Penn State field hockey (0-1, 0-0 Big Ten) lost to the No. 5 Virginia Cavaliers (1-0, 0-0 ACC) in overtime 4-3 Friday afternoon in the 2026 season opener.

Virginia scored in the opening minutes of the first three quarters, while keeping Penn State off the scoreboard through all three. However, the Nittany Lions exploded in the fourth quarter with three unanswered goals and held Virginia at bay to bring the game into overtime.

How It Happened

Caitlin Connell of the Cavaliers took the center pass to kick off the 2026 season, and Virginia quickly broke away with an offensive opportunity. Dribbling into the zone, Rylee Dennis fired a backhand shot into the top right of Penn State’s goal, marking the first goal of Virginia’s young season at the 56-second mark.

Possession bounced between teams in the following minutes, as Aby Deverka recorded her first save of the season, and for Hope Russo, Penn State’s first shot, which sailed the net.

Despite their early success, the Cavaliers were overwhelmed by Penn State’s sticks; Virginia led multiple offensive campaigns that produced a pair of turnovers and a missed shot well left of the net.

With a minute remaining in the quarter, the Nittany Lions came up with a steal and a four-versus-three opportunity, but Madison Britton was unable to complete the through ball pass, and the quarter came to close shortly after.

The second quarter began just as the first one had, with Virginia dominating their offensive half of the field but three errant passes in the first two-and-a-half minutes led to two Penn State steals.

The Nittany Lions led their own campaign into Virginia territory, producing a shot kicked away by Nilou Lempers. The defensive backs of Virginia came away with a steal, and Connell fired a shot past Deverka that was deflected in by Riley Savage.

But the momentum started shifting the other way. With eight minutes left in the first half, Penn State had several offensive possessions, and Virginia kept turning the ball back over to the blue and white in their own territory. Eventually, Joji Purdy got a pass in the circle that Lauren Sloan kicked, giving Penn State their first real opportunity with a penalty corner.

Ella Gaitan took the shot and fired it into traffic, but Lempers made a split-kick save, and Penn State couldn’t convert on the rebound. They trailed 2-0 heading into halftime.

Virginia came out firing — again. Within a minute, Deverka was out of the net in a full split trying to make a save, though the play was called dead for an infraction just before the shot.

It wouldn’t take long for their offense to dice up Penn State’s defensive backs. A pair of through passes around the middle of the field left Cooper Cutchins on an island with three Cavaliers around her. Amelia Rees made one pass and Livvy Barker tapped it in for a 3-0 lead with 12 minutes to play in the quarter.

Penn State got the next two shots, though both missed as one sailed and Lempers came out of the net to cease any further action. Possession changed for a few minutes, then the Nittany Lions led an attack similar to Virginia. Britton dished it to Katelyn Strawser, and Strawser to Hope, who ripped a shot that Lempers hardly got a pad on.

Another opportunity arose from a rocket of a through ball that Natalie Freeman was unable to get her stick on in a one-on-one with the Cavaliers goalkeeper.

The third frame concluded with the Nittany Lions down three.

At the three-minute mark, Penn State earned its second penalty corner of the game. Lilly Holmes was set up for the shot, which was deflected early and nearly cleared by a lying-down Lempers, but Olivia Marthins scrapped her way to her team’s first goal of the season.

No more than a few minutes later, Chloe Dhage stole the ball away just outside of Virginia’s circle and dished it to Freeman. Freeman gave it away to Purdy, who couldn’t get her shot past Lempers, but the rebound fell right into Gaitan’s stick, cutting the lead to one.

With five and a half left in the game, nearly the same sequence occurred. Sienna Dunn came from behind a Cavalier, stole the ball away, dribbled into the circle, and found Dhage for an assist and a knotted-up affair.

Virginia stole some of the momentum back, earning themselves two penalty corners. Virginia’s first was saved with ease, but its second was deflected in the air, the ball floating towards the goal, nearly in, before Deverka leaps with her stick to whack it away.

Minutes later, the Cavaliers had another penalty corner, but the original pass was mishandled, and the ball was stolen away with ease. Time expired on the clock, and the game continued into overtime.

The Nittany Lions exploded out of the gate with the same energy from the fourth quarter, but Virginia finally collected their bearings and, after a few unsuccessful attacks, were given a penalty corner. Mia Abello ended the game with a rocket from the circle to give Virginia a 4-3 win.

Takeaways

• Penn State dominated more of the game than Virginia would like to admit. The blue and white outshot their opponent 12-9, though Virginia bested them with accuracy, putting seven of their nine on goal compared to Penn State’s six of 12.
• In her first game with the Nittany Lions, Hannah Prince was unable to capture a win, though she pioneered a blitz in the fourth quarter that helped her team take a top program into overtime.
• Penn State dominated the fourth quarter, scoring three unanswered goals, with stellar defense from its goalkeeper, Aby Deverka, to keep the Cavaliers at rest. Deverka made two saves on penalty corners in the final minutes of regular time, including a leaping clear.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions have Saturday off and will take on the Lock Haven Bald Eagles on Sunday, Aug. 31, at noon. All field hockey home games are free for fans, and Sunday’s contest will be streamed on Big Ten Plus. 2 to 24