Penn State entered its game against No. 3 Northwestern in search of its first road win of the season.
To end the five-game road losing streak, the Nittany Lions were tasked with breaking through the undefeated Wildcats top-tier defense and slowing down explosive junior forward Ashley Sessa.
However, Penn State didn’t contain Sessa as she delivered a huge first quarter.
Penn State fell to 5-7 as its offense stalled and lost to Northwestern 4-0.
Throughout the first, the blue and white’s offense struggled with the Wildcats’ press defense and it couldn’t push the ball into Northwestern’s territory.
Less than two minutes into the game, former national player of the year Maddie Zimmer started causing the Nittany Lions issues. The midfielder maneuvered deep into the circle, but sophomore goalie Aby Deverka saved her shot.
Northwestern dominated on both ends in the first as Penn State struggled to find its footing on either side of the ball.
While Penn State escaped Northwestern’s threat after two penalty corner shots, it took just four minutes for the Wildcats to break through. Junior Piper Borz pushed a pass to Sessa who scored through multiple Penn State defenders at 8:58 and gave Northwestern the 1-0 lead.
As the first progressed, the best offensive look for the Nittany Lions came with just under five minutes left. Freshman Joji Purdy shot from Penn State’s lone appearance in the circle, but the Wildcats defensive line blocked the ball.
It didn’t take long for Sessa to score again. Zimmer set up Sessa for her seventh goal of the season from deep in Penn State territory at 4:10 and Sessa extended the Northwestern lead 2-0.
Near the end of quarter, sophomore Morgan Snyder shot off a penalty corner opportunity, but goalie Juliana Boon saved the shot and prevented Penn State from getting on the board.
As the second began, the blue and white’s offense looked different. Two shots came back-to-back in one early offensive possession by seniors Sophia Mannino and Aubrey Semler. Still, Boon stood strong and saved Mannino’s shot while Semlar’s shot missed wide of the post.
It was a slow offensive quarter for both teams as Penn State’s defense locked up Northwestern. The Wildcats had just three shots in the second compared to five in the first.
Despite the Nittany Lions surrendering two penalty corners, the Wildcats weren’t able to extend its lead as their shots missed wide. Sessa also searched for her third goal of the game with 2:24 left in the quarter, but her shot was blocked.
While Penn State’s offense was smoother in the second, it still didn’t result in goals.
Zimmer entered Friday’s game with two goals in her last three games and she continued her hot offensive play in the third quarter. The Hershey, Pennsylvania, native took it upon herself and scored at 10:34 as the Wildcats lead 3-0.
It was another slow offensive quarter as no threat came until Penn State drew its third penalty corner with 6:23 left. Purdy got a long shot off, but Boon saved yet another goal.
Shortly after, Northwestern had an offensive push of its own. Zimmer missed a shot wide while veteran forward Grace Schulze followed with her own attempt. Yet, Deverka saved her third shot and kept the deficit at three.
The blue and white’s defense began showing fatigue in the fourth which allowed the Wildcats to constantly keep the ball deep in Penn State territory.
Soon after the quarter started, Deverka kept the Nittany Lions in the game with three saves within the first two minutes. While Northwestern drew multiple corners, Deverka saved three shots by junior Ilse Tromp and prevented the Wildcats from extending their lead.
While Deverka held it down in net, Penn State was sloppy on offense and couldn’t maintain possession. The Wildcats were threatening as Zimmer almost scored again with just over nine minutes left, but her shot missed wide left.
Northwestern finally cashed in with 5:40 left in the game. Schulze dragged a shot past Deverka as she had no chance at saving the shot and the Wildcats added to their lead making it 4-0.
The Nittany Lions were shut out as they had just one shot during the whole fourth quarter while the Wildcats had a whopping 12.
Up Next
Penn State continues its conference games and travels back home to face Iowa at 5 p.m. Friday.
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