By Katie Braun and Hope Damato

No. 14 Penn State field hockey (6-5, 4-2 Big Ten) dominated Indiana (0-12, 0-1 Big Ten) in two games this weekend in State College.

The Nittany Lions bounced back after last weekend’s losing streak, as they held onto game one Friday afternoon 1-0 and took home game two 3-0 on Sunday. Char Morett-Curtiss’ team put up 37 shots and 24 corners over the course of the weekend.

Game One

The first quarter consisted of Penn State and Indiana trading shots back and forth, as the Nittany Lion defense held strong. Penn State was awarded a first penalty corner during the first quarter, but couldn’t find the back of the net.

The following period was more of the same, as neither time could get things going. Despite having four penalty corners in the entirety of the first half, Penn State still could not score. Brie Barraco had a few good saves as she kept the score tied at zero going into halftime.

Penn State was a force to be reckoned with in the third quarter, but the Indiana defense yet again was finding ways to keep the score tied. The offense was awarded multiple penalty corners throughout the quarter but again, could not score.

The final quarter was highlighted by a Sophia Gladieux goal for Penn State off its 11th penalty corner of the game. The freshman has scored seven goals so far this season, dominating the Big Ten. Indiana could not find a way to strike back as the game ended with a 1-0 Nittany Lion win.

Game Two

Game two was off to a quick start when Bree Bednarski forced a corner. Anna Simon took the shot but Indiana goalie, Sachi Ananias, laid out for the save. Halfway into the first, Bednarski was awarded another corner that ended with another Gladieux goal for the Nittany Lions.

Neither team could create some action in the second quarter. Penn State had two corners while Indiana had one, but wide and high shots prevented either team from scoring. This left the Nittany Lions up 1-0 at halftime.

Bednarski pushed on offense early on in the third with three more penalty corners in fiver minutes. Ananias laid out for the first one and kicked the ball away for the second. Jemma Punch took the third, but it rolled wide. Bednarski finally had her moment with a swift shot, bumping the Nittany Lions’ lead 2-0.

Gladieux came back strong in the last quarter with her second goal. After dancing around the defenders, she drove one into the cage making the score 3-0. After a couple more corners, The Nittany Lions played until the final whistle and ended the game on top.

Takeaways 

• Freshman Sophia Gladieux yet again came in clutch for the Nittany Lions, scoring their only goal of game one. It seems as though if defenses can’t stop Gladieux, Penn State ends up winning the game. The freshman holds the key for the Nittany Lions and their postseason hopes.
• Bree Bednarski always comes in clutch for Penn State. She knows how to play the ball just right, so if she doesn’t get the goal, she forces a corner. Along with being a key factor in the offense, younger stars such as Gladieux can learn from the senior’s veteran experience
• Penn States next opponent, Ohio State, is on a winning streak. The Nittany Lions will need to stay focused over the week if they want to take down the Buckeyes after last year’s close loss.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will play Ohio State at 3 p.m. on Friday, April 16 to kick off a two-game series in University Park.