After Indiana's huddle of celebration was over, one player was seen squatting on the ground, with her head in her hands. It was the only reaction senior Annelise Legel could've had after her last game at AstroTurf Field ended with the opposing team celebrating.
Legel was the last player to join her teammates after No. 14 Indiana upset No. 7 Penn State yesterday, 1-0. With the loss, the Nittany Lions missed out on the opportunity to tie Ohio State for a share of the Big Ten championship.
The lone goal that kept the Lions from the championship was scored less than five minutes into the game. It was the fifth goal given up in the first five minutes by this year's Lions.
"You gotta fight back, and I just didn't think we did that," Penn State coach Char Morett said. "I don't know why. I don't know if maybe senior day takes a lot out of them emotionally. I don't know what it is. It was disappointing obviously."
The energy from Senior Day and the final game of the regular season did not transfer over to the Lions' play. It was a recurring theme this weekend, as the lack of energy was apparent in Friday's game against Iowa. Although Penn State (13-4, 4-2 Big Ten) came away with 1-0 victory, Morett was still not pleased with the tenacity of her players.
Morett described the play on Friday as hesitant, and used a phrase she said a lot this weekend. "I don't know why."
No matter how the Lions played on Friday, it was supposed to be different yesterday. It was supposed to be a game for the championship, a game for the seniors. Instead, the lack of energy carried over and cost the Lions a winning end to the regular season.
"I don't think we had great energy at all," Morett said. "I called the time out just to scream at them, and maybe just get them going. But I don't know. I don't know if they took this game for granted. I don't know. I wouldn't hope so. I think its disappointing. We're playing for a championship, and I don't think we showed a lot of fortitude want to win."
There were some players that did have more on the line than others. Seniors Legel, Carey Maser, and Chase Bacon played in a way that showed they were not ready to end their last game at Penn State with a disappointing loss.
Natalie Blasco, Shaun Banta, and Erica Hoffsmith all have one year of eligibility left, but they were also honored as seniors yesterday if they choose to also end their field hockey careers after this year.
"I know I am extremely disappointed," Legel said. "I'm never gonna play on this field again. It would've been nice to end with a win. It just sucks."
The seniors will still have a chance to end this season with a strong showing in the Big Ten and possibly the NCAA tournaments. The energy and morale is understandably down right now, but the team knows that it could still rebound. Nevertheless, it will be a tough task for Legel and the seniors to lead this team with confidence in tournament play.
"We always rebound," Legel said. "It just makes the job a little bit harder. It's kinda hard to do right now because I'm so extremely disappointed, but I'll get over it and step back into that role."
