Penn State women’s lacrosse (2-0) commanded Drexel (2-1) 15-6 on Saturday at Panzer Stadium.

It was a team display with 10 different players scoring as the Nittany Lions showcased their versatility and confidence.

How It Happened

Penn State scored within the first two minutes of play from a goal by Alaina Hamood. Drexel had a penalty shot attempt following Hamood’s goal, but Penn State goalie Ashley Bowan came up with a huge save. The Nittany Lions capitalized off and extended their lead to two as am Evitts slid a shot past goalie Jenika Cuocco.

The Dragons responded quickly and Grace Harding scored just five seconds later with 5:56 to play to put them on the board 2-1.

Evitts received a penalty for Penn State and took Cuocco on, and Abernathy added to the stat sheet to make the score 3-1. Soon after, Drexel gave away another penalty and Hamood flew it past Cuocco to make it 4-1 with 1:53 left in the first quarter.

The Dragons turned over the ball and the Nittany Lions jumped on the chance. They ran the ball down the field and messed with Drexel’s defense for Brooke Barger to score her first goal of the season as Penn State ended the first quarter leading 5-1.

Hamood scored to open the second quarter and secured a hat trick to put Penn State up 6-1.

Drexel got its second goal of the game following an own goal by Penn State as its defense fell apart with just over half to play. It did not let this error change the tide as Gretchen Gilmore stole the ball and ran it down with a rocket past Cuocco to make it 7-2 with five minutes remaining in the half.

Harding responded for the Dragons to pick up her second goal of the game before Brooke Hoss got on the score sheet for Penn State. Drexel scored one more through Hayleigh Simpson to close the half 8-4.

Penn State won the opening draw for the second half and Kristin O’Neill weaved through the defense to score her first goal of the day just 45 seconds into the second half.

After the goal, possession was traded, and Bowan and the defense stepped up to deny Drexel. Cuocco made some big saves for the Dragons to keep Penn State at nine. Bridget Finley found a breakthrough and scored for Drexel with 4:26 to go in the third quarter, cutting its deficit to four.

Kristin O’Neill closed out the quarter with a free-position goal and a strong shot to gain her hat trick for the day, putting Penn State up 11-5.

Penn State called a timeout to start the fourth quarter after Drexel attempted to go on the attack. The Nittany Lions came back from the break and ran straight at the Dragons’ defense, winning a free-position shot for Emma Kelly to covert.

The Nittany Lions won the draw by Sammy Dupcak and she took off down the field with no hesitation, throwing the ball right into the net past Cucocco.

Penn State continued to dominate as Abernathy scored her second goal, followed by Meghan Murray joining the scoresheet with 4:43 left. Drexel scored its sixth and final goal with just over two minutes to play.

Penn State kept the ball for the final two minutes and secured its 15-6 win.

Takeaways

• Hamood came up big today for the Nittany Lions. In the last two seasons, she appeared in nine games and scored one goal. Today, she scored three goals and had one assist as she helped her team to victory.
• The offense shared the wealth again today. Eight different players scored and the passing game was bright. This offense has the potential for a huge season based on today’s creativity.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will host Duquesne on Tuesday, February 21, at Panzer Stadium. The game will start at 3 p.m.