No. 16 Penn State field hockey (0-2) dropped the second game 2-1 in its season-opening home stand to No. 10 Syracuse (2-0).

After some early chances from Penn State, Syracuse scored midway through the first quarter on a pick-pocket turned counterattack. The Orange doubled its lead early in the fourth quarter with a penalty corner, but Penn State responded a minute later with a Sophia Gladieux masterclass goal. The comeback wouldn’t come through, though, as the clock expired with Syracuse hanging on for the win.

How It Happened

Penn State started the tilt with urgency, working the ball up Syracuse’s right flank before guiding play along the end line toward the goal. The Orange conceded a penalty corner to relieve some of the pressure and ultimately neutralized the threat with back-to-back saves from senior goalkeeper Louise Pert.

After the initial surge, the Nittany Lions struggled to push into Syracuse’s defense with the Orange jumping passing routes and forcing ball carriers into close quarters. Their high press defense paid off when Willemijn Boogert poached the ball deep into Penn State’s territory, earning an open shot on goal. On the run, she put the shot past a diving Aby Deverka six minutes into the first frame, giving Syracuse a 1-0 lead.

Following the goal, Penn State held the majority of the possession, but aside from a blocked Nittany Lion penalty corner, the period expired quietly.

Penn State managed to get goal-front again to start the second quarter, slipping a crossing pass through the Syracuse perimeter before it was deflected for a penalty corner. This time the Nittany Lions feigned the first shot before sliding the ball to Elle Jennes. Pert kicked it away to stuff Penn State again.

Syracuse shifted its formation forward as the second quarter waned, committing more players to the offense while prodding the Nittany Lion front. The possessive play saw minutes drip from the clock, the field seemingly tilted in Syracuse’s favor as Penn State struggled to clear the ball from their half before the buzzer sounded to signal halftime.

Returning from the locker room, Penn State came out strong with a long-building counter-attack spurred on by Drew Taylor and Gladieux. The opportunity fizzled as Syracuse forced the play out wide where Sophia Mannino would be assessed a yellow card for her physical play in the corner.

Syracuse didn’t manage much on its advantage, the Nittany Lions still looking like the side was at even strength throughout the penalty as they thwarted multiple Orange forward pass attempts. Mannino returned to play and Penn State returned to the offensive.

Syracuse almost doubled its lead to end the third quarter as another picked pass saw Lana Hamilton with another open shot. Strong defense by Morgan Snyder bumped her off the ball cleanly and the chance went begging.

The orange opted to give Pert a rest after her three-save performance, giving the Dutch freshman, Vera Hekkenberg the fourth-quarter nod in cage. A Penn State penalty corner tested her early into the fourth quarter as Gladieux squared up to deliver a canon strike from the arc. The shot was called dead on a dangerous ball, though.

Syracuse earned a penalty corner of its own on the next possession. Bo van Kempen doubled the Orange lead with a deft cross-goal shot that beat Deverka to the low left.

Gladieux answered the bell in the following minute as Penn State urgently tried to claw a goal back. She slipped into the shooting circle with a spin move through two Orange defenders to set up a backhanded wallop that sent the ball into the upper netting. Syracuse requested a video review of the play but after a confirmed call, the score stood 2-1 with 6:41 to play.

Penn State continued to commit to the attack with time winding down, the Orange doing its best to park the bus and hang on to the one-goal lead. A late yellow card called on Orange defender Taja Gans put the Nittany Lions in position to tie the game up, but Penn State couldn’t break through before the final buzzer sounded.

Takeaways

• Gladieux is carrying her Olympic skill and experience into the season with her, dicing defenders with ease and holding both Nittany Lion goals this year. Though not the only offensive threat for Penn State, this weekend, she’s proven that no matter how good the defense, she’ll find a way to score.
• Deverka and the defense had another solid game. While they gave up goals on a penalty corner and a turnover, the unit looked like a brick wall in regular play. As they get more chemistry together and begin to limit miscommunications, the unit will be strong through theNo. 16 Penn State Field Hockey Bested 2-1 By No. 10 Syracuse To End Season Opening Home Stand
  season.

What’s Next?

Penn State will take the show on the road for an afternoon matchup against St. Joseph’s at 3 p.m. on Friday, September 6.