April 7, 2009
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -
Complete Release in PDF Format
TODAY'S GAME:
The Penn State Nittany Lion men's lacrosse team (4-5, 1-3 ECAC) will play two games this week. Head coach Glenn Thiel's team will visit #19 Bucknell (6-4) on Tuesday, April 7, at 7:30 p.m. and then return home to host ECAC rival St. John's (5-4, 1-3 ECAC) on Saturday at 1 p.m. The SJU game will be played on Jeffrey Field.
The Nittany Lions are coming off a thrilling 10-8 win over Hobart last Saturday. Penn State was led by seniors Drew Adams and Rob Forster in the game. Adams was stunning in Penn State's 10-8 win over Hobart on Saturday. The three-time ECAC Goalie of the Year had a career-high 24 saves against 45 Hobart shots (42 on goal). Adams also controlled the Penn State defense with nine ground balls, a season high for the senior. Forster exploded early for Penn State, scoring four of his game-best five points in a first period that saw Penn State take a 5-2 lead and never look back. The senior attackman ended the game with three goals and two assists.
Jack Forster leads Penn State with 26 points off 14 goals and a team-best 12 assists. Hogan has 20 off a team-best 19 goals and one assist while Rob Forster has 20 off 14 and 6. Adams sports an 8.00 goals against average with 131 saves and a .642 save percentage. Brian Shea leads the Nittany Lions with 32 ground balls while Charley Henneghan has a .588 face-off percentage. As a team, Penn State is shooting .223 while holding its opponents to a .217 mark.
Bucknell enters the week ranked No. 19 nationally in the latest USILA Coaches Poll. The Bison are 6-4 overall and are being led by Austin Winter's 28 points. Winter has eight goals and a team-best 20 assists. Joe Mele has 20 goals and an assist for 21 while Charlie Streep checks in at 21 with 17 and four.
St. John's will carry a 5-4 overall record, 1-3 in the ECAC, into Saturday's conference game at Jeffrey Field. Drew Schanen leads the Red Storm with 22 points off 18 goals and four assists while Trevor Michaelsen has 19 off 14 and five. Harry Kutner has also scored 19 points off 11 goals and eight assists.
Penn State will visit Rutgers (4-7, 2-2 ECAC) for a conference game on Saturday, April 18. Gamen time is set for 11:30 a.m. as the contest will be played prior to the Scarlet Knights' spring football scrimmage.
PENN STATE VS. BUCKNELL: THE SERIES
The Nittany Lions lead the all-time series with Bucknell 33-9, including an 8-7 home win last year when BU was ranked #9 in the nation. Bucknell won in Lewisburg two years ago, 7-5.
PENN STATE VS. ST. JOHN'S: THE SERIES
Penn State holds a 3-1 lead over the Red Storm in the all-time series. SJU won 11-7 in Jamaica last year while Penn State won 9-5 two years ago here in Happy Valley.
ADAMS' CAREER DAY VS. HOBART LEADS TO WIN AND PLAYER OF THE WEEK LAURELS
Penn State Nittany Lion lacrosse player Drew Adams (Springfield, Pa.) has been named the ECAC Lacrosse League Defensive Player of the Week. It is Adams' first honor of the year and Penn State's third as a team. Adams was stunning in Penn State's 10-8 win over Hobart on Saturday. The three-time ECAC Goalie of the Year had a career-high 24 saves against 45 Hobart shots (42 on goal). Adams also controlled the Penn State defense with nine ground balls, a season high for the senior.
Rob Forster SPARKS PENN STATE TO 10-8 ECAC WIN OVER HOBART
Senior attackman Rob Forster sparked the Nittany Lions to a 10-8 win over Hobart on April 4. Forster had four points in a critical first period to lead the Nittany Lions to an early 5-2 lead after 15:00 of play. Forster had two goals and two assists in the opening stanza and ended the game with five points off three and two.
Jack Forster's FOUR-POINT SHOWING AT UMASS EARNS HIM SECOND ECAC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK HONOR
Penn State Nittany Lion lacrosse player Jack Forster (Jenkintown, Pa.) has been named ECAC Lacrosse League Rookie of the Week. It is the second such honor for the red-shirt freshman this year. Forster continued his torrid 2009 campaign with two goals and two assists in Penn State's 9-8 loss at UMass on Saturday. Forster's four-point performance was his fourth of the season as of 3/28.
CLOSE LOSSES? HOW ABOUT FOUR OF FIVE!
Four of Penn State's five losses have come by a total of four goals. Yes, four one-goal losses, including two in overtime. Penn State has lost overtime games to Robert MOrris and Fairfield and single-goal games to Loyola and UMass.
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 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).