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 [ Monday, Nov. 5, 2001 ]
Déjà vu for field hockey in loss to Boilermakers
Penn State should get a bid to the NCAAs despite overtime loss to Purdue at Big Ten Tournament.
By Jesse A. Norris
Collegian Staff Writer
The No. 13 Nittany Lions field hockey team dropped a 3-2 overtime decision Friday at the Big Ten Tournament, as Iowa forward Pattie Gillern terrorized the Lions for two goals and an assist. The loss to the No. 16 Hawkeyes could end the Lions' season. | ||||
PHOTO: Randy Litzinger
Penn State’s Kiley Kulina winds up for a shot against Syracuse earlier this season. The senior is the fourth-consecutive Lion to be named Big Ten Athlete of the Year.
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Coach Char Morett said the game reminded her of Penn State's regular season game against the Hawkeyes. The Lions 2-1 loss to Iowa Oct. 5, in which the Hawkeyes scored late in the second half, was the Lions' last loss before they ripped off an eight-game win streak. "We played a little tentatively in the first half," Morett said of Friday's defeat. "We looked like the team (we had) in September. In the second half we got it back together." Forward Meredith Shulzitski got Penn State on the board first with 21:58 to play in the first half as Morett said she was on the receiving end of a Lions' passing play. Back Jill Martz passed to forward Timarie Legel. Legel shot and Shulzitski deflected it past Iowa goalie Barbara Wineberg. Hawkeye forward/midfielder Sarah Dawson knotted the game at 1-1 at the 2:17 mark on an assist from forward Pattie Gillern. Gillern made the score 2-1 at the 17:26 mark of the second half. Penn State midfielder Kiley Kulina, who was unanimously chosen as the field hockey Big Ten Athlete of the Year on Thursday, scored off a corner with just 42 seconds left in regulation to send the match into sudden death overtime. Morett said Kulina fired a shot off the corner that deflected into the cage off an Iowa player. Just 1:38 into the overtime period Gil-lern scored on what Morett said was a rebound of a free hit. The ball bounced above and behind Penn State goalie Annie Zinkavich before Gillern smacked it in. Morett said Martz was caught up field on the play that led to the partial breakaway. "Iowa capitalized on our defensive mistakes," Morett said. "We had chances and didn't capitalize." Penn State had 14 shots for the game to Iowa's 12, while the Lions out-cornered the Hawkeye's 10-4. The loss dropped the Lions record to 12-7 and 3-4 in the Big Ten. Morett said she thinks her team should receive a birth in the NCAA tournament. Morret said it is more difficult to get in now because half of the 16-team field gets automatic bids for winning their respective conferences. "I think with our schedule we are a team that is capable and should get a bid," Morett said. Penn State will look to make its 20th-consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. The NCAA will announces the bracket tomorrow at 8 p.m. First round matchups for the tournament will be available on the NCAA's website at www.ncaachampionships.com. 
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