A heartbreaking shootout loss to Rutgers seven days prior raised the stakes for the Iowa Field Hockey team coming into tonight’s contest against 17th-ranked Penn State. The matchup against the Nittany Lions was critical for both sides, particularly for the Hawkeyes who still must face three more top ten teams in the regular season. Lisa Cellucci’s Hawks were up for the challenge, picking up a potentially season-changing 1-0, shutout win at Grant Field.

“Our backs are against the wall a little bit. We needed to make sure we got a win in the Big Ten, so we can stay in contention,” said head coach Lisa Cellucci. “This was a huge momentum getter for us.”

Nothing says ‘momentum getter’ in a big match like taking control with an early goal. The Hawkeyes earned a penalty corner in the 9th minute and did not let the opportunity go to waste. Dionne van Aalsum’s direct shot from the top of the circle took a redirect off of a Penn State stick and hit the net for the game’s opening goal. Her fourth goal of the season put Iowa in front before the ten-minute mark.

“The first quarter was the best hockey I’ve seen us play this year,” said Cellucci. “The way we moved the ball was fantastic. We passed, supported, joined the play and they could not stay with us. We had a lot of momentum early on and we’ve been working on that (lately).”

“We changed our lineup slightly, put some people in some different spots and it proved to be really successful.”

The Hawkeyes one-goal advantage stuck through the next two quarters, and they headed into the final 15 minutes with the lead. However, a Penn State squad led by a prolific goal scorer like Sophia Gladieux was never going to go quietly.

The senior forward from Pennsylvania has 89 career goals and was hunting for a milestone 90th goal to even the score. The Nittany Lions drew a penalty corner in the 48th minute and turned to Gladieux on the ensuing play. She sent a sharp shot towards the goal, but Iowa goalkeeper Mia Magnotta made a sprawling save to keep the lead intact.

“(Mia) was huge. She saw the ball really well, and those balls (she saved) were coming with some great speed,” said Cellucci who was an All-American goalkeeper when she played at Iowa. “She did a fantastic job. We’re always in the game with Mia (in the goal).”

Moments after Magnotta turned away a PSU penalty corner, the Nittany Lions were back with another corner opportunity in the 50th minute. This time, there was no shot for Mia Magnotta to save. Midfielder Madison Tambroni mishandled the insert at the top of the circle and a PSU turnover came soon after. Although the Lions were able to earn three corners and took six shots in the fourth quarter, Lisa Cellucci was happy with how her team defended.

“We’ve been focusing on our individual defense, and I’ve probably been saying that all year long, but we took it to another level. Sophia Gladieux, an Olympian, she’s unbelievable. We played great, great team defense, had unbelievable layers and that was the difference in the game. We controlled the game with our defense.”

In the late stages of the game, Penn State threw everything they had at the Hawkeye defense, including another penalty corner in the 59th minute, but it was to no avail. Earlier in the year against Delaware, Iowa struggled to handle intense pressure with the goalkeeper pulled, but this time, they stayed composed and comfortably closed out the final seconds of the match.

“We’ve been tested like that in a couple of different games, so we definitely have learned from it. They handled it much better tonight and to be able to defend that penalty corner with just a minute left, fantastic. I was just really proud of the effort.”

The win moves Iowa to 6-3 on the season, while there is no doubt that their chances of making the NCAA Tournament took a positive jump. Tricky games remain against Indiana, Monmouth and #20 California, but all three games come in Iowa City. If the Hawkeyes can take care of business in the games they are expected to win, they will be in good position for an at-large spot.

Up Next: The Hawkeyes will host the fifth-ranked Maryland Terrapins at Grant Field on Sunday afternoon. The game is set to get underway at 12:00pm CT on BTN+.

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