Penn State field hockey (3-3) took on No. 15 Princeton (2-2) in Happy Valley after an extended road stretch, winning the homecoming bout with a 3-2, last-minute victory.

Princeton got on the board early with a poached pass turned goal for the Tigers, but Sophia Gladieux pulled the game back even with an on-the-run backhand. The tie wouldn’t stand as Princeton scored again as the first half waned, holding the lead deep into the fourth quarter. Sophia Mannino and Gladieux mustered up a late comeback to give the Nittany Lions their first home win of the season.

How It Happened

Penn State found itself in a hole early after making a rough defensive mistake. Morgan Snyder tried to slide possession across the shooting circle to fellow back, Gery Schnarrs, but the turf monster struck and left the ball open for Beth Yeager to shoot. Freshman keeper Aby Deverka made the save for the Nittany Lions, but Yeager managed to keep the ball in bounds, sending it back to Talia Schenck for a tap-in, 1-0 goal with just over two minutes played.

In the final five minutes of the first period, Penn State had its chance to respond to the deficit with a flurry of short corners. All three went to Gladieux, whose cannon shot was blocked on the first attempt, with the following two ending by way of smothering defense from the Tigers.

Princeton got a penalty corner of its own to end the first quarter, but a missed shot from Lilly Wojcik let the Nittany Lions off the hook, seeing the quarter end 1-0.

After a sleepy start to the second quarter, the Tigers nearly struck again with seven minutes to play in the half. Deft passing worked the ball deep into the shooting circle and onto Yeager’s stick, but selfless defense saw the resulting shot deflected and finally turned away by Deverka to avert the threat.

Penn State took advantage of a free hit two minutes later deep in defending territory with a long, lofted ball aimed up the left wing by Schnarrs that found Gladieux in stride. She would hold off a crashing duo of Tiger defenders to wind up and deliver a perfectly struck, top-shelf smash to tie the game at 1-1.

Instant replay on Phia's goal pic.twitter.com/WkVATKYXI7

— Penn State Field Hockey (@PennStateFH) September 15, 2024

The Nittany Lions weren’t able to take the even score into the locker room, though, as the Tigers urgently pushed the ball up to freshman midfielder Molly Nye with a low inbound roller. With 15 seconds left in the half, she used her speed to lunge into the shooting circle and hit a backhand shot past Deverka. The buzzer sounded to close the half 2-1 for Princeton.

The third quarter was a battle of the midfielders as both teams tried to hoard possession. Under a hot Centre County sun, they worked the ball back and forth, waiting for any mistake or minor falter from their opponent. None came from either side, and the period closed unceremoniously.

Penn State took control of the game as the fourth quarter began, urgently trying to work into the shooting circle and push for an equalizer. Princeton worked hard on defense to keep the Nittany Lions at bay, but a break came with seven minutes to play.

Gladieux once again found herself carrying the ball with speed and skipped through the Tiger perimeter. This time on the forehand, she fired before help could arrive, sent the ball home, and tied the game at 2-2.

SHE RANNN WITH IT pic.twitter.com/piPyh5Y6D4

— Penn State Field Hockey (@PennStateFH) September 15, 2024

The Nittany Lions clamped down even harder on the Princeton defense following their goal, using their momentum to trap the Tigers in their zone and hunt for the go-ahead score. Attempting to quell the onslaught, Princeton’s Yeager tripped up Drew Taylor at the sideline, earning a yellow card.

With the player advantage, Penn State worked back onto the attack, earning a short corner opportunity with a minute and twenty seconds to play. The ball was sent to Gladieux with the entire defense shifting up to thwart the hat trick opportunity. Gladieux shot into the crowd, the ball finding Mannino’s stick and bounding up and over keeper Robyn Thompson.

PHI'S GOAL REPLAY pic.twitter.com/joUUjIOOP7

— Penn State Field Hockey (@PennStateFH) September 15, 2024

The last-minute goal stood decisive as Princeton couldn’t muster a counterattack of their own, the game ending 3-2 for Penn State.

Takeaways

• Opponents know the Nittany Lions are going to use Gladieux. They scheme for it and mark her aggressively throughout the game. She scored anyway, spurring on this comeback with two goals and an assist for good measure, seemingly oblivious to the extra pressure.
• Penn State’s struggles to open games on even footing continued today. Against No. 3 Virginia, No. 10 Syracuse, Saint Joseph’s, Delaware, and No. 15 Princeton, Penn State found itself down early in the contest, forcing the team to fight from behind. They got away with it today after a dominant fourth quarter.
• The fourth quarter was a lights-out performance. Like night and day, a seriously high press, effective passing, and players getting open looks on goal was the difference between an ineffective Penn State offense and an inevitable goal-scoring machine.

What’s Next?

Penn State will take next Friday off, picking up the campaign in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania,f against Bucknell on Sunday. The opening whistle against the Bison is set for 1 p.m.