Nov. 5, 2009
Recap |
Box Score |
Notes
Penn State Head Coach Charlene Morett
General thoughts on the game
I was really pleased with the way we played both halves. We had a very exciting first half and played with a lot of poise. We got into a little bit of a panic mode in the second half, but I was really proud of the way they stayed strong inside our defensive 25. Ali Meves did a nice job in goal too. It was a great game for us.
Getting out to the early lead
It helped tremendously. Getting that goal at the very end of the first half was key. It gives you a little bit of momentum. We just had a bit of a breakdown to give them their goal to make it 2-1. I was really pleased with the way we moved the ball all over the field today. I thought the players on the field just did a great job staying mentally tough.
On the message to the team following the game
Let's enjoy this win. That's exactly what I said. It was a great win. Let's not talk about anything else other than that we won and we will play in the semifinals tomorrow.
On the semifinal opponent, Indiana
We played Indiana (on Oct. 23) and did not really play well. We took a tough loss out there. I think that our team has a little bit of a "let's play better" attitude. Not a revenge factor, but let's prove that we can play better field hockey. That's what we've talked about. This is a new season for us. We know we're a good team, we know we belong here and we know that we can win.
On whether or not last year's success helps this year
Yes, absolutely. It's been a challenging season for us in a lot ways. We've dealt with some injuries, we've dealt with some sicknesses, things like that. We're healthy coming in and we're confident about this tournament and what we can do and we're confident in whoever we play. This was a really good start for us today.
Junior goalkeeper Ali Meves
On beating Ohio State twice in one season
We came out here and had nothing to lose like [head coach Char Morett] said. We came in as the underdog, the No. 7 seed. I think we had to prove ourselves to the rest of the conference that we could hang in with the rest of the teams. We showed that once against Ohio State and it was nice to show them again that we can hang with them.
On staying composed in the second half
Ohio State definitely came out stronger in the second half, especially since we were up 2-0. I think our defense did a really good job of getting organized, finding their marks and really talking. Even though it got a little hectic and they got some shots off, we did a good job of staying composed and keeping our poise.
Freshman forward Kelsey Amy
The feeling to score two goals in such a big game
It felt really good. I feel like everyone counted us out because we were the last seed. We felt good going in because we had already beaten [Ohio State] once. We knew we could do it. I think that was a big factor knowing that we beat them before, that we could definitely do it again. Winning is a great feeling because no one expected us to to it.
On the second goal with no time remaining in the first half
That goal does something to the other team. It puts them down and makes them feel like they have such a big deficit to make up. [Having] two goals is so much better than one. It's such confidence boost for us.
Senior back Amy Bonenberger
On extending her career for at least one more game
It's really exciting because a lot of teams out there didn't believe that Penn State field hockey could come back in the tournament and be successful. A big deal of what [head coach Char Morett] talked to us about was believing in ourselves. A lot of it was bringing the pride back to our own team and being successful because we know that we are a good team. Just proving it to ourselves was really important.
On the second goal
It was an awesome team effort because there wasn't much time left and I think we caught Ohio State on its heels. They were banking on going into halftime with just a 1-0 deficit. Jess [Longstreth] was able to push the ball down the field with a lot of energy. She and Kelsey [Amy} worked together to get that corner. We were able to put a goal away. That was crucial going into halftime.
On the continued improvement on corner execution
Our corner execution hasn't been exactly one of our best assets this season, but it's good for it to come alive now. It's the perfect time. It's important to have our corners as part of our game now.
