Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1486024
5 0 D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M WOMEN'S SOCCER: Seeded sixth entering the Big Ten Tournament, Penn State came alive and reeled off wins over Wisconsin (1-0, Oct. 30), Northwestern (2-0, Nov. 3) and Michigan State (3-2, Nov. 6) to capture the ninth conference tourney title in school history. Facing the top-seeded Spartans in the cham- pionship game at Ohio State's Lower.com Field, PSU fell behind early but got two goals from red- shirt senior Ally Schlegel, including the winner in the 81st minute. The victory earned PSU an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, the 28th consecutive year in which it has made the field. Penn State romped to lopsided wins over Quinnipiac (4-1, Nov. 13) and West Virginia (4-0, Nov. 18) in the first two rounds, with the victory over the visiting Moun- taineers propelling PSU into the Sweet 16 for the sixth consecutive year. Looking to advance to the Elite Eight, PSU held a 2-1 lead over Virginia heading into the final three minutes of their Nov. 20 matchup at Jeffrey Field. But the Cavaliers scored in the 87th min- ute to tie it in regulation, and they ended Penn State's season with an overtime goal. The Nittany Lions finished with a 15-5-3 record (5-3-2 Big Ten). FIELD HOCKEY: After stumbling in its Big Ten Tournament opener to Michigan, Penn State re- bounded at NCAAs. Top-seeded PSU lost 2-1 to the fourth-seeded Wolverines in the semifinals, but the Nittany Lions regained their stride in the national tourna- ment, shutting out Louisville (5-0, Nov. 11) and Albany (1-0, Nov. 13) in the first two rounds. Senior goalkeeper Brie Barraco stopped 6 shots against the Cardinals and 5 against the Great Danes, while senior midfielder Mackenzie Al- lessie scored a fourth-period goal in the latter game to lift Penn State into the NCAA semifinals for the first time since 2007. The joyride came to an end in Storrs, Conn., though. Top-seeded North Carolina clamped down on Penn State's offensive attack and coasted to a 3-0 shutout victory. Junior forward Sophia Gladieux, the Big Ten Player of the Year, attempted 2 shots. As a team, North Carolina outshot the Nittany Lions 11-5. Penn State finished its season at 17-4 overall (7-1 Big Ten). WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY: Thirteenth-ranked Penn State split its two games at the Henderson Collegiate Hockey Showcase in Las Vegas, falling to No. 5 Minnesota on Nov. 25, then rallying to defeat Boston University 3-0 the following night. Junior goalie Josie Bothun stopped 21 shots against the Terriers to earn her third shutout of the season for PSU, which improved to 11-8-1. WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL: Eleventh-ranked Penn State ended its regular season on an upbeat note, outlasting No. 19 Purdue in five sets Nov. 25 at Rec Hall. Graduate setter Seleisa Elisaia totaled 50 assists and 15 digs for the Nittany Lions, who scored seven unanswered points to secure a 15-8 victory in the decisive fifth set and earn their fifth win of the season against a ranked opponent. The Nittany Lions won seven of their last eight regular-season matches, including two victories against the Boilermakers and a 3-1 triumph over No. 9 Minnesota on Nov. 18. Graduate outside hitter Kashauna Williams had 20 kills on .368 hit- ting to lift Penn State past the visiting Gophers. The Lions went 13-7 in Big Ten play and en- tered the NCAA tourney with a 24-7 overall record. MEN'S SOCCER: Penn State saw its season end Nov. 4 with a 1-0 loss to host Indiana in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. The fifth-seeded Nittany Lions outshot the fourth- seeded Hoosiers 8-7 but weren't able to counter the Hoosiers' goal in the 36th minute. The Lions finished their season with a 6-6-4 record (3-3-3 Big Ten). — Matt Herb O L Y M P I C S P O R T S N O T E B O O K in the Big Ten with a 2.15 goals-against average. Souliere came to Penn State in 2020 after a year with the Victoria Grizzlies of the British Columbia Hockey League. He played sparingly behind Oskar Autio as a freshman but began to show his po- tential at the end of the 2021-22 season when he took over the starting duties. During Penn State's best-of-three Big Ten Tournament matchup at Ohio State, he had 33 saves in Game 2 and 23 stops in Game 3, helping the Lions stun the Buckeyes and advance to the semifinals. Gadowsky said those experiences helped Souliere develop into the goalie he's become this year. "When you go from junior hockey to the Big Ten, it's a huge jump," he said. "I think goaltenders really soak in every experience they get. "Souliere, through no fault of his own, had limited experiences for a few years due to playing behind veterans, etc. Then at the end of last season, when he won the job, you saw him get better and better. The more you do something, the more comfortable you get. "I think that's exactly what you're seeing now. He doesn't really act dif- ferently, whether we win or lose, and because of that, he's able to take his ex- periences and build off each and every one." After a sweeping a two-game non- conference series against Alaska Fair- banks in late November, Penn State was 13-3-0 on the season (5-3-0 Big Ten) and was ranked No. 7 in both polls. ■ The Penn State women's soccer team claimed its ninth Big Ten Tournament championship in November with a 3-2 victory over Michigan State. PHOTO COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETICS