CARLISLE, Pa. — Molly Goodman (So., Harleysville, Pa.) of No. 16-ranked/No. 10 seed/Mid-Atlantic Division Champion Pennsylvania State University scored a game-high six times to claim Player of the Game accolades as the Nittany Lions roared by No. 9/No. 14 seed/Atlantic Division Champion the United States Naval Academy, 10-2, to earn a spot in the 2026 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship Ninth Place game.
Competing at the Carlisle YMCA Aquatic Center, PSU overpowered the Midshipmen by building leads of 3-0 and 8-0 at the conclusion of the first and second quarters, respectively, before keeping Navy at bay in the second half for an eight-score victory.
Penn State – which previously claimed seventh (2015), eighth (2011), ninth (2018), 10th (2001, 2025), 11th (2005, 2017) and 13th (2019, 2022) place marks at Nationals – will square-off with No. 9/No. 8 seed/Texas Division Champion the University of Texas at 2:15 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, April 19, for Ninth Place.
Navy – which is making the program’s inaugural appearance at the National Collegiate Club Championship – will take part in the 30th and final game of the weekend on Sunday, April 19, as the Mids will seek to waylay No. 4/No. 12 seed/Southeast Division Champion the University of Florida at 3:30 p.m. in the 11th Place game.
PSU wasted little time in anchoring Navy down with the weight of a deficit as Faith Pigeon (So., Blue Bell, Pa.) (5:26), Adi Garges (Jr., Perkasie, Pa.) (3:17, man-up) and Goodman (1:21) torqued in first quarter tallies to acquire a 3-0 margin.
Goodman (5:52; 4:46; 3:28, penalty shot), Garges (5:29) and Piper Thiessen (Jr., Portland, Ore.) (4:00, man-up) combined for a 5-0 second quarter outburst as the Nittany Lions sat comfortably in front at 8-0 leading into halftime.
Navy attempted to climb back into the contest as Camryn Balentine (Fr., Virginia Beach, Va.) and Winnie Patton (Jr., Chesapeake, Va.) dented the twine with power-play strikes at the 6:24 and 5:35 marks of the third quarter, respectively, to inch the Midshipmen within 8-2.
However, the Nittany Lions got both goals back prior to the concluding horn as Goodman closed out the third quarter with a man-up marker (1:56) before beating the fourth quarter buzzer with a second left for the final blow in a 10-2 victory.
Patton and Balentine accounted for Navy’s offensive output with solo goals. Netminder Sophie Ochoa (Fr., San Antonio, Texas) turned aside nine shots in taking the loss.
Goodman (six), Garges (two), Thiessen and Pigeon combined for Penn State’s 10 goals to support an 11 save performance by goalkeeper Juliana Carter (So., Aurora, Ill.).
United States Naval Academy’s Camryn Balentine (#25) & Pennsylvania State University’s Hannah Fetter (#4)
Pennsylvania State University’s Adi Garges (#7) looks for an opening as the United States Naval Academy’s Hannah Mendenhall (#27) defends
