Penn State field hockey hangs on to defeat Indiana 3-2

No. 19 Penn State field hockey opened Big Ten conference play with a clash against the Indiana Hoosiers Friday at the Field Hockey Complex.

The Nittany Lions cruised to a controlling 3-2 win against Indiana, headlined by versatile scoring and stellar goalkeeping.

None have been more impressive for the Nittany Lions in 2024 than senior forward Sophia Gladieux, who compiled 26 points on 12 goals and two assists coming into the game, scoring in each of Penn State’s first seven contests.

The Boyertown, Pa. native scored both goals in the blue and white’s victory over Bucknell last time out— once in the fourth period to tie it, and then the overtime winner minutes later.

She would extend her goals and points streak to eight games after the victory versus Indiana.

Head coach Lisa Bervinchak Love has had to rely on her veteran players for much of the campaign. Senior Sophia Mannino and graduate student Julienne van Bekkum are tied for second on the team in scoring behind Gladieux, with five points apiece.

The Nittany Lions needed their veterans all game long, as Indiana presents a tough task for any opponent. Despite the losing record, the Hoosiers battled toe-to-toe with No. 1 Northwestern last time out, falling 1-0 after conceding a goal early on in the second half.

Love is entering only her second season as the head coach for the field hockey program, but her experience is limitless within the Penn State community. She joined the Lions as an assistant coach in 1994 as part of Char Morett-Curtiss’ staff and has also served as an associate head coach with the team.

Now, as Penn State looked to begin Big Ten play, Love was eager to make her own imprint on such a storied program.

Her squad helped her do just that, as Penn State came out with an unmatched intensity early. After an early penalty shot by Indiana was blocked, the superstar Gladieux helped push the pace upfield and found sophomore forward Natalie Freeman for an easy tip-in to open the scoring four minutes into the contest.

“[Sophia Gladieux] is obviously phenomenal, and she capitalizes a lot during games. But it definitely means more for everybody to score. It shows that we’re all capable of scoring and finishing,” said Freeman postgame.

Gladieux would continue to push the tempo in the first quarter, notching her 13th goal of the season by slicing the ball at a severe angle from the left baseline into the top right corner of the net.

Penn State took a 2-0 lead into the second quarter, where they continued to have sustained, offensive pressure. The Nittany Lions couldn’t convert on a penalty shot attempt midway through the quarter, and ended up regretting it.

Three minutes before halftime, the blue and white would concede a goal on a deflected shot by Indiana’s Ines Garcia Prado but continued to maintain a one-goal lead going into the break.

The ball would bounce both ways, as Penn State would make up for their first-half concession with a bouncer of their own into the bottom right corner in the third quarter. After careening off multiple defenders, senior Drew Taylor got a piece of the ball with her stick, which was just enough to extend the lead to 3-1.

The blue and white were stifling defensively to start out the fourth. Part of Penn State’s early season struggles can be attributed to inconsistent goalkeeping— something they looked to manage Friday. Freshman goalie Aby Deverka has gotten the main workload in net, going 2-3 on the year with 39 saves coming in.

She started against Indiana and notched six saves, including two diving stops early on in the fourth period.

“I just think she’s playing with confidence. I think for a freshman, that’s huge, especially in the goalkeeping position. It’s a big transition from high school to college,” said Love.

Indiana would make it interesting to close it out. After a penalty opportunity with six minutes left was converted by Indiana's Sydney Keld, the Nittany Lions' defense bent but refused to break, continuing to maintain possession and drain time off the clock.

The Hoosiers would be given a penalty opportunity with eight seconds left, giving them a last-minute chance to send the game to overtime. Deverka would come up clutch one last time, knocking the ball wide, and sealing the win.

Penn State hung on to earn a massive first win in conference play, winning their fifth game in a row after starting 0-3.

“We’ve been talking about growing each week and getting better. You know, they’re just working together and listening. We keep teaching, they keep learning. [...] We keep moving forward and come in with good energy and a positive attitude,” said Love.

The Nittany Lions will host Lafayette this Sunday, Sept. 29 at the Field Hockey Complex.

Parker Silverman is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email pws5405@psu.edu.