March 16, 2009
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -
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TODAY'S GAME: The Penn State Nittany Lion men's lacrosse team (3-3, 0-1 ECAC) will host conference rival Fairfield (2-2*, 1-0 ECAC) in an ECAC Lacrosse League game (*Fairfield is at Marist on Tuesday). Action is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 21.
The Nittany Lions are coming off their third straight win at Vermont on Sunday. That, combined with a 10-8 victory over No. 20 Villanova last Tuesday, has Penn State sitting at 3-3 overall. Rob Forster and Brian Shea lead Penn State with two goals apiece in the 7-5 win over the Catamounts while Jack Forster had a goal and an assist. Senior goalie Drew Adams was superb with nine saves while giving up only five goals (the third straight game the senior keeper kept opponents to eight goals or less).
Freshman Jack Forster leads Penn State with 18 points off 11 goals and seven assists while Chris Hogan has 15 off 14 goals and one assist. Rob Forster checks in at 13 with ten and three. She has three goals, three assists and a team-best 22 ground balls as well. Jordan Kolb leads a solid Penn State face-off game with a .622 mark (23 of 37) while Joe Britt checks in at .611 (33-54). Adams has an 8.39 goals against average with 81 saves and a .614 save percentage.
Fairfield comes into the game with a 2-2 overall mark, 1-0 in conference play, and will visit Marist on Tuesday. Fairfield is coming off a tough 13-12 loss to Colgate last weekend in a game that saw Colgate outscore Fairfield 9-6 in the second half to grab the win. Brent Adams and Chris Ajemian each have 11 points for the Stage, both with six goals and five assists. Keeper Charlie Cipriano has a 9.25 GAA with 39 saves and a .513 save percentage.
Penn State will trek to Massachusetts on Saturday, March 28, for a 12 p.m. game with the Minutemen.
PENN STATE VS. FAIRFIELD: THE SERIES
Penn State owns a 6-2 lead in the all-time series with the Stags. The Nittany Lions have won the last three contests, including a 7-2 victory last year in Connecticut. Fairfield's last win was an 11-10 overtime win in State College back in 2005. That loss was Penn State's only ECAC loss of the year.
SHEA SOLID IN WIN AT VERMONT
Middie Brian Shea lead Penn State to a 7-5 win at Vermont on 3/15, the Nittany Lions' third straight win. Shea had two goals and a team-best six ground balls in the effort.
FORSTER BROTHERS LEAD PENN STATE TO WIN OVER #15 OHIO STATE
Brothers Jack and Rob Forster combined for seven points to lead the Nittany Lion lacrosse team to an impressive 11-5 victory over No. 15 Ohio State on 3/7. Freshman Jack had a game-high four goals while senior Rob had a goal and a team-best two assists in the contest.
ADAMS SHINES IN NET AGAINST #15 OHIO STATE
Senior goalie Drew Adams was superb in Penn State's 11-5 win over 15th-ranked Ohio State on 3/7. Adams, facing 41 shots (22 on goal) had 17 saves to raise his season save total to 56 and lower his GAA to 9.31.
ADAMS A CANDIDATE FOR LOWE'S SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Penn State Nittany Lion lacrosse goalie Drew Adams (Springfield, Pa.) has been named as a candidate for the prestigious 2009 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. Adams' nomination is the second time he's been nominated for a national post-season award as he is on the Tewaaraton Watch List as well. Thirty NCAA® lacrosse student-athletes who strive to make a difference in their classroom, their communities and on their field of competition were identified as the 2009 candidates for the lacrosse division of the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: Classroom, Character, Community, and Competition. The list of 30 student-athletes will be narrowed down to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot. The ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select the candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the "Four C's" of Classroom, Character, Community, and Competition. The award winner will be announced and presented with his trophy at the 2009 NCAA® Men's Lacrosse Championship in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
HOGAN NOTCHES HAT TRICK IN LOSS TO LOYOLA
Sophomore Chris Hogan led Penn State with four points in its tough 8-7 loss to No. 16 Loyola on 2/28. Hogan had three goals and an assist to lead the Nittany Lions.
MULQUEEN NOTCHES THREE ASSISTS IN NOTRE DAME GAME
Chris Mulqueen had a team-best three assists to lead Penn State in the Nittany Lions' tough 13-8 loss to Notre Dame on Feb. 22.
ADAMS NAMED TO TEWARAATON WATCH LIST
Penn State Nittany Lion men's lacrosse player Drew Adams (Springfield, Pa.) has been named to the 2009 Tewaaraton Award Watch List. Adams is among the select few in line for college lacrosse's Player of the Year award. It is the second year the Penn Stater has been included on the list. The Tewaaraton Award is given by the Tewaaraton Award Foundation, in conjunction with the University Club of Washington, D.C. The organization formally established the Trophy in 2000. Today, it is recognized as the pre-eminent lacrosse award, honoring the top male and female athletes in the United States. Essentially, it is the lacrosse equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. Adams is a three-time ECAC Goalie of the Year and a three-time All-ECAC Selection. He was also named ECAC Rookie of the Year. This year's co-captain, Adams has started in all 41 games to date during his Penn State career. He sports a goals against average below 8.00 for his career and has collected nearly 500 saves. Adams has been an Honorable Mention All-American twice during his stellar Nittany Lion career. This year's award will be presented on Thursday, May 28.
A HEALTHY HOGAN MAKES A SOLID RETURN AT RMU
Sophomore Chris Hogan, healthy after battling injuries in 2008, made a solid return to action in Penn State's season opener at Robert Morris. Hogan had four goals to lead the Nittany Lions.
FRESHMEN MAKE FINE DEBUT AT RMU
Two of Penn State's offensive forces in its 2009 season opener at Robert Morris were freshmen. Red-shirt freshman Jack Forster led Penn State with three assists, added a goal and was the co-leader with four points. True freshman Matthew Mackrides had an assist and two goals for three points as well.
Nittany Lion Lacrosse Team Names Drew Adams and Matt Warner Co-Captains for 2009 Season
The Penn State Nittany Lion lacrosse team has named seniors Drew Adams (Springfield, Pa.) and Matt Warner (Geneva, N.Y.) as team captains for the 2009 season. Each player is a four-year letterman for head coach Glenn Thiel's squad. The team's captains were selected by voting amongst the squad. Adams has won the ECAC Goalie of the Year Award for three straight seasons and is a three-time first team All-ECAC selection. In 2006, he was named ECAC Rookie of the Year and has earned honorable mention All-America laurels as well. In three years, Adams has started in each of the 40 games he has played and has collected 482 saves, which is sixth all-time at Penn State and less than 100 from the school record. He also has a sub-8.00 goals against average for his career. Warner has played in all 40 of his games as a Nittany Lion, including emerging as a starter last year. He has eight points for his career, including five assists last season. Warner had 23 ground balls in 2008 and has 54 for his career.
Nittany Lion Lacrosse Players Adams and Mackrides Earn ECAC Lacrosse Pre-Season Honors
Penn State Nittany Lion lacrosse players Drew Adams (Springfield, Pa.) and Matthew Mackrides (Newtown Square, Pa.) have each earned ECAC Lacrosse League pre-season laurels. The conference announced the 2009 Preseason All-ECAC Team earlier this week. Adams, a senior goalie on this year's team, was named the 2009 Preseason ECAC Defensive Player of the Year and was selected to the 2009 Pre-Season All-ECAC Team. Adams has been a first-team All-ECAC pick in each of his first three seasons at Penn State and has won ECAC Goalie of the Year laurels for three straight years. He has also been a two-time Honorable Mention All-American. Mackrides was named the 2009 ECAC Preseason Rookie of the Year. The younger brother of former Nittany Lion stand-out Andrew Mackrides, Matthew brings a long list of accolades with him as he embarks upon his freshman campaign at Penn State. He was a two-time high school All-American at Malvern Prep and earned all-state honors for three seasons. He was also a member of the USA Under-19 team that won the 2008 World Championships this past summer.
Nittany Lion Lacrosse Team Rallying Behind Relay for Life
The Penn State Nittany Lion men's lacrosse team is well into it's year-long endeavor to make a difference in the lives of cancer victims as it participates in this year's Relay for Life. Relay for Life is 24-hour event set to take place this April, but the fundraising for the event occurs all year long. The men's lacrosse team, under the guidance of head coach Glenn Thiel and assistant coaches Guy VanArsdale and Travis Johnson, raised nearly $1,500 this past summer raffling off lacrosse equipment during its highly-successful summer camps. The team is currently involved in the distribution of fliers throughout the campus and the State College community to raise awareness for the event and to drive future fundraising efforts. The team is already making plans for activities this winter and spring. A touch football or three-on-three basketball tournament is in the works as well. The team plans to host and run the event on its own. Friends and family of Penn State's men's lacrosse team will also be receiving a newsletter that will encourage them to pledge donations to a specific player, based on points or saves in a game. Relay for Life has become well known for its yearly tributes to all those affected by cancer. Each year, the event is used to honor people battling the disease and celebrating those who have won their fight. There is an annual Luminaria Ceremony to remember those whose battles were lost. The national slogan is Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back. This year, Relay for Life is celebrating its 25th Year of Hope and its fifth year of Penn State Pride. The 2009 event will run from 5 p.m. on April 17 to 5 p.m. on April 18 on the fields located off Orchard Road. The Penn State Relay for Life website can be accessed at www.psurelay.org , where interested parties can find all the information they need to get involved as well as links to www.RelayForLife.org (the organization's national website) and www.cancer.org (the American Cancer Society's national site).