No. 6 Penn State field hockey (6-1, 1-0) shut out Cornell (2-2) 3-0 Saturday afternoon. Mackenzie Allessie led the team with two goals, while the defense locked down the Big Red.

The Nittany Lions outshot Cornell 19-4, while also earning more corners 13-2. Goalie Bria Barraco came in clutch with three saves, and Sophia Gladieux added to her team-leading goal total of eight with an early score.

How It Happened

It was a slow start to begin the game, but Penn State got the scoring started five minutes into the quarter with Sophia Gladieux’s eighth goal of the season. Gladieux was able to score off of Anna Simon’s assist. Penn State outshot Cornell 6-1 in the first period, and the defense was strong enough that goalie Brie Barraco only had to stop one shot the entire period.

The Nittany Lions’ offense kept rolling at the beginning of the second period. Mackenzie Allessie scored her third goal of the season, extending the lead. The defense was on point the entire second period, not allowing a single shot. The defense dominated every aspect of the game, except saves, though, that was because of the offensive dominance of Penn State and Cornell’s inability to score.

The third period began relatively slow, with the Nittany Lions still controlling the pace of the game. Eight minutes into the period, Allessie scored her second goal of the game. She scored off a rebound from her own corner. Penn State outshot Cornell 7-2 in the period, while also capitalizing with six corners compared to the Big Red’s one.

The fourth period was uneventful offensively, but the Nittany Lions remained strong on defense. They held the Big Red to only one shot in the period and zero corners. They kept the shutout intact and won the game 3-0.

Takeaways

• Sophia. Gladieux. That’s it — that’s the tweet. In all seriousness, Gladieux has been one of the best players in program history. Eight goals in seven games is huge for the offense, and she’s really cementing her spot as a frontrunner for Big Ten Player of the Year.
• The Nittany Lions dominated this game through all four periods of the game. They outshot Cornell 19-4 and didn’t allow a single shot in the second period. They also dominated corners, taking an 13-2 advantage in that category. It was truly a dominating performance.

What’s Next

The Nittany Lions return to Happy Valley to take on Michigan State on Friday, September 23. The game will begin at 6 p.m. and will be the team’s first conference home game of the season.