The Five Best Moments From Penn State Field Hockey’s 2026 Regular Season
Penn State field hockey’s 2026 season has been nothing short of exhilarating.
A brand new national championship-winning head coach, a returning core of seniors and leaders, and a handful of transfers from around the world have led the Nittany Lions to a 12-5 record.
The start of the year was shaky for the Nittany Lions. They had four straight losses against ranked teams and a 4-4 record heading into October, which featured the start of conference play and a non-conference game against another ranked team.
However, Penn State flipped the script in October, posting an 8-1 record with upset wins over No. 19 Lafayette, No. 18 Michigan, No. 13 Indiana, and the No. 1 team in the nation, Northwestern.
Now, the Nittany Lions hold the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
Let’s take a look at the top five moments from field hockey’s spectacular regular season.
No. 5: Three Straight Goals Against No. 5 Virginia
This loss stung.
In the season-opener β Hannah Prince’s first game as head coach β Penn State fell behind 3-0 in the third quarter to a top-ranked team. It looked grim.
But a penalty corner brought life back to Penn State, whose student and parent section rang-out with a “We Are” chant. A deflected shot led to the first goal of the season from Olivia Marthins. It took just two-and-a-half minutes for the Nittany Lions to win the ball back, and Ella Gaitan, the Maryland transfer who went on to lead the team in goals, knocked in her first.
Then, a few minutes later, Sienna Dunn, the international star, stole the ball away, and Chloe Dhage capped off three straight unanswered goals.
Penn State held Virginia scoreless through the remainder of the third and all of the fourth quarter, bringing the game to overtime. The Nittany Lions fell within the first five minutes from a penalty corner, but their three goals in the third quarter kicked off a season in which they scored 14 goals in the third.
No. 4: 2-1 Upset Win Against No. 18 Michigan
Gaitan is that girl. Against Michigan, she was explosive when the team needed it most.
With a six-game win streak on the line, Penn State wasn’t ranked in the NFHCA poll, and knew it needed something big against the Wolverines.
With 11:20 left in the first period, Gaitan gave the Nittany Lions an early 1-0 lead over the Wolverines, scoring her team-leading 10th goal of the season. It looked good going into halftime as goalie Aby Dverka continued to block shots from the Wolverines.
Gaitan then scored her 11th goal of the season three minutes and nine seconds into the half to take a 2-1 lead over the Wolverines, ending the game and marking the fifth-ranked opponent Prince and her team faced.
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— Penn State Field Hockey (@PennStateFH) October 18, 2026#GameOn | #PSUFH pic.twitter.com/DdUtZvQA1j
No. 3: 2-1 Win Against Ohio State In Penalty Shootout
Never count Penn State out, even if it trails late in the fourth period.
The Nittany Lions’ match against Ohio State was back-and-forth throughout. The Big Ten foes were deadlocked at 1-1, then 2-2, before Ohio State took a 3-2 lead with five minutes left.
The game looked over until Marthins came in clutch and scored a game-tying goal with 19 seconds left in regulation, sending it to overtime. After overtime, it was still tied at three.
The Penn State offense was amazing in the shootout, marking the first of the Prince era and the only one the Nittany Lions have had thus far this season. Gaitan netted the first point for the Nittany Lions after a spin-around shot, followed by Dunn.
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— Penn State Field Hockey (@PennStateFH) October 17, 2026#GameOn | #PSUFH pic.twitter.com/V0i4ZEW0k8
No. 2: Lafayette Overtime Win
An overtime win itself is exciting at face value. But how about an upset overtime win for the team’s first ranked win of the season?
On Senior Day at Penn State’s Field Hockey Complex, Lafayette took a 1-0 lead with less than nine minutes remaining. The lead, however, lasted only as long as Marthins allowed.
She scored two goals within 36 seconds and forced Lafayette to pull its goalkeeper, which worked, as the Leopards equalized in the final few minutes.
In Overtime, Penn State earned a penalty corner, which Cam Standish deflected in for the game-winner. The Nittany Lions found their statement win and went on to win their next five games.
No. 1: Cooper Cutchins Goal Against No. 1 Northwestern
Heading into the final game of the regular season, Penn State was wrapping up a month in which it posted a 7-1 record and leaped to the top half of the Big Ten standings. The only thing standing between the Nittany Lions and the No. 3 seed was the nation’s No. 1 team, Northwestern.
The first two quarters were gritty. Deverka made incredible saves against a dangerous offense, and the Nittany Lions could only break through Northwestern’s defense on breakaways.
But that all changed in the third quarter. Northwestern earned two penalty corners, and Deverka negated them, which eventually led to a penalty corner for Penn State. Gaitain’s shot rebounded directly to Cooper Cutchins with no defenders around her, and she snuck a worm-burner through Northwestern’s goalkeeper.
It was the only goal Penn State needed, and the Nittany Lions held on for their second win over a No. 1 team in program history.
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