Indiana field hockey faced a challenging weekend, starting with a matchup against No. 19 Penn State on Sept. 27. Despite the Hoosiers falling 3-2, they quickly bounced back Sunday, with senior midfielder Yip van Wonderen leading the way in a dominant 3-0 victory over Lock Haven University.
Van Wonderen’s hat trick and relentless offensive effort, which produced 20 shots, secured the win for Indiana.
In a game of inches, the Hoosiers fell just short of sending their match against Penn State into overtime.
The first quarter was dominated by the Nittany Lions. The game opened with a bang as Penn State sophomore forward Natalie Freeman scored, knocking in a cross-field pass for the opening goal.
Taking the lead within the first five minutes, the Nittany Lions surged forward, churning past Indiana’s defense.
A series of long passes found Penn State’s second leading all-time scorer, senior forward Sophia Gladieux, for her 98th career goal adding to the Lions lead 2-0.
The elite forward looked to give the Nittany Lions a three-goal advantage, challenging again with a swift backhand shot, but this time it was deflected by freshman goalkeeper Sadie Canelli in the second quarter.
Momentum was key in this match, and Canelli’s save proved to be a pivotal turning point for the Hoosiers.
Following the defensive stop, Indiana connected on a string of passes pushing downfield. The Hoosiers jumped on the board, cutting the score in half.
Wide-open sophomore midfielder Inés Garcia Prado received an entry pass from sophomore midfielder Theresa Ricci and sent the shot in for a score, sending the game to halftime in favor of Penn State, 2-1.
Into the third quarter, Penn State constructed a strong offensive surge, moving through Indiana's defense and setting up for a goal, extending its lead and stretching the difference to two again.
With time running down in the fourth quarter, Penn State received a green card at the seven-minute mark, giving the Hoosiers a player advantage. They quickly earned a penalty corner, which senior back Sydney Keld converted off an assist from graduate student midfielder Lara Mortz, cutting Penn State’s lead to 3-2 with 6:56 left.
In a desperate final push, Indiana earned a last-second penalty corner, but Keld’s shot skipped just inches wide of the mark, and the Hoosiers narrowly missed sending the game into overtime.
Following a tough loss, van Wonderen's hat trick Sunday propelled Indiana to a dominant 3-0 victory over Lock Haven.
From the outset, Indiana launched an aggressive attack, and just five minutes in, van Wonderen scored from a penalty corner to set the tone for the match.
In the second quarter, the Hoosiers maintained their dominance, pushing up field. In just seconds, van Wonderen found herself with another chance taking a shot that just skipped wide.
The game remained quiet until the final minute of the first half, when Indiana threatened with an offensive push, but to no avail. The Hoosiers led 1-0 at halftime.
The slow pace of play carried into the third quarter as both sides struggled to pick up offensive momentum. The game remained locked at 1-0 with five minutes left in the third quarter until an offensive breakthrough gave Indiana a scoring chance.
The first two of Indiana’s shots were saved, but the Hoosiers were relentless, pushing back into Penn State’s penalty circle. Ricci sent a pass to van Wonderen who knocked the shot in for a score.
Opening the fourth quarter, van Wonderen and the Hoosiers struck again as she maneuvered around Lock Haven's defense, sending her shot past the goalie for a score and completing her stellar performance.
As the fourth quarter wound down, Indiana maintained control, keeping the pressure on as the clock ticked away. The Hoosiers secured their third win of the season with a 3-0 victory.
After splitting the weekend, the Hoosiers now prepare for their next Big Ten matchup against No. 5 Maryland at 1 p.m. Friday at Deborah Tobias Field in Bloomington.
