Penn State field hockey hits the road for a matchup against Bucknell

This Sunday, the Nittany Lions will travel to the nearby Lewistown, Pa.; where they will be taking on the Bucknell Bison.

Penn State is star-powered all throughout its roster and especially shows the Olympic prowess of the legendary Sophia Gladieux.

As the majority of the world calls her "Phia"; she has started off her 2024 season with 10 goals in only six total games played so far.

This summer in France she was a part of the Olympic field hockey roster, which is an incredible accomplishment, to say the least for the superstar.

Now a fifth-year senior, she became the fourth-ever Penn State field hockey player to be named to the Summer Olympic roster, showing how big of an accomplishment that is.

In her 2023 season, she led the team in points with 45 total points off of 21 goals scored. She was also a clutch player in many ways, with six game-winning goals on the season as well.

The Boyerstown, Pa. native has not skipped a beat this season, proving how good her durability is, even with playing a great deal over the summer.

Moving on to the matchup taking place this Sunday, the Bucknell Bison come into this matchup with a 2-4 overall record.

The main thing that works in the Bison’s favor is the fact that they have already played a Big Ten opponent this season, falling 4-1 to a top 15-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes team.

Two players to keep your eye on are Lily Nielson and Sally Hunter, who have both notched 2 goals each for Bucknell to start this season.

Penn State comes into this weekend at 3-3 on the season, as they have suffered losses to Virginia, Syracuse and Saint Joseph in the first three games of the season.

That slow start was short lived however, as the Nittany Lions have powered through their last three matches with three straight wins coming into this matchup after a big 3-2 victory over Princeton.

Another player that will be a key for the Nittany Lions on Sunday, is freshman goalkeeper Aby Deverka.

Deverka was named the Big Ten Field Hockey Rookie of the Week for his performances last week. She leads the Big Ten with 33 saves in only five games. That puts her 13th in the nation with 6.60 saves per game.

Head coach Lisa Bervinchak Love has been involved with the program for 30 years up to this point, now in her second season as the head coach.

The slow start from her squad is not the end of the world, as they have already faced three ranked opponents in Syracuse, Virginia and St Joseph universities.

For Penn State and its fanbase, they’re hoping that the early season hiccup will only make them stronger as they go down the next stretch of their season.

Giustino Racchini is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email him at gar5448@psu.edu.