‘Nova field hockey ended its six-game winning streak with a 1-0 loss to Penn State Oct. 29. The No. 7 ranked Nittany Lions scored with 2:07 minutes left in the first half on a goal by Neilye Stoner.

Freshman goalkeeper Erin Scott, who was just named Big East Defensive Player of the Week, saved a game-high if 12 shots.

Despite the loss, the team learned a lot from playing against such a competitive team as Penn State.

“Playing No. 7 ranked Penn State for our final regular season game was the ideal situation for our team to help in our preparation for the Big East tournament,” sophomore Sarah Francis said.

“It’s always beneficial to match up against a strong, established program like Penn State, especially when we are playing at the top of our game right now.”

With the Big East tournament coming up, the team is preparing to win, and is settling for nothing less.

“The team is absolutely looking forward to the tournament and for the opportunity to face Boston College and UConn again,” Francis said.

Looking at the season so far, senior Colleen Helms is happy with her team’s performance in her last year at Villanova.

“The team as a whole is now clicking,” Helms said. “We had some tough losses in the beginning of our season but as the end of the season comes closer, I think the team realizes that our goal to win the Big East and to goto the NCAAs is not only attainable, but realistic.”

As the No. 2 seed going into the tournament, the Wildcats will travel today to face off against No. 3 Boston College in the semi-finals.