UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 25-ranked Penn State women’s lacrosse looks to finish out conference play on a six-game win streak when the team hits the road to Baltimore, Maryland, to take on No. 8 Johns Hopkins.
First draw between Penn State and the Blue Jays is set for 6 p.m. (ET) at Homewood Field on Wednesday, April 16.
Game Info
Who: No 25 Penn State vs. No. 8 Johns Hopkins
What: Regular season finale
Where: Baltimore, Md. – Homewood Field
When: Wednesday, April 16 at 6 p.m. (ET)
Nittany Lions vs. Johns Hopkins
In a series dating back to 2002, Penn State owns a 17-10 advantage in the all-time series against the Blue Jays. Despite the all-time series leading toward the Nittany Lions, the Jays have won five of the last six meetings. PSU’s lone win in the stretch was a 16-13 win at home last season.
Penn State have taken down the Blue Jays in eight of the 11 games at Homewood Field. Still, the Blue and White will be chasing the first win in hostile territory since 2019.
Scouting the Blue Jays
Johns Hopkins comes into the week ranked eighth in the IWLCA Coaches Poll, boasting a 10-4 overall record and 4-2 conference mark. The Blue Jays are coming off a shocking 13-2 loss to Michigan on Sunday after missing the presence of their number one attacker, Ashley Mackin.
Mackin, who leads the Blue Jays in goals, points, and free position goals despite only appearing in 12 games, has recorded at least four points in nine games this season, and at least four of those points came from goals in each appearance. In the potential absence of Mackin, Hopkins will look to Ava Angello to spark the offense. The junior is the Jays number two scorer, posting 48 goals and 14 assists in 14 games.
Last Time Out
A 10-2 second half powered Penn State to its second top 25 win of the season, downing No. 22 Southern California, 16-8 on Sunday afternoon at Panzer Stadium. The senior day win moves Penn State to 7-7 (5-2 Big Ten), while USC falls to 9-6 (2-5 Big Ten).
Sophomore Kelly MacKinney led both teams with five points on a goal and four assists. Junior Erika Ho led all scorers with four goals in the contest. Ho matched her career-high draw controls for a third time this season, winning 14 pulls for the Nittany Lions in addition to scooping three ground balls. Even though it was senior day, the freshmen had some of the biggest impacts on the final score. First-year Brooke Long secured her first-career hat trick, while rookie Ellie Wisch put up three points on a pair of scores and an assist. Junior Maddie Greco tallied her first career points with a goal and assist, both of which were crucial in the Blue and Whites momentum swing in the first half. Senior Lauren Saltz and junior Emma Kelly rounded out the multi-point scorers on Sunday afternoon. Saltz put up a goal and an assist in addition to three draw controls, two ground balls, and a caused turnover. Kelly buried two shots, won two draws, and vacuumed up two ground balls.
Defensively, goalkeepers Ashley Bowan and Sydney Manning split time, combining for a .556 save percentage, making 10 saves collectively. Manning as an individual made saves at a 75 percent clip.
Weekly Recognition
After a second top 25 win, this time toppling No. 22 Southern California, 16-8, Penn State moved into third in the Big Ten Conference and pushed its win streak to five, the longest in the Big Ten. For their efforts in the win, senior Lauren Saltz and freshman Brooke Long earned weekly conference honors.
Saltz, the Big Ten Midfielder of the Week, posted a goal and an assist on senior day in the upset win. She also scooped two ground balls, caused a turnover, and won three draw controls.
Long, the Big Ten Freshman of the Week, put up her first-career hat trick on just four shots in the win. Long also caused two turnovers and scooped two ground balls as a strong two-way midfielder.
The win over USC earned Penn State a spot back into the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Coaches Poll. The Nittany Lions entered the week at 25.
Preseason Nods
In the Big Ten preseason poll, the Nittany Lions were picked to finish fifth.
Senior Ellie Hollin raked in the preseason recognitions. She has been named a consensus preseason first-team All-American and earned a spot on the Tewaaraton watch list.
Hollin also earned nod from the conference offices, being named a Big Ten Player to Watch. She joined sophomores Sydney Manning and Kelly MacKinney on the list.
Getting Younger
Where the Nittany Lions returned 29-of-33 players from 2023 to 2024 roster, the 2025 roster boasts 24 sophomores and freshmen by class eligibility.
Manning and MacKinney highlight the group after their breakout seasons in 2024.
MacKinney returns as the fourth-leading scorer from last year. The then-freshmen posted 39 points on 14 goals and 25 assists. The attacker ranked in top ten in the conference and led the team with her assist total and assist per game mark (1.32).
Manning was named the 2024 Big Ten Freshman of the Year last season. The then-freshman has started 16 games in her rookie campaign, making 100 saves. She also scooped up 24 ground balls. The netminder made 15 save in the upset victories over No. 1 Northwestern and No. 4 Maryland in 2024.
Fresh Faces
Penn State adds 12 freshmen to the 2024 roster: Dakota Cristo, Arden Jansen, Alexa Kairis, Brooke Lattanzi, Brooke Long, Allie Meyer, Maggie Rezza, Porter Rhoades, Ava Stummer, Victoria Tomonto, Grace Tullock, and Ellie Wisch.
In addition to the rookies, Penn State added transfers Lily Strohecker (Navy) and Delaney Radin (Florida).
On the Lookout
- Delaney Radin is seven points away from 25 on her career.
- Emma Kelly is two goals away from 50 in her career.
- Ellie Hollin is 19 caused turnovers away from 100 in her career.
- Kelly MacKinney hit the 25-goal mark in her career in the win over USC. She is also 17 points away for 100 in her career at PSU.
- Sydney Manning is hit the 200 save mark in the win over Southern California.
Up Next
Women’s lacrosse finishes out regular season on the road when the team takes on No. 8 Johns Hopkins on Wednesday, April 16. First draw between the Nittany Lions and the Blue Jays is set for 6 p.m. at Homewood Field. The game will be broadcast live on ESPNU.