March 2, 2009
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -
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TODAY'S GAME: The Penn State Nittany Lion men's lacrosse team (0-3, 0-1 ECAC) ends an early three game homestand by hosting its third straight ranked foe. No. 15 Ohio State (3-1) visits Penn State for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, March 7.
The Nittany Lions are coming off hard-fought 8-7 league loss to Loyola last Saturday on Bigler Field. Penn State mounted a furious five-goal comeback attempt in the fourth period but fell one goal shy of forcing extra time. Sophomore Chris Hogan led Penn State his four points in the game off three goals and an assist. Goalie Drew Adams had 12 saves in the contest as well.
Hogan leads Penn State with 10 points off nine goals and an assist. Freshman Jack Forster has eight points off four goals and a team-best four assists while brother Rob has six points off five and one. Matt Bernier leads Penn State with 13 ground balls while Joe Britt has led the face-off unit with a .613 percentage (19 of 31). Adams has a 10.70 goals against average with 39 saves and a .542 save percentage. As a team, the Nittany Lions have a .205 shot percentage and a .455 EMO mark (connecting on five of 11 extra man chances.
Ohio State is coming off solid 11-6 win over another ECAC foe, Fairfield, last weekend. The Buckeyes also beat Bucknell and Detroit and lost 8-6 to Navy. Ohio State is being led by Joel Dalgarno, who has 17 points off ten goals and seven assists. Jeff Ryan checks in with 15 points off ten and five while goalie Brandon Freeman has a 6.49 goals against average with 37 saves.
Penn State heads out on a two-game road swing next week. The Nittany Lions visit Villanova on Tuesday, March 10, for a 4 p.m. contest and then trek to Vermont for a 1 p.m. game on Sunday, March 15.
PENN STATE VS. OHIO STATE: THE SERIES
Penn State holds a 10-2 lead in the all-time series between the two schools. The Buckeyes' two wins have been the last two meetings, including a 17-6 win in Columbus last year. Penn State's last win was a 9-7 victory in Columbus on Feb. 19, 2005.
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.
FACE-OFFS STILL A STRONG SUIT FOR NITTANY LIONS
Penn State, which sported the ECAC's top face-off unit last year, has picked up right where it left off in 2009. Joe Britt (.613, 19 of 31), Jordan Kolb (.579, 11 of 19) and Charley Henneghan (.571, 12 of 21) are all among the ECAC leaders in face-off percentage and, as a team, the Nittany Lions own a .592 mark (42-71).
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).