No. 5 Penn State field hockey (10-2, 5-1 Big Ten) took down No. 4 Iowa (9-3, 3-2 Big Ten) 2-1 on Friday night in a thriller under the lights.

Goals from Anna Simon and Sophia Gladieux secured the Nittany Lions’ first win over the Hawkeyes since 2018, as the team continues to solidify itself as one of the best in the country.

How It Happened

Penn State took control of the game’s attack early on in the first quarter, maintaining possession well in Iowa’s half. The Hawkeyes worked the ball back a few times in the opening ten minutes but were only able to muster a penalty corner.

The Nittany Lions broke the tie with six minutes left in the first quarter when Anna Simon’s shot deflected off a defender’s stick and into the top of the net. The midfielder’s goal made her the fifth Nittany Lion to reach three goals this season and the first to score against Iowa since November 2019.

Penn State kept its hold on the game into the second quarter but didn’t cause too many issues outside of a Sophia Gladieux shot that went high and wide. On the other side of the field, the Hawkeyes failed to register a single shot in the second quarter.

While Iowa looked more determined in the opening minutes of the second half, Penn State was able to challenge Grace McGuire in net more and more. The Nittany Lions rattled off four shots in the first five minutes, but McGuire made a save for each to hold the scoreline.

The Hawkeyes pulled some offense together in the final few minutes of the third quarter, forcing Brie Barraco to make two saves.

Both sides looked even to start in the fourth quarter, but Iowa began a strong push for a comeback in the last ten minutes. The Hawkeyes’ work paid off when Anthe Nijziel found the back of the goal from an Iowa penalty corner.

Neither team found the final edge in regulation, and Nijziel’s goal sent the game into overtime.

Overtime lasted less than 90 seconds, as Simon passed the ball to Gladieux, who worked around the Iowa defense to win the game and send her teammates sprinting onto the field.

Despite a Hawkeye challenge, the call on the field stood, as the Penn State faithful exploded from behind the sidelines.

Takeaways

• This Penn Sate team has that dawg in it. After struggling in the second half and giving up a late goal, the team flipped a switch in overtime and closed out the game early on.
• Beating good teams makes the Nittany Lions a good team. A close loss against No. 3 Northwestern didn’t set Penn State back, and a win over Iowa solidifies it as one of the best in the NCAA.
• There are a lot of jokes to make about an Iowa team not producing a lot on offense, so we will leave you with this.

What’s Next

Penn State will stay at home for a matchup against Lafayette at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 9.