Penn State earned its 13th win of the season after a hard-fought matchup against Kent State.
The Nittany Lions beat the Golden Flash 3-0 to extend their winning streak to five games.
The Golden Flash have had an on-and-off season so far, but have slipped to 6-7 after this afternoon’s matchup.
Shortly after the match started, junior forward Sophia Gradue scored the first goal of the game after an assist from senior midfielder Mackenzie Alessi.
The tally marked Gradue’s 17th goal of the season and extended her scoring streak to six games in a row.
By the end of the first quarter, Penn State’s offense looked strong, with Kent State’s 12 shots of blue and white and 1 shot of a golden flush in the 1st and 3rd corners.
But Golden Flash goaltender Sophomore Cecil van Eyck was able to hold off the Forts with six saves.
Starting in the second quarter, graduate student Anna Simon scored a goal for the Nittany Lions to extend their lead to 2-0 after an assist from senior Elena Voss.
During this quarter, the game bounced back and forth across the field, as opposed to the first quarter, which was primarily focused on Kent State goals.
Forward Sophia Gradue takes the ball into the field during the Pennsylvania State Women’s Field Hockey game against Ohio State University on Sunday, September 25, 2022 at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex in University Park, Pennsylvania. . The Nittany Lions beat the Buckeyes her 2–0. .
The team was fairly even on shots in the second quarter, with Penn State taking four shots to Kent State’s three. All of the Golden Flash’s shots were saved by senior goaltender Bree Barraco.
After half-time, both teams appeared to have lost their attacking momentum. By the halfway point of the third quarter, only two shots by Gradieu and Alessi and a penalty corner by the latter of the two star players had been shot.
Late in the 3rd quarter, the Golden Flash opened the attack with two shots and a penalty corner. At the end of the frame, no goals were scored by either team.
The start of the fourth quarter appeared to follow a similar trend, with Kent State’s Agustina Florio hitting a quick shot.
After this scare, the Nittany Lions regained control. Gradue scored the third goal of the game with help from Alessi and Voss after graduate student Grace Wallis missed a shot.
By the end of the game, it looked like smooth sailing for the blue and white, so head coach Charlene Moret Curtis decided to replace many of the more important players in order for everyone to have a chance to play. was completed.
Overall, the Nittany Lions were able to hold their ground and prevent a goal from Kent State.
However, it was clear from the game stats that the Nittany Lions had lost momentum during the match. The Blues and Whites, who finished the 1st quarter with 12 shots, finished the 4th with just 2 shots overall.
The Nittany Lions face Maryland this Friday at University Park, and it looks like it’s going to be a tough matchup for the Big Ten.
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