Though a valiant effort was made, the women’s field hockey team lost to Penn State (PSU) 1-3 on Sept. 6 at home. The beginning of the game was a whirlwind for the Orange and Blue, with Penn State scoring the first point against the Orange and Blue in the first five minutes. The Bison retaliated by making several hard drives toward PSU’s side of the field, only to be held off. The Bison’s defense was given a true test, when PSU made an offensive drive toward the Bison’s goal. Fortunately, they were held back by the defense.

Emily Johnson ’18 then made a hard drive up the field, moving the ball into striking position, allowing Anna Wills ’17 to tally the first goal for the Bison. Claire Lesher ’19 battled with her Penn State counterpart for control of the ball for a few beats; the ball changed hands and Penn State attempted to drive it down the field again, only to be held back by the incredible Bison defense. Soon after, PSU gained control of the ball and attempted to score a point. The Bison goalkeeper held them off, and the Orange and Blue took possession of the ball once again. At the end of the first half, the Bison and Penn State were tied 1-1.

At the start of the second half, PSU was in possession of the ball. A strong offensive drive swept Penn State toward the Bison, resulting in a one-on-one stroke, in which Penn State scored another point, bringing the score 1-2. Undeterred, the Orange and Blue’s offense took control of the ball, and drove the ball right to PSU’s goal, only to be blocked by the goalkeeper. Shortly after, the Bison were able to hold off yet another one-to-one stroke. In a series of extremely strong defensive drives by each team, the Bison were held at bay from scoring again. Finally, in the last 10 minutes of the game, PSU was able to successfully corner the Bison’s goalkeeper and score their third point of the game. They daringly tried for a fourth point, but the Orange and Blue kept them at a distance.

“I was very happy with the effort and courage our team showed, even though the result didn’t go our way. It is amazing anytime we get to host a team of their level,” head coach Jeremy Cook said. 

The Bison showed great skill in holding off PSU, especially in the tighter moments of the game.

“It was a really good contest, and we learned a lot from playing against such a strong competitor. We had a lot of great moments that kept the game very tight, but we have a better idea of what we need to improve on going into next semester,” Emma Fitzgerald ’17 said.

With such improvements in a week’s time, it will be incredible to see how the Bison perform in their next game.

“We’re at a good point in our development this early in our season, and I expect us to make big strides in our level every game as we move forward,” Coach Cook said.

The Bison look forward to their next game against Princeton University on Sept. 12 at home.