Ohio State
Penn State
No. 4 Buckeyes Host No. 17 Penn State, Kent State This Weekend
10/10/2024 6:41:00 AM | Field Hockey
Ohio State seek its 10th win of the season
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State Buckeyes (9-1, 1-1 B1G) are back home this weekend where they'll host Big Ten foe No. 17 Penn State (6-5, 1-2 B1G) on Friday at 3 p.m. and Kent State (3-8) on Sunday at 1 p.m. Information on live stats and streaming for the games can be found on the schedule page of OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
Friday's game will air live on BTN with Dean Linke and Kara Lentz on the call. Sunday's game will be streamed on B1G+.
The Basics
Ohio State vs. Penn State // Sunday, Oct. 13 // 1 p.m. // Buckeye Varsity Field // Columbus, Ohio
Watch: Big Ten Network // Ohio State Roster // Penn State Roster // Ohio State Schedule
Ohio State vs. Kent State // Friday, Oct. 11 // 3 p.m. // Buckeye Varsity Field // Columbus, Ohio
Watch: B1G+ // Ohio State Roster // Kent State Roster // Ohio State Schedule
Promotions This Weekend
- Friday's match against Penn State will be Ohio State's annual Pride Game. Annually, the program teams with Buckeye Spectrum to promote the creation of a welcome space for LGBTQIA+ student-athletes and allies.
- As October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Sunday's match against Kent State is slated to be the Buckeyes' Pink Game.
- Admission to all Ohio State field hockey games is free. Parking is available in the lots surrounding Buckeye Varsity Field, specifically at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Briefly on the Buckeyes…
- The Buckeyes stayed put at fourth in the NFHCA Poll, even after Sunday's 1-0 loss to Michigan. They're joined by five other Big Ten teams: No. 2 Northwestern, No. 5 Michigan, No. 6 Maryland, No. 12 Iowa and No. 17 Penn State.
- Ohio State is currently 5-0 at home. The scarlet and gray offense has combined for 23 goals in those wins.
- Four of Ohio State's wins this season have been shutouts.
- Forward Makenna Webster leads the Big Ten in assists with nine on the year. She sits at 25 total in her career.
- Lead by goaltender Abby Danson and backs Katie Fichtner, Erin Little and Sarah Richards, the Buckeye defense has only allowed nine goals on the season.
- With 37 goals on the year, Ohio State comes in at second in the Big Ten and fourth nationally for total goals through week six.
- Dual-threat Katie Fichtner also holds fourth in the Big Ten for shots on goal with 24. The Harwood, Maryland native totals 12 points on five goals and a pair of assists so far this season.
Scouting Penn State
- The Nittany Lions are 6-5 on the season and 1-2 in the Big Ten, with both of those losses coming last weekend from ranked opponents: No. 2 Northwestern and No. 12 Iowa.
- Penn State leads the all-time series against the Buckeyes 43-16-2. The last time the team's met was in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament last season, where Ohio State won 4-3 in an overtime thriller.
- The 2024 squad leads the Big Ten in shots on goal percentage (.654). The Buckeyes are third at .619.
- The Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch List featured three Nittany Lions: seniors Sophia Gladieux, Sophia Mannino and Drew Taylor. The trio has combined for 47 points so far this season.
- Star forward Gladieux leads the nation in goals with 17. The senior also played for Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, and scored her first career Olympic goal in the team's 1-1 tie against Spain.
Scouting Kent State
- Kent State is 3-8 on the year and is coming off a 4-3 penalty-shootout win against Michigan State on Sunday.
- The Buckeyes hold a 27-9 record historically over the Golden Flashes and have out-scored them 28-14 in the last 10 meetings.
- Freshman goaltender Lieve Jansen sits in second in the Mid-American Conference for save percentage with 0.765.
- The Golden Flashes were picked to finish fourth in the MAC with 46 points and one first place vote in the conference's preseason coaches' poll.
- Sophomore midfielder Eva Usoz leads the Flashes in points with 14 on five goals and four assists. Usoz also added a defensive save in a 2-1 win over Longwood on Sept. 27.
More Fun with Numbers
Two: Makenna Webster sits in the top-five in the nation in two major stat categories: points per game with 2.90 and assists per game with 0.90. Webster totals 29 points on 10 goals and nine assists so far this season.
168-80: The scarlet and gray offense has out-shot their opponents this season by over double at 168-80. The only match the Buckeyes haven't taken more shots than the other team was Sunday's loss against Michigan.
7: Seven different Buckeyes have scored two or more goals this season: Makenna Webster (10), Lindsey Roberts (five), Katie Fichtner (five), Brenna Bough (five), Hallie Brost (three), Cameryn Forgash (two) and Zella Bailey (two).
251: Veteran goalkeeper Abby Danson totals 251 saves in her career. She sits at eighth in program history and needs 24 to tie seventh-place Kim Willis—who manned the cage from 1985-87—with 275.
