No. 18 Penn State field hockey (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten) defeated Delaware (0-3, 0-0 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) at home on Friday in the team’s home opener.

After a slow, defensive first half, the two teams combined for five second half goals. Ella Jennes scored the game winning goal in double overtime to give Penn State its first win of the season.

How It Happened

Aby Deverka was tested just over five minuets into the game for the Nittany Lions, and made back-to-back saves to keep the match scoreless. Delaware was rewarded a corner shortly after gaining possession, but Penn State’s defense stayed strong before gaining possession back.

The teams would trade empty possession back and forth, but the Nittany Lions found themselves in their defensive end most of the quarter. The Blue Hens finished the frame with four shots on goal, while Penn State put up a goose egg.

The Blue Hens started the second quarter with possession, but Lara Pyle quickly forced a turnover for the Nittany Lions. Penn State set up on offense and generated a good look, just missing the net on the tip-in attempt.

They were awarded a penalty corner minutes later, and once again just missed the net on the shot. The Nittany Lions retained possession and got off one more chance before the Blue Hens smothered the opportunity.

For the third time in the quarter, Penn State was given a corner. Morgan McMenamin set up Jennes but her shot was blocked by the defender. Delaware took over with 1:25 remaining in the half, but were unable to get anything serious going before the buzzer sounded. The teams went to their locker rooms deadlocked at zero.

Noelle Sabbagh gave Delaware its best chance of the game to open the second half, but Deverka stood tall and made the save. Penn State then got its first penalty corner of the half 1:55 into the frame, but were unable to capitalize on the chance.

Delaware was rewarded with a corner on its ensuing drive but traffic in front of the net near allowed the shot through to Deverka.

Halfway through the quarter, Penn State earned its fifth penalty corner of the contest. McMenamin found Joji Purdy off the corner, who found the back of the net to break the scoreless drought. Delaware earned a corner of its own less than a minute later, and Kate Fiest beat Deverka, tying the game a 1-1 in the blink of an eye.

On a mental miscue with under two minutes to go, Delaware goalie Gabby Prentice kicked the ball right to a Penn State attacker, who flipped the ball just over Prentice’s pads while out of position, finding the mesh for the goal. Penn State looked to have taken a 2-1 lead, but after review, the call on the field was overturned.

Five minutes into the final quarter of play, Penn State got a good look on net off a corner, but Prentice made the sliding pad save. On Delaware’s counter-attack, Deverka made recorded her seventh save of the game, but the Blue Hens maintained possession.

With 2:19 to go and the Nittany Lions on the attack, Purdy blasted her second goal of the game past Prentice, giving Penn State a 2-1 lead. Delaware had a prime chance to tie the game on a penalty corner coming with 1:44 to go. They didn’t waste the opportunity and scored the equalizer, but after the play went to review, and the goal was overturned.

Deleware re-entered the offensive zone in a last-ditch effort with 50 seconds to go in regulation, and Alexa Michielsen put the ball past Deverka amidst the chaos to even the slate at 2-2.

Delaware started the overtime possession with the ball, and both teams traded empty possessions for the majority of the first overtime.

Penn State tried to generate offense on its first drive of double overtime, but Anouk Knuver’s shoot went wide of the net. The Blue Hens took possession and advanced the ball into Penn State territory, but were quickly forced into a turnover.

Penn State was given its 12th corner of the night, and it was Jennes who called game with a 360 shot to beat Prentice with 3:33 remaining the second overtime.

Takeaways

• Joji Purdy was the difference offensively for Penn State, scoring both of the team’s goals and keeping the Nittany Lions in the game.
• Penn State generated 11 penalty corners, scoring on two of them, including the overtime winner. Although they left some of their best chances of the game on the table during regulation, the Nittany Lions made the Blue Hens pay in overtime.
• Deverka stood tall in net, finishing with six saves and holding Delaware to just two goals on the day.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will be back in action to play St. Joseph’s at 12 p.m. on Sunday, September 7, to complete the team’s first set of weekend homestand of the season. The game can be streamed on BTN+.