Penn State picked the perfect time to end 3-year Big Ten road losing streak

Leading up to Friday afternoon's road contest against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, the Penn State Nittany Lions Field Hockey team had played just one Big Ten conference game so far in 2026.

But based on how the two teams had stacked up against one another throughout the first half of the season, it was hard to ignore the potential postseason implications this game might carry.

For a team that has missed the Big Ten Tournament in back-to-back years, owning the head-to-head tiebreaker, and a de facto two-game advantage, over one of their primary competitors battling for a top seven spot in this year's conference standings was an opportunity they could not let go to waste in year number one of the Hannah Prince era.

That was especially true after a year ago, when a season-ending loss to Rutgers was one of four Big Ten results that, had they managed to flip, they'd have qualified for the postseason.

Penn State hadn't beaten Rutgers since October 2022, and they hadn't even earned a Big Ten road victory since October 2023. They had lost nine consecutive conference games away from State College since that victory over Indiana nearly three years ago.

Unlikely heroes from Penn State's massive Rutgers win

But on Friday, Penn State answered the call, and they did so in a number of unlikely ways, en route to Prince's first Big Ten victory as Penn State's head coach.

First-half offense

First of all, Penn State entered the week having scored just two first-half goals all season. They added two more in a game against Bucknell on Monday, but in a game that saw the Nittany Lions take 24 total shots, there were still questions about whether they'd be able to convert on their scoring opportunities at a higher rate against much more formidable competition in the Big Ten.

They did indeed continue to turn the page on early-season first-half woes with a first-quarter goal against the Scarlet Knights to avoid falling in an early hole.

As we've noted on more than one occasion, Penn State hasn't earned a comeback victory since 2024, so getting on the board early, and doing so before the opponent, has been key to a lot of their success. We're sure they'll gladly take the "hasn't had a comeback win in two years!" line if it means they're jumping out front early and hanging onto the lead.

Katelyn Strawser

It was junior Katelyn Strawser who scored that go-ahead, and ultimately game-winning, goal, and that's a story in and of itself. Strawser scored two goals and added an assist as a freshman two years ago, starting only four games. She began her sophomore year as a full-time starter and added another goal and three assists but saw her playing time decrease as the year progressed and eventually played limited minutes off the bench.

This year, she had only appeared in five of the team's first eight games, and she appeared off the bench in all five of them, with very few minutes played in each. Now she's responsible for what is indisputably the team's biggest goal of the 2026 season thus far, which should serve as an incredible boost of confidence moving forward.

The goal stood after a lengthy official review.

And not to get too far ahead of ourselves, but if Penn State does manage to qualify for the postseason, it might go down as their biggest goal over the past three years.

From a broader team perspective, it goes to show just how deep Penn State is and the fact that they are not just limited to one or two playmakers in the starting lineup.

Ella Gaitan, but not in typical fashion

Speaking of one or two playmakers in the starting lineup, Rutgers was able to effectively neutralize Penn State's leading scorer, Ella Gaitan (seven goals, 15 points in 2026) and limit her to just one shot.

But a massive defensive save, which unfolded as Gaitan had extremely limited vision behind goalkeeper Aby Deverka, on a Rutgers penalty corner opportunity kept the Nittany Lions ahead late in the third quarter. It proved to be a game-saving play that shifted the momentum back to Penn State.

Success away from home

After a 2025 season in which they went only 1-8 on the road, with that one win coming against a Lock Haven team that was 0-14 at the time, success away from home was something that Penn State absolutely needed to improve upon in 2026 if they wanted to have any chance of getting beyond the regular season.

Earning two road wins in five days is huge, and the latter coming against a Big Ten opponent is particularly noteworthy. After going 0-4 in Big Ten play away from Happy Valley in both 2024 and 2025, they are 1-0 to begin 2026, with games still to play at Michigan State (Friday, October 9), Indiana (Friday, October 23), and Iowa (Sunday, October 25).

Not as 'unlikely', but...

You can't talk about this game without talking about Deverka, who saved six shots in yet another shutout. She has blossomed into one of the outright best goalkeepers in the Big Ten this season, with a save percentage just shy of 77% (up from 63.6% in 2025).

Sure, shutouts against Lock Haven, Villanova, and Bucknell are nice, but a shutout against a Rutgers team that had been averaging 3.6 goals over their five most recent games is a massive statement. Penn State is allowing an average of just 1.44 goals per game this year, down from 2.35 a year ago, despite having faced one of the toughest schedules in the country.

For a team that has struggled to close out close games in recent years, perhaps most notable is the fact that Friday's game marked Penn State's fifth second-half shutout in nine games this year.

And speaking of the defense, Morgan Snyder's challenge on a late would-be Rutgers corner opportunity was huge, as the call was overturned after another lengthy review and ultimately denied the Scarlet Knights the chance to level the score.

The crucial moment came just minutes after Snyder was able to hold her ground a one-on-one opportunity Rutgers had generated on a fast break.

And given the fact that Rutgers scored three goals in the first seven minutes of the game against Penn State a year ago, Friday's performance is extra special for the entire defense. They have allowed just one goal against the Scarlet Knights in 113 minutes since.

What's ahead for Penn State?

Penn State has been in a lot of close games this season against respectable opponents. But their 0-3 mark in one-goal games against ranked teams left them still seeking that true breakthrough moment in which they were able to slam the door.

Rutgers might not be ranked in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll, after spending time in the top 20 earlier this year, but this was undoubtedly that moment for Penn State up to this point in the year.

These two teams were very evenly matched in just about every metric heading into Friday's game, and Penn State came out on top.

Of course, the Nittany Lions are still only two games into Big Ten play. With six left on the 2026 calendar, by no means have they clinched a spot in the Big Ten Tournament, and by no means would a loss have eliminated them (and by no means did today's loss eliminate Rutgers).

But that kind of performance against a postseason contender this early in conference play can go a long way toward boosting this team's confidence that they can take care of business and compete with anybody in the Big Ten as October progresses.

Penn State is set to return to action at home this Sunday, October 4 with a non-conference game against Lafayette. Live coverage is set to be provided by B1G+ beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET.

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