UNIVERSITY PARK, PA -- Senior Katie Muth (at right) tallied a team-high four goals, but the University of Delaware was unable to battle back from a big halftime deficit and fell to No. 14 Penn State 15-10 in its season opener Saturday afternoon.

The Blue Hens (0-1), who finished 5-12 overall last season, were led by Muth’s career-high tying four goals, and by freshman Nicole Flego, who added three goals and two assists in the loss.

Penn State (1-0), who finished 8-8 last season, scored the first four goals of the game before Delaware got on the board at the 14:13 mark of the first period on Flego’s firsts career goal. The Nittany Lions then responded by scoring the next five goals, including two by Lindsay Dutch, who scored a game-high five goals, to give Penn State a commanding 9-1 lead. Muth and sophomore Alexis Curcio added consecutive goals but the Hens still trailed 9-3 entering halftime.

Penn State’s Karen Long would score her second of three goals nine seconds into the second half to bump the Nittany Lions lead to 10-3 before the Hens scored three of the game’s next four goals. After back to back goals from Dutch and Long, Penn State led 14-7 with 9:05 remaining in the game.

Delaware would end the game by scoring three of the last four goals as Muth recorded her fourth goal at the 21:58 mark, Flego added her third goal with 4:23 remaining in the game, and sophomore Debbie Sloan scored her first goal of the season to bring the Hens to within five, but Delaware would get no closer.

Starting goalkeeper Jessica Cerveny posted five saves and freshman goalkeeper Jordan Fischer made eight saves for Delaware. Cammie Jurkowsky tallied five saves for Penn State.

The Blue Hens will travel to Rutgers next Saturday to take on the Scarlet Knights at 1 p.m.

Boxscore