Penn State is entering its second season since the retirement of legendary head coach Charles “Mollett” Curtis. After going 9-8 and losing in the first round of last year's Big Ten Tournament, the Nittany Lions are looking to bounce back in the Big Ten.
The Nittany Lions will open their season at home against Virginia on August 30 at 4 p.m. This will mark the 10th consecutive season these two teams will meet, excluding the 2020 season.
The Blue and White have an 11-5 record all-time against the Cavaliers, but Virginia won 2-1 in their most recent meeting in 2023. Virginia hasn't won back-to-back games since 2009 and 2010, so Penn State is expected to be favored going into this season's matchup.
Two days later, at noon on Sept. 1, the Nittany Lions will face Syracuse, a non-conference opponent they have not beaten often: The Orange have won five straight in the series, the last time the blue and white triumphed was in 2007.
Another non-conference opponent that Penn State looks more likely to win is Princeton. The Tigers hold a 10-9 edge over the Nittany Lions, so the Blue and White have a chance to even the series on September 15 at noon.
Penn State will open Big Ten Conference play on September 27th when it hosts Indiana University at 4pm. This game is sure to be a win for the Nittany Lions as Indiana went 0-8 in the Big Ten Conference last season and lost 3-1 to the Blue and White.
The Penn State field hockey team celebrates after scoring a goal during a game against Delaware at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex in University Park, Pa., Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023. The Nittany Lions defeated the Blue Hens, 4-1.
But after the Indiana game, the Big Ten schedule will likely get even tougher.
For the first of three straight conference away games, Penn State will take on Iowa at 6 pm on October 4. Both teams were .500 in the Big Ten Conference last season, so this matchup looks to be evenly matched.
The second game will be against Big Ten powerhouse Northwestern on Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. The Wildcats went 21-2 overall and 8-0 in the Big Ten last season but ultimately lost to No. 1-ranked North Carolina in the NCAA Championship.
The Nittany Lions may have a chance to make this a close game, but an upset on the road seems unlikely.
Capping off three consecutive conference away games, the Blue and White will visit Ohio State on October 11th at 3pm. Penn State will be highly motivated heading into this matchup as they will be looking to avenge their loss in the Big Ten Tournament.
Before returning home, the Nittany Lions will travel to Athens, Ohio, to play their season opener against Ohio State on Oct. 13 at noon.
The Blue and White will host Michigan at 4 p.m. on Oct. 18 in their first home game since Sept. 29. The Wolverines had a worse record in the Big Ten Conference last season than Penn State, but came away with a 2-1 win over the Nittany Lions.
A few days later, the Blue and White will face Michigan State at noon on Oct. 20. Penn State has won 16 straight games against the Spartans, and the team will be looking to extend that to 17.
For their final away game of the regular season, the Nittany Lions will travel to Piscataway, New Jersey to take on Rutgers on October 25 at 2 p.m. Penn State will then close the regular season at home against Maryland on November 1 at 4 p.m.
The Big Ten Tournament will be held Nov. 7-10. If the Nittany Lions qualify, the NCAA Tournament will begin Nov. 15.
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