No. 18 Penn State field hockey (0-1, 0-0 Big Ten) fell to No. 3 Virginia (1-0, 0-0 ACC) 5-1 on Friday afternoon at Turf Field in Charlottesville, Va.

After falling into a 2-0 first-quarter hole, the Nittany Lions were unable to climb back as the Cavaliers controlled play for most of the game.

How It Happened

Virginia was rewarded the first corner of the contest just two minutes in, but the Cavaliers couldn’t convert. Penn State answered with a corner of its own midway through the corner, testing goalie Nilou Lempers, who made the save.

With 2:43 remaining in the first quarter, Virginia broke the tie when Sloan Davidson converted off a corner to put her team ahead 1-0. Less than two minutes later, Caroline Raynes added a second goal, doubling the Cavaliers’ lead to 2-0. Virginia carried its 2-0 lead into the second quarter.

The Nittany Lions wasted no time responding at the start of the second quarter. Just 38 seconds in, Morgan Snyder converted off a corner from Natalie Freeman and Anouk Knuvers to make it 2-1.

Penn State kept the pressure on after Snyder’s goal, receiving multiple corners throughout the quarter. With 5:00 remaining in the half, Joji Purdy nearly evened the score, but rang her shot off the post. The Nittany Lions earned another corner less than a minute later, but Snyder’s attempt was blocked. The Cavaliers carried a 2-1 lead into the break.

Virginia rebuilt its two-goal cushion just 1:41 after halftime. Suze Leemans scored off a corner to push the Cavaliers ahead 3-1. Penn State looked to respond with chances of its own, but couldn’t find the mesh.

The Cavaliers extended their lead with 1:42 remaining in the third off an Amelie Rees goal, stretching the lead to 4-1.

Penn State pressed in the fourth, but Virginia’s defense and goalie kept the Nittany Lions from striking. The Cavaliers sealed the deal in the final minutes when Lauren Sloan scored with 1:41 left, closing out a 5-1 victory.

Takeaways

• Snyder’s early second-quarter goal gave the Nittany Lions momentum, and Purdy’s shot off the post almost tied the game, but Penn State never turned it into a rally as Virginia smothered the spark before halftime.
• Penn State generated seven corners but only turned one into a goal. Virginia, meanwhile, capitalized on four corners and kept pressure on Penn State throughout.
• Virginia goalie Lempers finished with five saves, while Penn State’s only save came from defender Knuvers in the second quarter.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will travel back home to take on Delaware at 5 p.m. on Friday, September 5, for the team’s first home game of the season. The game can be streamed on BTN+.