Penn State field hockey (3-2, 0-0 Big Ten) lost 2-1 to No. 4 Princeton (2-1, 0-0 Ivy) on Sunday afternoon at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex.

After falling behind 2-0 in the second quarter, the Nittany Lions ramped it up in the second half, scoring a goal by Ella Gaitan, but couldn’t complete the comeback as Princeton’s defense did a great job limiting action in front of its net.

How It Happened

The game started slowly, with both teams struggling to mount much offense. Princeton controlled possession, but the Nittany Lions’ strong defense kept the Tigers from getting any shots off in the opening minutes.

After a penalty corner, Molly Nye and Tabby Vaughan registered the first shots of the game for Princeton in rapid succession, one saved by Aby Deverka and one blocked by the Penn State defense.

The defensive play continued for the rest of the first quarter, with neither team making much headway on offense.

The Tigers were much more aggressive in the second quarter, with Pru Lindsey beating Deverka for the game’s first goal.

Lindsey doubled her goal total on a penalty stroke just a few minutes later, extending Princeton’s lead to two.

The Nittany Lions had much trouble getting the ball out of their own half, with Deverka being forced to make three more saves in a push by Princeton right before the half.

Penn State was much more successful on offense to begin the second half, drawing a penalty corner early with Ella Gaitan capitalizing on the opportunity, deflecting a shot by Cam Standish.

The goal ignited the Nittany Lion offense, with two more penalty corners being drawn over the next few minutes. Princeton did a good job blocking shots and keeping goaltender Olivia Caponiti clean, as no shots on goal resulted from the penalty corners.

Both teams traded possession for the rest of the third quarter, with strong defense from both sides keeping it at 2-1.

The slow pace continued into the fourth, with little offensive action in the early minutes of the final quarter.

Facing defeat, Penn State really ramped it up on offense late in the game, drawing two penalty corners in the final two minutes.

Despite the surge, the Nittany Lions weren’t able to put a shot on net, and they fell to Princeton 2-1.

Takeaways

• Both teams played great defense, with just seven shots on goal combined.
• Despite converting on their first penalty corner, the Nittany Lions struggled late on set pieces, with just one shot making it to the net on five opportunities.
• The Tigers showed why they’re so highly ranked, controlling possession for much of the afternoon.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will finish their home stand on Thursday, September 17, when they take on Maryland. The game is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex and will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.