Seven and counting: Penn State field hockey win streak includes weekend sweep of Ohio State, No. 18 Michigan

The Penn State field hockey team is showing off its winning vibe. Photos: Penn State Athletics

Lara Pyle supplied the shootout finish Friday. Ella Gaitan delivered the two-goal punch Sunday.

Together, they powered Penn State to a home sweep of Ohio State and No. 18 Michigan, turning a last-second escape and a late defensive stand into a seven-game winning streak.

The Nittany Lions beat Ohio State 4-3 Friday, winning the shootout 3-1, before holding off then No. 18 Michigan 2-1 Sunday at Char Morett-Curtiss Field.

The sweep lifted Penn State to 10-4 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten, tied with Indiana for third behind unbeaten conference leaders Maryland and Northwestern.

Michigan finished the weekend 6-8 overall and 1-6 in conference play, seventh in the nine-team standings, while eighth-place Ohio State fell to 4-10 and 0-6 after also losing 4-0 to Maryland on Sunday.

For Penn State, the weekend secured its first double-digit-win season since 2022 and its fourth consecutive conference victory.

Sunday’s victory came off Gaitan’s stick. She scored at 3:40 on a penalty corner, with Natalie Freeman and Sienna Dunn assisting, then struck again at 33:09 after combining with Freeman on a fast break. Her second goal made it 2-0 and pushed her season total to a career-best 11.

Michigan answered just 36 seconds into the fourth quarter when Tilly Gibson scored her first career goal off an assist from Abby Burnett. The Wolverines outshot Penn State 12-7 and held a 4-3 edge in penalty corners, but Aby Deverka’s three saves and Penn State’s defense kept them from finding an equalizer.

With three and a half minutes remaining, Michigan pulled goalkeeper Hala Silverstein for an extra attacker. Penn State held firm, finishing the weekend without needing another overtime.

“The girls were so relieved,” Penn State coach Hannah Prince said of ending Sunday’s game in regulation.

Relief had arrived much later Friday. Trailing Ohio State 3-2 in the closing seconds, Penn State earned a penalty corner with 19 seconds left. Olivia Marthins finished the chance with 13 seconds remaining, scoring her second goal of the night to force overtime.

Neither team scored in overtime, sending the game to a shootout. Pyle delivered the deciding goal as Penn State prevailed 3-1, completing a night that began with the sophomore’s first career goal in regulation.

Pyle opened the scoring in the second quarter by putting away a rebound after Ohio State goalkeeper Maddie Stevens stopped a Marthins shot. Autum Kernechel answered about a minute later, leaving the teams tied 1-1 at halftime.

Marthins restored Penn State’s lead in the third quarter with Dunn assisting, but Ohio State flipped the game in the fourth. Sienna Golden tied it at 51:23, and Phillippa Jowett converted a penalty corner at 54:39 to put the Buckeyes ahead 3-2.

Penn State pulled Deverka for an extra field player with four minutes remaining and kept pressing until Marthins broke through. Deverka finished with nine saves, matching her season high, as Ohio State outshot the Nittany Lions 16-13.

Prince said Penn State anticipated Ohio State’s approach but needed time to adjust to the contact.

“I do feel like in the first half, we were not completely ready for their physicality, but I think tactically, we were there,” she said.

Between games, the emphasis was on execution rather than an overhaul.

“Our philosophy is to play true to our identity but the tweaks we are making, they’re really executing a lot of those details,” Prince said.

Penn State now takes its winning streak on the road for another two-game Big Ten weekend, visiting Indiana on Friday, Oct. 23, before facing Iowa on Sunday, Oct. 25.

After protecting home turf twice, the Nittany Lions head to Bloomington level with the Hoosiers in the conference race.

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

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