No. 8 UVA Field Hockey Falls to No. 16 Penn State in Overtime, 3-2

Virginia’s 11 shots on goal were not enough, as the Cavaliers dropped their season opener to the Nittany Lions on Friday.

If you looked at every stat in the box score except for the final score, you would have been certain that the Virginia Cavaliers had won their season-opening field hockey match against Penn State in a landslide. UVA led Penn State in corners, shots, and shots on goal by a wide margin.

However, Penn State goalkeeper Brie Barraco stood on her head in the cage, saving nine of the 11 UVA shots on goal, and No. 16 Penn State defeated No. 8 Virginia, 3-2, in overtime on Friday evening in Charlottesville.

Penn State struck first with a goal by Anna Simon off of a penalty corner midway through the first quarter, assisted by Mackenzie Allessie. Virginia put three shots on goal in the first quarter, but all three were saved by Barraco and Penn State led 1-0 after the first frame.

With less than three minutes left in the second quarter, UVA finally broke through on a penalty corner goal by Amber Ezechiels, assisted by Meghen Hengerer and Annie McDonough.

Virginia’s defense did well to limit Penn State’s offensive opportunities, as the Nittany Lions managed just one shot in the first half.

Virginia had a significant advantage in corners (11-3), shots (25-8), and shots on goal (11-5), but Barraco’s nine saves completely nullified that UVA advantage. Virginia goalie Lauren Hausheer made two saves on five shots on goal.

“We attacked the ball well, we moved to the midfield well,” said Virginia head coach Michele Madison. “We just didn’t capitalize. We took 25 shots, we didn’t bury it, and that’s what we have to work on.”

The game remained knotted at one goal apiece until Penn State’s Sophia Gladieux scored with just 24 seconds left in the third quarter to regain the lead.

Virginia responded less than five minutes later with a goal by junior midfielder Adele Iacobucci. Amber Ezechiels shot the ball towards the goal off of a penalty corner and Iacobucci deflected it up and into the top right corner of the goal to tie the game at 2. That score held and the match went into overtime.

The two teams alternated scoring goals in each period, with Penn State scoring in the first and third quarter and Virginia scoring goals in the second and fourth quarter.

Unfortunately for the Hoos, that trend continued as Penn State scored on a breakaway chance four minutes into the overtime period to end the game. Penn State’s Jemma Punch made a run up the right side on the breakaway and UVA goalie Lauren Hausheer came up out of the cage to try to make a play on the ball. Punch made the pass to a wide open Emma Spisak in the middle of the field, who scored on the open goal to win the match.

With the victory, Penn State now holds a 20-8 advantage in the all-time series with Virginia.

Up next, Virginia stays at home and will look to rebound against No. 17 Delaware on Sunday at 1pm.