Penn State earned its first victory over a top-five ranked team since 2012.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Sophomore Jenny Rizzo earned the second shutout of her career as No. 18 Penn State field hockey upset No. 5 Virginia Sunday afternoon at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex.
"I think just getting that first game under your belt is real important, "said head coach Charlene Morett-Curtiss.
"We talked about how we felt when that (ODU) game started, the jitters are gone, we grew as that game went on, but we need to make sure we start at the beginning of the game (UVA) and play for 70 minutes."
"I think Skyler really sent the tone for our back field and I think Jenny had an answer for every shot."
Penn State (2-0) took an early lead, as Aurelia Meijer found her way to the back of the cage in the 12th minute of game play.
Assisted by Brooke Birosik, Meijer was able to get the ball at the top of the circle and had a clean shot into the cage, earning her first goal of the season.
In the second half, the Nittany Lions were able to extend their led to 3-0 with goals by Shay Cannon and Gini Bramley.
In the 48th minute, Cannon with help from Moira Putsch (Media, Pa.), was able to earn her first goal of the season to make it 2-0.
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The final goal of the game was scored by Bramley who was able to cut through the Cavaliers defense and find her way to the cage for the goal to make it 3-0.
Penn State controlled possession for much of the game, outshooting the Cavaliers 21-12, and holding the advantage in corner attempts, 11-2.
Aided by the strong defensive effort, Rizzo only needed to make four saves to earn the shutout. Rizzo played a huge part in the win clearing several loose balls out of the circle. Her counterpart for Virginia, Rebecca Holden, made career high 12 saves.
The last time the Penn State defeated a top-five team at home was August 24, 2012, when No. 9 Penn State downed No. 3 Old Dominion 5-2.
