No. 17 Penn State field hockey (7-6, 1-3 Big Ten) defeated Ohio (5-8, 2-3 MAC) 5-0 on Sunday afternoon.

The Nittany Lions found themselves in the win column again after a three-game losing streak. Midfielder Carly Seal scored her first goal of the season, and forward Katelyn Strawser scored her second goal of the season.

How It Happened

Both teams traded possessions to start the first few minutes of the game. The Nittany Lions eventually found success with netting the ball from Ella Jennes’ goal.

Less than a minute later, Penn State scored again with a goal from forward Aubrey Semler.

Penn State continued to successfully maintain control of the ball and regained possession after a blocked shot from Julia Lamb. Both teams went back to trading offensive drives, as Ohio was able to control the ball for a little while. The Nittany Lions were awarded two penalty corners as the first quarter came to a close, with both deflected by Ohio. The score stood at 2-0 in favor of Penn State as the opening quarter ended.

Similar to the first quarter, both teams traded off the ball to start the second quarter. The Bobcats had a deep drive downfield that almost resulted in their first points, but the ball went out of bounds. Penn State responded immediately after, moving the ball down the turf, but the fast-moving drive resulted in a turnover.

Sophia Gladieux moved the ball around the halfway mark of the quarter, but her shot was blocked. However, the Nittany Lions were awarded with a penalty corner, but Ohio deflected Gladieux’s shot again. Both teams traded possessions until the Bobcats were awarded a penalty corner with 1:57 remaining in the half. The shot went high, but Ohio recovered possession. The Nittany Lions kept the Bobcats out of the goal, and again quickly moved down turf as the first half was winding down, drawing a penalty corner with less than a minute remaining. The shot was deflected and the clock hit zero, as both teams headed to halftime with Penn State still up 2-0.

Penn State’s defense stepped up on Ohio’s opening drive in the second half, keeping the Bobcats out of the goal. The Nittany Lions continued their slow yet methodical approach, which resulted in a Gladieux shot that was no good.

Gladieux had another shot not long after, which was deflected again. On Penn State’s next drive, Sophia Mannino drew another penalty corner for the Nittany Lions that was no good.

Soon after, the Nittany Lions found the net with a goal from Seal, extending Penn State’s lead to three.

Penn State began to pull away, with Katelyn Strawser’s second goal of the season. Up 4-0, the Nittany Lions found their momentum and continued to play tough for the rest of the third quarter, keeping Ohio out of the net.

Gladieux found the net early in the final quarter, her 18th of the season and extending Penn State’s lead to 5-0. Both teams traded possessions throughout the fourth quarter as the game closed out 5-0 in favor of the Nittany Lions.

Takeaways

• Penn State was by far the dominant team on the afternoon. It just seemed that anything Ohio tried, the Nittany Lions responded properly. Penn State came ready to play after its losing streak.
• Carly Seal and Katelyn Strawser scored their first and second goals of the season this game, respectively. It will be interesting to see if they can continue their offensive success into Big Ten play against Michigan.
• The Nittany Lion’s defense really stepped up, keeping the Bobcats out of the net for the whole game. With strong momentum in their back pocket, it’ll be interesting to see how that plays a factor against Michigan.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions return home to take on Michigan at 4 p.m. on Friday, October 18. The game can be streamed on BTN+.