Penn State Sports Magazine
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N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 51 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Penn State Breaks Ground On Field Hockey Facility Following its 2-1 victory over Lafayette on Oct. 9, Penn State held a groundbreaking ceremony for its field hockey renovation project. The upgrades will transform the Penn State Field Hockey Com- plex over the next year, adding fan amenities, bench seating and a press box, among other improve- ments. Approved by the Penn State board of trustees in July, the $12.8 million project is being funded by private donations. Coach Char Morett-Curtis had been working for years to marshal support for the upgrades and was gratified to see so many contributors on hand for the ceremony. "It's a dream come true," she told GoPSUSports.com. "I've talked about this for 12 years. Just to see it becoming a reality and see all these people here who have helped donate to the stadium, and to see my team be here today, for them to have a vision of the future is awesome." Morett-Curtiss, who is in her 36th year as head coach, said that the investment in Penn State's home field was a necessity in order for the program to keep pace with its rivals. "I felt that it was something we really needed to stay at the forefront as an elite field hockey pro- gram," she said. "So many other programs around the country have these, and we're in a great state for field hockey." — Matt Herb ley High, and she made a smooth tran- sition to the college game, leading the Nittany Lions in points and goals each of her first two seasons. Gladieux knew, however, that there was still room for improvement, so this past offseason she worked with Morett- Curtiss and associate head coach Lisa Bervinchak-Love to become a more complete offensive player. Those efforts have paid off. "Her backhand is lethal, but when we reflect on the types of goals she's scored this year, a lot have come from her fore- hand," Morett-Curtiss said. "She tipped a goal in, she's done some finesse things in front of the goal, but she's such a power shooter that the goalie has to get back on her heels when she winds up." Now comes the most consequential part of the season. The win over the Terps left Penn State with a 14-2 overall record and 6-1 mark in the Big Ten. The Lions went into to their finale at Rutgers on Oct. 28 with a chance to earn a share of the league's regular-season title. Af- ter that comes the Big Ten Tournament at Nov. 3-6 at Ohio State. That the Lions go into the postseason as legitimate contenders for the confer- ence crown and a threat to go deep into the NCAA Tournament is reflection of their offensive ability. It's been a genu- ine team effort, with senior midfielder Mackenzie Allessie, graduate midfielder Anna Simon and senior forward Jemma Punch among the Big Ten's top 17 goal- scorers, and Allessie and senior mid- fielder Elena Vos in the league's top five in assists. But having a finisher like Gla- dieux makes PSU especially potent. "She's just dangerous in the circle," Morett-Curtiss said, "because she's go- ing to shoot." ■ Head coach Char Morett-Curtiss (center) saluted donors at a ceremony for the field hockey project, which is slated to be completed in time for the 2023 season. PHOTO COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETICS MEN'S ICE HOCKEY: Penn State improved to 6-0 with a sweep of visiting St. Thomas. The Nittany Lions rolled to a 6-2 victory in the opener Oct. 20 but needed overtime to down the Tommies in the second game the following night. Senior forward Connor Mc- Menamin scored the winner with only 20 seconds remaining in the overtime period to give the No. 18 Lions the 3-2 victory. WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY: Freshman for- ward Tessa Janecke scored both of Penn State's goals in a 2-2 tie with host Boston College on Oct. 15. Janecke's two second- period goals gave the No. 11 Nittany Lions a 2-1 lead over the No. 14 Eagles, but Boston College scored the equalizer in the third pe- riod. Neither team was able to score in two overtime periods. The tie left Penn State at 3-4-1 on the season. WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL: Third-ranked Nebraska was too much for No. 13 Penn State, sweeping the Nittany Lions on Oct. 14 in Lincoln. Sophomore defensive special- ist Cassie Kuerschen had a career-best 17 digs in the match, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Cornhuskers from romping, 25- 18, 25-22, 25-9. Penn State bounced back with victories over Iowa, Maryland and Rutgers and held a 17-4 record (6-4 Big Ten) heading into an Oct. 26 trip to Illinois. MEN'S SOCCER: Junior forward Liam Butts scored his seventh goal of the season in Penn State's 1-1 tie with No. 13 Ohio State on Oct. 21 at Jeffrey Field. The Nittany Lions (5-4-4, 2-1-3 Big Ten) outshot the Buckeyes 4-1, but they weren't able to break the deadlock. WOMEN'S SOCCER: The No. 24 Nittany Lions saw a three-match winning streak end with a 4-2 loss at Nebraska on Oct. 20. Redshirt senior forward Ally Schlegel scored both of Penn State's goals, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Cornhuskers' first- half scoring binge. Following a 1-1 tie at Iowa in their regular-season finale, the Lions headed into the Big Ten Tournament sporting a 10-4-3 overall record and a 5-3-2 mark in confer- ence play. — Matt Herb O L Y M P I C S P O R T S N O T E B O O K