Beyond football, here’s all the Penn State teams impacted by the Big Ten’s fall sports decision
When news broke Tuesday that the Big Ten would postpone its 2020-21 fall sports season, the loss of football dominated local and national headlines. But largely missing from the spotlight have been the Olympic sport programs also impacted by the decision.
At Penn State, that includes the reigning Big Ten champion women’s soccer team, the Mid-Atlantic Regional champion women’s cross country team, and more.
Here’s a little bit about each Olympic sports team at Penn State that had its season postponed Tuesday:
Men’s and women’s cross country
The Penn State women’s cross country team finished 18th at the 2019 NCAA Cross Country Championships, marking its fifth consecutive top-20 finish at nationals. The Nittany Lions also placed fourth at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships for their fifth consecutive top-five conference finish, and went on to capture their fourth NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship in the past five years to advance to the NCAA championships for the 10th time in 11 years.
The Penn State men’s cross country team finished fifth at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships, its best finish since 2014. But the group failed to punch its ticket to NCAAs after placing sixth in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship.
While the Nittany Lions were losing all-Big Ten and all-region runner Katie Munks, who graduated, and all-region runner Julia Paternain, who transferred, they would have been returning all-region runners Alison Willingmyre and Danae Rivers on the women’s side, and all-region runner Alex Tomasko for the men this fall.
“The safety and well-being of our student-athletes has always been the number one priority for Penn State and the Big Ten Conference,” head coach John Gondak and associate head coach Angela Reckart said in a joint statement Tuesday. “We will continue to do our best to ensure our student-athletes are put in the best situation to compete again.”
Field hockey
After a rocky start to the season last year, losing its first seven games, Penn State’s field hockey team hit its stride near the end, closing out the regular season by winning six of its final 10 contests.
Penn State made a run to the Big Ten Tournament’s title game by beating Michigan and top-seeded Maryland in back-to-back days. The Nittany Lions eventually fell 1-0 in overtime to second-seeded Iowa in the championship game.
The Nittany Lions ended the season with a 8-12 (4-4 Big Ten) record, finishing below .500 for the first time since 2015.
Head coach Charlene Morett-Curtiss’ group lost midfielder Madison Morano (a starter in all 20 games in 2019), defender Lauren McNally and goalkeeper Colleen Conway to graduation. But two of the team’s top three points leaders — defender Anna Simon and midfielder Jemma Punch — were both set to return.
“This is a very hard day for our field hockey family and while this (is) not the outcome we were hoping for, we understand and appreciate that both our conference and Penn State University have prioritized the health and safety of not only our student-athletes but of our community as well in making this decision,” Morett-Curtiss said in a statement Tuesday. “We as the Penn State Field Hockey team will continue to do our part in keeping ourselves and those around us safe by abiding by the local, university and state guidelines as we work to get through this together.”
Men’s soccer
The Penn State men’s soccer team finished last season with a winning record (12-4-3; Big Ten 6-1-1) for the first time since 2014 and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013.
Penn State rode a seven-game unbeaten streak into the Big Ten Tournament, but it lost to Michigan 1-0 in the tournament’s semifinal round. Second-year head coach Jeff Cook’s group then saw its season end in a 3-2 overtime loss to Providence in the NCAA Tournament’s second round.
The Nittany Lions lost midfielder Aaron Molloy, who led the team with 24 points, and forward Christian Sload, who was third on the team with 15 points, to graduation. But forward Liam Butts, who tied for the most goals on the team with nine last season as a freshman, was set to return.
“The Big Ten’s decision to postpone fall sports is one we have been dreading, but it was made in the best interest of the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and community,” Cook said in a statement Tuesday. “Everyone at Penn State, especially our players, have done everything possible to prepare to play this fall. We are devastated we won’t be able to compete and represent Penn State in 2020, but we WILL be ready to do so when given the all clear.”
Women’s soccer
It was business as usual for the Penn State women’s soccer team in 2019, as the program won its eighth Big Ten Tournament title and clinched an NCAA Tournament berth for the 25th consecutive year. Head coach Erica Dambach’s team finished with a 17-7-1 (8-3-0 Big Ten) record.
Penn State went on an 11-game win streak — its longest win streak since 2015 — on its way to making its seventh Sweet 16 appearance in the past nine seasons. The group fell in that third round, 2-0, to No. 1-seed Stanford.
The Nittany Lions were primed for another deep postseason run with its top five leaders in goals and points from 2019 — midfielder Ally Schlegel, midfielder Sam Coffey, defender Kerry Abello, midfielder Frankie Tagliaferri and midfielder Payton Linnehan — all returning.
“Our student-athletes have done everything we’ve asked of them to remain healthy and safe over these past several months,” Dambach said in a statement Tuesday. “I am so proud of how dedicated our students have been to their studies, as well as preparing and training under incredibly difficult circumstances. I am saddened they won’t be able to showcase their talents this fall, but we will be ready for the next time we can be out on Jeffrey Field and represent our great institution.”
Women’s volleyball
The Penn State women’s volleyball team continued its run last year as one of the sport’s most dominant programs by making its 39th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Russ Rose, finishing the season with a 27-6 (17-3 Big Ten) record.
Penn State came up short of capturing its 18th Big Ten title by falling to then-No. 8 Minnesota 3-1 in its regular-season finale. Rose’s group ended its season with a 3-0 loss to then-No. 3 Stanford in the NCAA Regional Final. The 2019 season marked the program’s third consecutive year of making it to at least the NCAA Regional Final.
The Nittany Lions lost outside hitter Tori Gorrell, defensive specialist Kendall White, defensive specialist Keeton Holcomb, defensive specialist Emily Sciorra and defensive specialist Kristin Krause to graduation. But the team returns its top three points leaders from last year.
“The health and safety of our student-athletes, their families and the entire Penn State community will always be our No. 1 priority,” Rose said in a statement Tuesday. “I am proud of the way the women on this team have handled the situation and the work they have put in to create a safe and healthy environment during early-season workouts and practice. I am confident they will continue those efforts and we will come back as strong as ever. We look forward to the next chance we get to represent Penn State.”
This story was originally published August 15, 2020 at 1:34 PM.
