March 24, 2009
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -
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TODAY'S GAME:
The Penn State Nittany Lion men's lacrosse team (3-4, 0-2 ECAC) will visit the 14th-ranked Massachusetts Minutemen (4-3, 1-0 ECAC) in a critical ECAC Lacrosse League battle on Saturday, March 28. Gametime in Amherst is set for 12 p.m.  The contest is the final ECAC Lacrosse League battle between the two teams as each squad will renew their rivalry next season as members of the Colonial Athletic Association.
The Nittany Lions are coming off a hard-fought 5-4 overtime loss to Fairfield on Saturday at Bigler Field. Drew Adams collected 13 saves in the game, but Penn State's offense only connected four times on 38 shots. Jack Forster had a goal and two assists for Penn State while Chris Hogan had two goals.
Jack Forster leads Penn State with 21 points off 12 goals and a team-best nine assists. Chris Hogan checks in at 17 with a team-best 16 goals and an assist. Rob Forster rounds out PSU's double-digit scorers with 13 off ten and three. Adams has a superb 7.86 goals against average with 94 saves and a .627 save percentage. Brian Shea has 22 ground balls while the face-off trio of Charley Henneghan, Jordan Kolb and Joe Britt has combined for a .597 win percentage (80-134).
Massachusetts comes into the week ranked 14th in the nation after its 8-6 win at Loyola last weekend. Jim Connolly leads the Minutemen with 22 points off 19 goals and three assists while Tim Balise and Bobby Hayes have 15 points each. Balise has 11 goals and four assists while Hayes checks in with seven and eight. Keeper Doc Schneider has a 7.48 goals against average with 81 saves and a .614 save percentage.
Penn State will host No. 17 Hobart on Saturday, April 4, at 1 p.m.
PENN STATE VS. UMASS: THE SERIES
UMass owns a 6-3 lead in the all-time series, having won the last two (including a 7-5 win in State College). Penn State's last win was a 7-5 victory in 2006, also in State College.
Jack Forster NAMED ECAC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Penn State Nittany Lion lacrosse player Jack Forster (Jenkintown, Pa.) has been named the ECAC Lacrosse League Rookie of the Week, sharing the honor with Loyola's Mike Sawyer. The honor is the first weekly conference honor for Forster. Forster was superb in a 2-0 week for the Nittany Lions. On Tuesday, the freshman scored two goals and had two assists to lead the Nittany Lions to a 10-8 win at No. 20 Villanova. He followed that performance up with a goal and an assist in Penn State's 7-5 win at Vermont on Sunday. Forster now has a team-best 18 points off 11 goals and seven assists.
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.
ADAMS SAVES THE DAY IN WIN OVER #20 VILLANOVA
Senior Drew Adams was superb in the net to help lead the Nittany Lions to a 10-8 victory at No. 20 Villanova on 3/10. Adams had 16 saves against a barrage of Wildcat shots and allowed only eight goals to lead Penn State to its second straight win over a ranked opponent.
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).