Pennsylvania Bragging Rights: No. 20 Penn State vs. Pittsburgh Panthers
No. 20 Penn State Women’s Lacrosse travels to Pittsburgh for an in-state rivalry matchup on Tuesday, March 21. The Nittany Lions face their only ACC opponent of the season and carry a four-game win streak into the mid-week matchup.
The blue and white jump into the matchup with a momentum-building win against No. 14 Princeton, 16-14. Coach Missy Doherty has led the Nittany Lions to 7-2 record, and 5-1 at home.
On Fire:
Junior Kristin O’Neill leads the team in a multitude of offensive categories. The Odenton, Md. native has scored eight goals in Penn State’s last two games in action. O’Neill leads the Nittany Lions with 31 goals in nine games this season.
Gretchen Gilmore also has been very comfortable with the ball in her hands of late. Gilmore has scored 10 goals in the past two games with the Nittany Lions. Adding on, the junior from Glen Ridge, NJ. has a total of 18 goals and six assists this season.
Sophomore Brooke Hoss also has been productive for the blue and white. The New York native has five goals in her last two games. Hoss has been a breakout star for Penn State this season as she has contributed to 12 points with 11 goals and one assist.
Scouting Pittsburgh:
The Pittsburgh Panthers sit at 3-6 (0-4 AAC) and look to get back on track against a team like the Nittany Lions. The Panthers are on a four-game losing streak, with their most recent win against Louisville on March 5.
Compared to the blue and white, Pitt does not have a star that runs the offensive show. The points are evenly distributed among their offensive players. The Panthers have five players with double-digit points, with Camdyn O’Donnell and Sydney Naylor leading the way with 16 each.
O’Donnell leads the Panthers with 13 goals in addition to three assists. The senior attack has a four-game goal streak coming into the rivalry matchup.
As for Naylor, her points have come from 12 goals and four assists. The Damascus, Md. native has contributed to five goals in her last five outings for Pitt.
Maeve Murray brings 13 goals and zero assists into the matchup as well. When the ball is in Murray’s stick, you can count on a goal as she is shooting .481%.
Emily Coughlin and Molly Carter have added 13 points and 10 points for the Panthers, respectively.
Goalkeeper Hannah Van Middelem is the main shot-blocker for the Panthers. Though, the graduate student from Long Island has allowed double-digit goals in six of her last nine outings for the under-.500 team
It’s a tale as old as time: Penn State against Pittsburgh. The in-state rivals go head-to-head in Pittsburgh for the Pennsylvania bragging rights.
Jasper Abrahams is a first-year student studying Communications. To contact him, please email jpa5778@psu.edu
