Penn State field hockey prepares to face Iowa in Big Ten Tournament

University Park. Penn State field hockey enters the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 3 seed after defeating No. 1 Northwestern 2-0 on Oct. 30. The Nittany Lions will play the Iowa Hawkeyes at 5 p.m. on Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio. The match will be broadcast on B1G+.

Head coach Hannah Prince described the team as hungry and ready for the challenge. She noted that the players are not satisfied with their recent success and are focused on winning. Prince stated that the squad wants more and knows they must work harder than they have in the past two months.

The Nittany Lions finished their regular season with a 12-5 record. They rose to No. 12 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll following the victory over the Wildcats. This win marked Prince’s first head coaching victory over a team ranked No. 1 in the nation.

Penn State faces a difficult path in the tournament. The team lost to Iowa 1-0 in its penultimate regular-season matchup. Prince called the upcoming game a good opportunity for a rematch. She said it is undeniable that the Nittany Lions did not play their best game in the previous meeting.

The team adopted a set of core values during Prince’s first season. The players developed an acronym, G.A.M.E., which stands for Grit, Accountability, Mindset, and Every single day. Gaitan, the team's leading scorer, said several players chose grit as their focus for the Northwestern game. She observed that the Nittany Lions exuded that quality throughout the contest.

Ella Gaitan leads the team with 11 goals and 25 points this season. She was named to the All-Big Ten first team. Gaitan said the team approached the Northwestern match with the mentality that there was nothing to lose. She credited Prince with helping the players believe in themselves against a historically top-tier Big Ten opponent.

The Nittany Lions returned to practice on Sunday, two days after the victory. Prince told the squad that it was time to focus on the next task. Gaitan reported that the coach described the tournament as a do-or-die situation. She said the team is now settled and ready for what is next.

Prince brings experience from four years as the head coach at St. Joseph’s. She led the Hawks to an NCAA Tournament appearance in every season of her tenure. In 2024, the St. Joseph’s team reached the national championship game. Prince said her postseason experience helps provide relief for her current players.

Penn State field hockey has a long history of national success. The program made 19 straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 1982 to 2000. The team has not advanced to the NCAA Tournament since 2022, which was the final year for legendary coach Charlene Morett-Curtiss. The Nittany Lions have appeared in two national championship games but have yet to win a title.

The team has beaten four ranked opponents since the start of October. Prince emphasized that making strides in the postseason is more important to her than the team’s current ranking. She stated that the squad has the talent, grit, and work ethic to compete at a high level. The Nittany Lions aim to establish themselves as consistent contenders in the Big Ten and nationally.