| Head coach Glenn Thiel got his 290th career win when Penn State won 12-11 in double-overtime at Villanova. Thiel is 290-190 and in his 39th year overall. He is 213-154 at Penn State (in his 29th year). |
State College, Pa. ?C April 28, 2006 ?C The Penn State Nittany Lion lacrosse team, ranked No. 15 nationally, won its second straight overtime game (and third of the year) by downing Villanova 12-11 in double overtime. Junior Pat Heim (Wayne, Pa.) scored with just over three minutes left in the second extra period to lead head coach Glenn Thiel??s crew to the win in Philadelphia.
Heim??s goal helped Penn State push back a gallant Villanova comeback attempt in which the Wildcats erased a two goal deficit in the game??s final five minutes to send the contest into extra time.
Villanova scored the game??s first goal when Tim Driscoll notched a solo goal at the 12:50 mark. But Penn State would take control with three straight goals to lead 3-1 after one period. Gil Pearsall (Carthage, N.Y.), Bubba Scott (Rockville, Md.) and Heim each scored unassisted goals within three minutes of each other to give the Nittany Lions the early lead. The goals came at the 11:53 mark, at 10:12 and at 9:28.
The Wildcats answered back quickly, however, scoring the second period??s first four goals (all in the period??s first six minutes) to lead 5-3 midway through the stanza. Nittany Lion Andrew Mackrides (Newtown Square, Pa.) pulled Penn State to within one, 5-4, at the 6:28 mark. After another ??Nova goal, Pearsall scored again for Penn State, getting an unassisted tally with 2:24 left to keep Penn State close heading into the halftime break. Pearsall??s second goal cut the Villanova lead to 6-5 after two periods.
The third period was also dominated by Villanova as the Wildcats got an early goal from Andy German to up their lead to 7-5. Senior Nate Whitaker (Great Falls, Va.) scored the game??s next two goals (the latter assisted by Heim) to tie the game at the 6:33 mark, 7-7. But Villanova scored the period??s final two goals to lead 9-7 heading into the fourth.
Penn State came out firing in the fourth, however, scoring the period??s first four goals. Greg Gurenlian (Springfield, Pa.) scored just thirty seconds into the fourth with an assist from Heim and John Eremus (Rosemont, Pa.) tied the game at 9-9 with 11:33 to play. Matt Radecic (Mission Hills, Kan.) found the back of the net at the 9:47 mark to give PSU a 10-9 lead and Whitaker scored off a Radecic assist with 6:33 to play to put Penn State up 11-9 with 6:33 to play. But Villanova scored the last two goals of regulation, getting scores from Chris Mercer at the 4:56 mark and from Matt Panneton with 4:19 to play to tie the game at 11-11 and send the contest into overtime.
Neither team managed a goal in the first four minute overtime, setting up Heim??s game-winner with 3:13 to play in the second extra period. Heim ended the contest with two goals and two assists while Whitaker added three goals. Tim Driscoll led Villanova with three goals as well. Penn State goalie Drew Adams (Springfield, Pa.) ended the game with 17 saves, facing 47 Villanova shots, 28 of which were on goal. Penn State managed 33 shots, 21 on goal, and ??Nova keeper Joe Canuso had nine saves. Besides scoring a goal and collecting six ground balls, Gurenlian won 13 of 27 face-offs in the contest. The victory was the 290th of Thiel??s head coaching career, putting the long-time Nittany Lion mentor within ten wins of the 300 career win plateau.
Penn State improves to 8-4 with the win while Villanova falls to 5-9. Penn State is 5-1 in the ECAC Lacrosse League and will face Georgetown next Saturday at 1 p.m. with a chance to claim the ECAC title. Action takes place on Penn State??s Jeffrey Field.
GAME SUMMARY: Penn State 12, Villanova 11 (2 OT)
SCORING (Goal-Assist):
1st: V (Driscoll), PSU (Pearsall), PSU (Scott), PSU (Heim)
2nd: V (Haas), V (Driscoll-MacDonald), V (Starker), V (Fritts-Heidenberger), PSU (Mackrides-Warner), V (Haas-Starker), PSU (Pearsall)
3rd: V (German), PSU (Whitaker), PSU (Whitaker-Heim), V (Driscoll-Haas), V (Panneton-MacDonald)
4th: PSU (Gurenlian-Heim), PSU (Eremus), PSU (Radecic), PSU (Whitaker-Radecic), V (Mercer-Starker), V (Panneton-Haas)
1st OT: None
2nd OT: PSU (Heim)
GROUNDBALLS: PSU 32-V 46 ?C EMO: PSU 1-5, V 1-4
SHOTS (SH-SOG): PSU 33-21, V 47-28
FACE-OFFS: PSU 13-27, V 14-27
GOALIE SUMMARY: PSU (Drew Adams 64:47, 11 GA, 17 SV), V (Joe Canuso 64:47, 12 GA, 9 SV)
SCORE BY QUARTERS: 1 2 3 4 OT OT F PENN STATE 3 2 2 4 0 1 12 VILLANOVA 1 5 3 2 0 0 11
RECORDS: Penn State 8-4, 5-1 ECAC; Villanova 5-9, 3-3 CAA
UP NEXT FOR PSU: Penn State hosts Georgetown, Saturday, May 6, 1 p.m.