As it had done all year, Northwestern kept itself in the game against a top-10 team.
But, as was the case in all of their upset bids, the Wildcats fell short.
Penn State’s Heather Conroy ended a defensive stalemate when she scored the go-ahead goal 13:25 into the second half on a penalty corner.
“(The shot) went off my stick and bounced,” senior back Juli Fomenko said. “Diane (Provencher) tried to save it and batted it out of the air, but the referee said it had already crossed the line.”
Fourteen minutes later, Karin Grap added an insurance tally, banging home a rebound to send the No. 3-seed Nittany Lions (16-3, 4-2 Big Ten) to a 2-0 victory over No. 6-seed NU (6-13, 1-5) in Columbus, Ohio.
Penn State advanced in the Big Ten tournament, while the Cats finished their season with yet another strong defensive performance.
“Both teams raised their level of play for this match,” senior back Lindsey Millard said. “But their skill level is higher to begin with, so they ended up with the good result.”
The game was almost a carbon copy of a 1-0 Penn State victory over NU on Oct. 5 in Evanston. Once again, Penn State ended up with an overwhelming advantage in shots, 16-2, and penalty corners, 15-2.
“The stats don’t show it, but we had many more opportunities in this game,” NU head coach Marisa Didio said. “We forced Penn State to play harder and raise their intensity level.”
NU played great defense, stuffing Penn State’s set plays throughout a first half that was played mostly within the neutral zone.
Neither team was able to mount any kind of offensive pressure in the opening frame.
But the Nittany Lions came out strong in the second half, forcing NU to concede the penalty corner that led to the Conroy goal.
“They’ve got some powerhouses in that midfield, like Jill Martz, that are just constant threats,” Fomenko said. “They finally got to us.”
The tandem of goalkeeper Kendra Mesa and the rest of NU’s defense was spectacular.
But NU’s offense failed to penetrate Penn State’s defense, which held the Cats to just one shot on goal.
“Our ability to create was fine,” Fomenko said. “We just didn’t get enough momentum offensively.”
Friday’s playoff game was nothing different from what NU had been faced with all year — a struggle between a rebuilding team and a strong program with more skilled players.
“We all discussed how hard we need to work to get to where we want to be,” Fomenko said. “Everyone has to commit themselves to making our program stronger.”
Didio praised the seniors’ dedication but concentrated on the future.
“The seniors learned a lot about making an impact in the program,” Didio said. “But everyone else needs to remember that the two-hour practices we hold aren’t going to be enough. … The kids need to get out on their own because even though we are behind the others in skill, we will make up for it with effort.”
