Penn State field hockey (5-5, 1-2 Big Ten) fell to Michigan (7-3, 2-1 Big Ten) on the road Friday evening in a Big Ten matchup, 2-1.

The Nittany Lions matched the Wolverines with 12 shots, but couldn’t find the equalizer against a Michigan defense that held firm in the closing minutes.

How It Happened

Michigan opened the scoring early when Cammie Wiseman fought for the loose ball in the crease and buried it 7:08 into the game. The Wolvernines earned a corner 39 seconds later, but Penn State blocked the attempt.

With 1:50 left in the opening frame, Natalie Freeman sent a ball on net from the left side that Olivia Marthins tipped, but Michigan goalkeeper Hala Silverstein made the save.

With just under three minutes until halftime, Michigan capitalized on its fourth penalty corner of the day. Maxine Rogge received the feed and sent a shot that deflected off Aby Deverka’s foot into the goal to extend the Wolverines’ lead to 2-0.

Penn State responded by pressing higher and forcing turnovers, eventually earning a corner of its own. Morgan Snyders’ shot was blocked, but the Nittany Lions regained possession and earned another chance. Anouk Knuvers missed wide on the ensuing attempt with 1:48 left in the half.

The Nittany Lions continued to generate pressure before the break, passing around the circle to set up Knuvers for another hit that went wide before Kately Strawser’s shot was denied.

After Michigan controlled possession to start the third quarter, Penn State flipped the momentum when Freeman found Aubrey Semler off a turnover. Semler buried the shot past Caylie McMahon, who was subbed in at halftime, just 1:07 into the frame, to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Penn State continued to press into the fourth quarter, earning back-to-back corners with just over eight minutes to play, but failing to convert on either chance as Michigan’s defense stood tall.

The Nittany Lions earned another chance either 6:51 remaining, where McMenamin found Snyder in front, but her shot was saved by McMahom.

Michigan nearly added an insurance goal with 3:40 left when Juliette Manzur ripped a shot on net, but Deverka came up with the stop.

From there, the Wolverines maintained possession and ran out the final minutes to seal a 2-1 victory.

Takeaways

• The Wolverines converted two of their first four penalty corners to build a 2-0 lead by the half. It gave them a cushion to withstand Penn State’s second-half push and proved to be the difference.
• Despite 12 total shots and nine on goal, Penn State was never able to find the equalizer. The Nittany Lions had back-to-back corners with just over eight minutes left and another less than two minutes later, but Michigan’s defense came up with key stops.
• Even though the loss, it was obvious the Nittany Lions flipped the game’s tone after halftime. They forced turnovers, struggled together long possessions, and earned five penalty corners overall. Michigan just handled the intensity well.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will head to Columbus for another Big Ten matchup against Ohio State at 12 p.m. on Sunday, October 5. The game will be available on BTN+.