HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — Casey Brennan (Lansdale, Pa.) scored with 1:51 left in sudden death as No 19-ranked/Mid-Atlantic Division Champion Pennsylvania State University defeated Division III No. 3/North Atlantic Division Champion the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 6-5, in the second 13th/15th place game to conclude Day Two at the 2022 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship.
Due to timing constraints to fit a 30-game tournament into three days, the 13th and 15th place positions are not played out as the victors and fallen from the final two games on the second day of the three day event conclude the championship tied.
Penn State – which ties with Colorado State University for 13th in the final 16-team standings – did not trail during the game as the Nittany Lions and Engineers went back-and-forth until Brennan’s tally terminated the contest and brought a conclusion to both programs’ 2022 seasons.
PSU jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the contest as Julie Warren (Kildeer, Ill.) and Olivia Sparkman (Orlando, Fla.) swished shots at 5:42 and 3:38, respectively. MIT responded as goalie Shannon Moreno (Gr., Fullerton, Calif.) lobbed in a chance at 2:14 to move the Engineers back to within one at 2-1 exiting the first quarter.
Following a failed five-meter penalty shot by Penn State at the 5:59 mark of the second quarter, MIT tied the score at two-all as Sarah Demsky (Gr., Orlando, Fla.) stuffed in a shot at 5:35.
Both teams dented the twine once over the remainder of the second quarter/first half as Sparkman (40 seconds) and Soumya Kannan (Gr., Palo Alto, Calif.) (31 seconds) factored to permit the squads to enter the break deadlocked at three-all.
Molly Brant (Reading, Pa.) returned the scoreboard advantage to the Nittany Lions with 5:47 to go in the third quarter, but Sophie Reynolds (So., Palo Alto, Calif.) responded at 5:17 to once again knot the teams at four-all. MIT had a chance to acquire the lead at 4:03, but a failed five-meter penalty shot prevented the Engineers from going ahead for the first time.
Following a scoreless fourth quarter to bring on overtime, Maggie Krieger (Blue Bell, Pa.) (2:24) and Reynolds (12 seconds) connected on shots in the first OT period to make it five-all.
Neither squad was able to find the cage again until Brennan lined in the game-winner during sudden death.
MIT – which wraps-up the 2022 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship in a tie with the University of Virginia for 15th place after previously finishing fifth (2005), seventh (2006, 2019), eighth (2007) and 12th (2017) in the program’s prior trips to the event – received a pair of goals from Reynolds and solo markers by Moreno, Demsky and Kannan. Moreno made eight saves in cage.
Penn State – which previously finished seventh (2015), eighth (2011), 10th (2001, 2018), 11th (2005 2017) and 13th (2019) at the National Collegiate Club Championship – received two goals by Sparkman and single tallies from Krieger, Brennan, Brant and Warren. Lindsey McMackin (Souderton, Pa.) stopped nine shots in earning the win.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | OT1 | OT2 | SDOT | – | FINAL | |
| No. 19 Pennsylvania State University | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | – | 6 |
| Division III No. 3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 |
| MIT Goals: | Sophie Reynolds (2); Shannon Moreno; Sarah Demsky; Soumya Kannan | ||||||||
| Penn State Goals: | Olivia Sparkman (2); Maggie Krieger; Casey Brennan; Molly Brant; Julie Warren | ||||||||
| Saves: | MIT – Shannon Moreno (8) ; Penn State – Lindsey McMackin (9) | ||||||||
| Exclusions: | MIT – 4 ; Penn State – 3 | ||||||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | MIT – 0-for-3 ; Penn State – 0-for-4 | ||||||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | ||||||||
| Officials: | Mark Kessler; Brandon Nicholson | ||||||||
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Danielle Fang (#9) attempts to elude Pennsylvania State University’s Julie Warren (#3)
Pennsylvania State University’s Olivia Sparkman (#5) spies an opening as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Soumya Kannan (#12) closes on defense
Pennsylvania State University’s Maggie Krieger (#9) tries to swipe the ball from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Ria Sonecha (#2)
