No. 8 Loyola (MD) Hands Penn State Women’s Lacrosse Its First Loss
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – A frigid and windy Saturday afternoon marked matchup number 36 all-time between Penn State and Loyola. Penn State came into Saturday unbeaten and confident on the season.
The confidence seeping through the veins of the blue and white started to simmer away as Loyola took an early lead in the contest. Just under three minutes into it, Jillian Wilson gave the Greyhounds a one score lead.
Loyola was able to score two more goals in the opening frame to extend its lead to three at Panzer Stadium. Sydni Black assisted goals two and three for greyhounds, showcasing why she is one of the best players on the Green and White.
Penn State found a pair of second quarter goals, one from Kristen O’Neill and the other came from Kayla Abernathy. O’Neill quarterbacks the offense most days for the blue and white, but was held at bay for most of the game.
“Kristen does a great job for us in so many different areas of the field,” Penn State head coach Missy Doherty said. “We as coaches have to do better to give her better looks.”
It was a tough afternoon for O’Neill and other Nittany Lions helped aid the team in scoring. “It was good to see some of our other players step up and convert some opportunities, but we left many chances on the board,” Doherty said.
The big reason why chances were left on the board and not converted is due to the Greyhounds netminder, Lauren Spence. Spence was spectacular all afternoon posting a stellar .650 save percentage and 13 saves on the afternoon.
Spence’s ability to tend the goal helped spark her team at major moments and gave Loyola the advantage over Penn State.
Looking ahead, the blue and white are headed down south to Nashville to face Vanderbilt, and Rutgers in a couple spring break contests.
If a silver lining can be found in the loss to Loyola, it’s that Penn State won the fourth quarter scoring 4-2. “I’m glad our players didn’t hang their heads when they got down early,” Doherty said. “It’s good to see that they will fight no matter what the circumstance is.”
Vanderbilt is 1-4 on the season and is still developing its lacrosse program. With that much being known for Doherty’s squad, they can look to use a few days of rest and practice to tune up and get back into the win column before facing off against Rutgers.
Rutgers is a much stronger opponent for the Nittany Lions, and can help the squad understand where they stand amongst other teams in the country.
It may not have been the best day for coach Doherty’s squad, but they will look to turn things back in the right direction on their road trip to Nashville.
Hayden Lewis is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email lewis1818hayden@gmail.com.
