Penn State field hockey faces big road test with two ranked matchups

Big Ten play is still in its early stages, but Penn State already has two of their toughest tasks ahead.

The Nittany Lions ranked No.17 in the NFHCA Coaches Poll, will be battle-tested this weekend when they travel to face No. 10 Iowa and No. 2 Northwestern.

Penn State is coming off a 5-1 win over Lafayette, which extended their winning streak to six games. The Nittany Lions have faced four ranked opponents this season with losses to Virginia, Syracuse, Saint Joseph’s and a win over Princeton.

Penn State is 1-0 in conference play with a 3-2 win over Indiana.

The Nittany Lions are led by 2024 Olympian Sophia Gladieux. Gladieux leads the team in goals with 15 and has netted in every game this season. To put this into perspective Julienne van Bekkum, Sophia Mannino and Natalie Freeman are tied for second on the team in goals scored, each with two.

Gladieux leads Division I in points per game (3.78) and is tied with UAlbany’s Alison Smisdom for the lead in goals per game (1.67).

Freshman goalie Aby Deverka has started eight of nine games for the Nittany Lions this season, recording 48 saves, and allowing 18 goals. Deverka has looked solid so far but will have some challenges to face this weekend.

Iowa preview:

Iowa stands at 5-3 this season, with their most recent victory coming against Villanova by a score of 2-0. The Hawkeyes are 0-2 to start Big Ten play with a 5-0 loss to Northwestern and a 3-2 shoot-out deficit against Rutgers.

The highlight of this Iowa squad is 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Dionne van Aalsum. In 2023 van Aalsum led the nation with 28 goals, 62 points and 3.26 points per game. She currently leads the team with three goals this season.

Penn State’s defensive line has improved throughout recent games, but they will certainly have their hands full with van Aalsum.

Mia Magnotta has started all eight games in net for the Hawkeyes, totaling 27 saves and posting a 0.750 save percentage. Magnotta has allowed nine goals through eight games, placing her in the top 10 nationally for goals against average (1.038).

Penn State hopes to extend their win streak and improve to 7-3, while Iowa looks to spoil the party and earn their first Big Ten win of the season.

Viewers can tune in to B1G+ at 6 p.m. EST on Friday to watch the Hawkeyes and Nittany Lions battle it out.

Northwestern preview:

The Wildcats got their hearts broken in the national championship last year after falling to North Carolina in shoot-out fashion.

The past is in the past and Northwestern has been phenomenal during their revenge tour. The Wildcats stand at 10-0, with three Big Ten shutout wins over Iowa, Indiana and Maryland.

Northwestern most recently defeated No. 16 Princeton 3-2.

Offensively the Wildcats are led by North Carolina transfer Ashley Sessa. Sessa leads the team with seven goals and is tied with Lauren Hunter for the team lead in assists, each with six apiece.

Northwestern is much better known for their defense, and will certainly cause trouble for the Nittany Lion scoring unit. The Wildcats have more shutout wins than any team this season, with eight total.

The preposterous Wildcat defense starts with goalie Annabel Skubisz. Skubisz is the reigning Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year and 2023 Big Ten tournament MVP. Skubisz has appeared in all 600 minutes this season, recording 38 saves while only allowing three goals. Skubisz leads the nation in save percentage (.927).

To witness the must-watch matchup between Annabel Skubisz and Sophia Gladieux tune into B1G+ on Sunday at 1 p.m. EST.

Gianna Dowling is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her email gmd5738@psu.edu.