Penn State battles back to force 2-2 draw against Georgetown
An eventful opening night for No. 14 Penn State ended in a draw in front of a packed Jeffery Field crowd against No. 19 Georgetown.
Each team scored a goal in both halves to tie in what was the first athletic event of the new academic year for the blue and white.
The Hoyas struck first as newcomer Henley Tippins fired the first shot of the game past Katherine Asman to give the road team an early lead.
Penn State became the aggressor and started gaining momentum once USC transfer Penelope Hocking was subbed in.
The two-time Pac-12 Forward of the Year immediately impacted the game as she drew a yellow card and a penalty kick opportunity for the Nittany Lions.
After that chance game, Ally Schlegel delivered.
The redshirt senior aimed for and connected with the left side of the net to tie up the game with the first goal of the season for Penn State.
That was all for the rest of the first half, but Georgetown quickly retook the lead with some star power of their own.
Gia Vicari was the Hoyas leading goal scorer last year and found the right side of the net early in the second half, allowing Georgetown to retake the lead.
Things looked bleak for Penn State, especially when Schlegel was forced out of the game for a brief period following a collision with Hoyas goaltender Cara Martin.
Little did fans at Jeffrey Field know that Schlegel’s replacement provided just the spark the Nittany Lions needed.
Following a centering pass from freshman Amelia White, Rachel Wasserman tipped the ball in from right in front of the net to tie the game back up just minutes after checking in.
From there, Penn State remained the aggressor and even had one last chance to take the lead on a shot from Hocking, which hit the post with less than a minute left.
The game ended in a 2-2 tie as the Penn State women’s soccer season is officially underway. Penn State remains at home as it hosts Duquesne on Sunday in search of its first win.
Logan Bourandas is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email lxb5412@psu.edu.
