No.11 Penn State field hockey (1-1) suffered its first loss of the season 2-1 from No. 9 Louisville (2-0) on Sunday.

Junior Sophis Gladieux’s goal in the second quarter originally gave Penn State the lead, but two late goals from Louisville and a missed penalty corner opportunity from Penn State late in the fourth quarter led the Cardinals to victory

How It Happened

Within the first five minutes of the game, Louisville was the first to strike with a penalty corner, but Penn State captain Brie Barraco was able to fend off the goal. Despite a strong effort on defense, the Nittany Lions could not get their offensive power going in the first quarter.

Penn State almost got some positive momentum near the Louisville goal with a few seconds left in the first, but the score remained tied at zero.

A quick turnaround came for the Nittany Lions as they accumulated six shots on goal by the halfway point of the second quarter, but Louisville goalie Sasha Elliot was able to defend every shot from Penn State’s offense.

A continued effort from Penn State finally earned them the lead at the 24-minute mark from junior Sophia Gladieux. The Nittany Lions held the 1-0 through halftime.

The third quarter was once again off to a slower state, but a quick turn of events saw Louisville earn its first goal of the game from Katie Schneider with just under a minute left in the third.

Louisville carried this momentum into the fourth quarter with a penalty corner, but multiple saves from Barraco kept the score tied. Then, with less than five minutes left in the game, a Louisville penalty stroke from Aimee Plumb gave the Cardinals a 2-1 lead.

A last-second penalty corner came for Penn State, but despite two chances to score, it could not find the net.

The Nittany Lions could not secure a goal within the final seconds of the game and absorbed the 2-1 loss.

Takeaways

• In its first top-ten matchup of the season, the defense truly came out to play for Penn State. If it were not for a one-on-one penalty stroke in the fourth, Penn State’s competitiveness could have easily swayed the game in its favor.
• This upperclassman-heavy team brings the fire, and it surely is aggressive. This type of play is exciting to watch and is something to look out for heading into Big Ten play in two weeks.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will travel to their first away game for a clash with Albany at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 3.