Penn State field hockey is heading to Columbus, Ohio, for the Big Ten Tournament, which will run from Wednesday through Sunday. It’s a trip the program hasn’t made since 2023, when it ended earlier than preferred at the hands of Ohio State in double overtime.

This team is different, however.

The 2023 team was led by Lisa Bervinchak Love, and her squad staggered into the No. 4 seed. Now, the Nittany Lions are led by national champion head coach Hannah Prince, who steered her team to the No. 3 seed behind an 8-1 October that included four ranked wins.

“This group has always believed that we can beat anyone if we play our best as a united group,” Prince said. “But obviously, seeing it and it actually happening against a No. 1 team, I think it gives them confidence, gives them a bit of an edge, but they’re still incredibly hungry for more.”

Ranked No. 12, Penn State will take that confidence and edge into the first round of the Big Ten Tournament against No. 10 Iowa — the team that handed the Nittany Lions its only loss in October.

The then-No. 6 Hawkeyes defeated Penn State 1-0 in Iowa City, Iowa, scoring the game’s lone goal in the opening minutes of the second half.

The Nittany Lions only recorded one shot in the first half and finished with fewer than half the shots Iowa took when the horn sounded. The Hawkeyes also earned six penalty corners to Penn State’s two.

Wednesday’s game will give the Nittany Lions a chance to right their wrongs.

“We didn’t generate enough on attack in terms of circle entries and quality opportunities,” Prince said about their last matchup against Iowa. “If we want to win, we have to keep possession a bit more, be a little more composed on the ball, and then create some corners.

“Defensively, I think we can put them under pressure, force turnovers, be really gritty, and manage some of their key players. Even though it hasn’t been that long since we played them, we’ve already made some improvements in the areas that we need to tactically.”

Penn State’s improvements have been consistent throughout the season.

A rocky 4-4 start, in which Penn State spent too much time trailing, was nullified by an eight-game winning streak that began with a first-quarter goal and lasted from late September until their trip to Iowa City.

The shutout against Northwestern justified the defense and its improvements from Iowa, but the offense couldn’t break through in the first half against the Wildcats. Even most of the third quarter was sluggish, and Penn State needed a breakaway to earn its first penalty corner and the eventual game-winning goal.

The Nittany Lions produced just six shots, all on goal, but it was against a Northwestern team that held opponents to 4.7 shots on goal per game.

Penn State’s win capped off a 9-1 record in the last 10 games of the season, propelling Penn State to the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.

“People keep telling me how great of a season we had, but my mentality is the job is not done,” Prince said, channeling her inner Mamba Mentality. “This is a whole other season. It could go for three more weeks, and that’s our goal, that’s my goal, that’s my staff’s goal, my team’s goal. While I am obviously proud of the work we’ve done this season, I’m hungry for more.”

Wednesday’s game against Iowa is the first step toward an extra three weeks of Penn State field hockey.

Confidence surrounds the team for not just a deep run in the Big Ten Tournament, but a run at the national championship as well.

“We may lack experience in the postseason, but this group has shown that they can hang with anyone and beat anyone. So while this may be an unfamiliar area, because of our strength of schedule, we really prepared them for tough games, tough moments, and being able to play as a group,” Prince said.

“So, yeah, I’m confident that, again, if we play as a group and execute our game plan, good things will come.”

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