CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 8 Virginia field hockey team (0-1 ACC) lost its season opener against No. 16 Penn State with the Nittany Lions winning 3-2 in overtime on Friday (Aug. 27) at Turf Field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Penn State took a 1-0 lead in the first quarter, scoring on a penalty corner midway through the period. Senior back Amber Ezechiels tied the game with 2:39 remaining in the first half, smashing in a shot after a Virginia penalty corner. Penn State again pushed ahead in the final seconds of the third quarter. Junior midfielder Adele Iacobucci tied the game for UVA on another penalty corner midway through the fourth quarter.
Penn State scored the game-winner 4:01 into extra time when Emma Spisak took off on a breakaway. She got into the circle and passed the ball to a wide-open Jemma Punch who converted the opportunity and ended the game.
NOTES
- Virginia held a 25-8 shot advantage. 11 of UVA’s shots were on goal
- Amber Ezechiels had a goal and an assist as she set up Adele Iacobucci’s score
- Meghen Hengerer and Annie McDonough assisted on the first goal
- Penn State’s Brie Barraco logged nine saves. UVA’s Lauren Hausheer had two
- Freshman Jans Croon was in the starting lineup for her collegiate debut
- Freshmen Grace Parsons, Noa Boterman and Emily Field also made their collegiate debuts
FROM HEAD COACH MICHELE MADISON
“We had our chances. If we would have started the game like we played the second half, we probably could have changed the complexion a little bit. We have to be a little more patient defensively, but yet still aggressive to close. We attacked the ball well. We moved to the midfield well. We just didn’t capitalize. We took 28 shots, we didn’t bury it, and that’s what we have to work on.”
ON THE HORIZON
- Virginia closes out its opening weekend by hosting No. 17 Delaware (1-0) on Sunday, Aug. 29 at 1 p.m. at Turf Field