Penn State field hockey hopes to bounce back in a weekend trip to the Buckeye State

Penn State saw its six-game win streak come to an end last weekend after dropping a couple of matches against Big Ten foes. The Nittany Lions were defeated by a score of 1-0 to then No. 10 Iowa and were the victims of a gut-punching 7-2 loss against No. 2 Northwestern.

Despite dropping two games, Penn State remains ranked No. 17 in the NFHCA Coaches Poll.

Penn State now holds a 1-5 record against ranked opponents. The Nittany Lions will look to pick themselves up in road games against No. 4 Ohio State and Ohio University.

The two Penn State goals scored against Northwestern came from Sophia Gladieux, making her the program's all-time leading scorer. The crown is most definitely going to the right place.

Gladieux led the team with 17 goals and had scored in every game until the Nittany Lions were shut out by Iowa. Gladieux leads Division I in goals per game (1.55) and points per game (3.45).

Aby Deverka has seen the most time in net for Penn State, making 10 appearances and starts. So far in her freshman campaign Deverka has totaled 60 saves and poses a 4-5 record. Deverka will have to stay composed against tough competition this weekend.

Gladieux and Deverka will be the main core in helping Penn State get back into the win column. The Nittany Lions are 1-2 in conference play and will look to get back to .500 against Ohio State.

Ohio State preview

Ohio State is ranked fourth in the country, holding a 9-1 record. The Buckeyes have notable wins over nationally-ranked Albany and Syracuse. Their lone loss came against No. 5 Michigan by a slight 1-0 margin.

Ohio State is 5-0 at home this season, scoring 23 goals. The high-powering Buckeye offense ranks fourth nationally in scoring average (3.68) and goals per game (3.70), and 5th nationally in points per game (10.30).

Makenna Webster leads the team in offensive production with 10 goals and 29 points on the season. In 2023 Webster finished top 10 nationally in goals scored (17), assists (12) and points (47). She was also named First-Team All-Big Ten.

Also a member of the women’s ice hockey team, Webster was named to the 2024 Frozen Four All-Tournament team, helping lead the Buckeyes to a national championship.

Abby Danson has been the primary goalkeeper for the Buckeyes this season. Danson has started all 10 games, allowing eight goals while recording 31 saves. She is ranked eighth nationally with a save percentage of .795.

Danson and the Buckeye defense have stood strong this season, recording four shutout wins.

Ohio State will look to keep their strong season flowing and block Penn State from getting another conference win.

Viewers can tune into the game on Friday at 3 p.m. EST on BTN.

Ohio Preview:

The Bobcats are 4-7 overall, with a 1-3 record in the MAC. Ohio has faced two ranked opponents this season, falling to Albany 4-0 and Michigan 6-0.

The Bobcats have a notable Big Ten victory after defeating Michigan State 3-2 in overtime.

Anouk Plaehn leads the team in goals (4) and points (8). Plaehn was named Second-Team All-MAC a season ago and will be the key offensive player for the Bobcats if they hope to upset Penn State.

Macy Lotze has been the go-to goalkeeper for Ohio this season, starting 10 of 11 games. Through this time Lotze has allowed 28 goals, recorded 82 saves and has a save percentage of .745. Lotze and the Bobcat defense will have a tall task ahead when facing the strong Nittany Lion offense.

The Bobcats will have a tune-up game at Bellarmine on Friday, before hosting Penn State on Sunday.

The match will be streaming on ESPN+ at noon EST.

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