Penn State Field Hockey Stuns No 1 Northwestern 2-0

Penn State needed just two goals to make program history on Friday night, holding off top-ranked Northwestern 2-0 at the Field Hockey Complex for the first win over a number one team in program history.

The Nittany Lions (12-5, 6-2) got nothing to go on through a scoreless first half, with Aby Deverka turning away Ashley Sessa's early shot and Juliana Boon answering with a save on Ella Gaitan before intermission. Both penalty corner units stayed quiet in the second quarter too, though Northwestern tested Deverka twice on corner looks from Laura Salamanca and Bree Moffett, and Marie McCracken drew a save from Boon at the other end.

The breakthrough came late in the third quarter. Cooper Cutchins buried a goal at the 41:46 mark off assists from Sienna Dunn and Ella Gaitan, snapping the deadlock after Northwestern had pushed for an equalizer on back to back shots from Salamanca and Aerin Krys off consecutive penalty corners just minutes earlier. Penn State made it 2-0 in the fourth quarter when Lilly Holmes converted off a Cam Standish assist with 2:04 left to play, a penalty corner goal that doubled as the first of Holmes's season.

Deverka was outstanding in net for the Nittany Lions, finishing with 7 saves and the shutout across all 60 minutes despite facing nine shots to Penn State's six. Boon kept Northwestern competitive deep into the fourth quarter, stopping 4 of the 6 shots she faced before giving way to a team goalkeeping situation with just over four minutes remaining, during which Holmes's winner went in.

Northwestern (16-2, 7-1) generated the bulk of the offensive pressure, outshooting Penn State 9-6 and holding a 3-2 edge in penalty corners, with Sessa and Salamanca each putting up three shots. But the Wildcats couldn't solve Deverka, who turned away everything sent her way in the circle.

The game had its share of discipline, too. Northwestern's Salamanca and Olivia Bent-Cole each picked up green cards in the second quarter, and Penn State's Sienna Dunn drew a green card of her own in the fourth, sandwiched around a yellow card issued to Morgan Snyder.

With the regular season winding down, the win pushes Penn State to 6-2 in conference play while Northwestern falls to 7-1. A crowd of 812 was on hand to watch the Nittany Lions pull off the milestone victory.

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