an assist on the day and was excellent at delivering the ball on corners. 

What’s Next

The Nittany Lions will go on their last road trip of the year, stopping in Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes as conference play continues. The game will be on October 12 at 6 P.M.