For 76 minutes Saturday, the stage was set for a monumental upset.
But luck was not on the Northwestern field hockey team’s side, as the Wildcats (4-6, 0-2 Big Ten) dropped a 1-0 overtime contest to No. 6 Penn State (9-1, 2-1) at Lakeside Field.
Six minutes into overtime, Penn State sophomore Amanda Eckert pounced on a loose ball and sent it threw the net for the Nittany Lions’ win.
“I knew exactly what was going on,” said NU goalkeeper Kendra Mesa, who made her first start of the season after recovering from a hamstring injury. “She just caught me wrong-footed, and I hesitated.”
During regulation, NU’s defense was at the top of its game, shutting out a Penn State offense that had scored 20 goals in its previous three victories.
“We played against a high-powered offense that just crushes its opponents on a regular basis,” said NU head coach Marisa Didio. “They’re not No. 6 for nothing.”
Penn State junior midfielder Heather Conroy, the nation’s third-leading scorer, was held scoreless. As was teammate Timarie Legel, who is among the nation’s leaders in assists.
“Our defense was playing out of its mind,” said NU senior back Lindsey Millard. “And even though we lost, we should be really proud of ourselves.”
Injuries forced the Cats to play with an altered lineup Saturday. With reliable senior back Juli Fomenko out with an injury, freshman Kristin Provencher made her first start and played solid defense.
Junior midfielder Suzi Sutton also was forced to the sidelines early in the first half.
Despite the nicks and bruises, the Cats would not allow the Lions to find the back of the net in regulation.
Millard, freshman Christine Nannicelli and junior Katie Fischer each helped Mesa by making last-second swipes at balls on their way into the net.
“What we needed today was good defense and good goalkeeping,” Didio said. “And that’s exactly what we got.”
In the end, Penn State proved to be the better team. It dominated possession and kept the ball in NU’s side of the field for much of the game.
The Lions outshot the Cats, 14-1, and had a 15-1 advantage in penalty corners. NU stifled all 15 of the Lions’ corners, after allowing two goals on four Iowa corners in their previous game.
“We just did a hell of a job adjusting,” Didio said. “We shut out the No. 6 team in the country for 70 minutes — that tells you all you need to know.”
Despite the final score, Mesa — and the Cats — took some solace in her performance.
“We were expecting to win this game, and we’re disappointed,” she said. “But there’s not one bad thing I can say about this team right now.”
Penn St. 1
NU 0
