Penn State wins in overtime against Lafayette — Nittany Lions' first ranked win of the season

The Nittany Lions managed to score three in an otherwise scoreless game. Photo: Penn State Athletics

Penn State defeated No. 19 Lafayette, 3-2, in an overtime upset on Senior Day, earning its first ranked win of the season. After falling to Lafayette in overtime last year, the Nittany Lions got their revenge.

Penn State is now 6-4 overall and Lafayette is 9-2.

The game remained scoreless through three quarters before both teams came alive in the fourth. With nine minutes left in regulation, Lafayette connected in the circle: Maddie Evans cut behind a defender and tapped the ball to Emma Maher, who scored the game’s first goal — and her first of the season.

Penn State answered quickly. Olivia Marthins met senior captain Natalie Freeman in the circle and scored her fourth goal of the season just 90 seconds later. Only 30 seconds after that, Freeman and Marthins connected again to give the Nittany Lions a 2-1 lead on Senior Day.

Lafayette refused to fold.

With just over two minutes remaining, the Leopards earned a penalty corner, and Katie Gibb set up Lena Thedrian for a shot past goalkeeper Aby Deverka to tie the game at 2-2.

Penn State head coach Hannah Prince had noted that Lafayette “plays quite direct on their corners,” and the Leopards did exactly that.

For the second straight year, Lafayette had pushed Penn State to overtime — but the Nittany Lions took control early in the extra period.

Their pressure inside the circle produced two penalty corners. On the second, Penn State capitalized: Ella Gaitan scored the winner off assists from Sienna Dunn and Camryn Standish, sending the sideline into a Senior Day celebration.

Prince credited associate head coach Mark Wadsley, saying he “does a great job at reading the D and training these girls to have many different options” against pressure defenses.

After a week and a half on the road, the dramatic win gave Penn State a timely boost ahead of its Oct. 9 Big Ten matchup against Michigan State.

*Simmie Samra is a student-intern at Penn State University.  

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