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Nittany Lion Lacrosse Team Heads to Ohio State for Saturday Showdown with Buckeyes

March 2, 2010

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -

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TODAY'S GAME

Penn State (0-2, 0-0 CAA) heads to Columbus, Ohio, to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes (2-1) in its second straight road game. Face off in Columbus is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 6.

UP NEXT

Penn State has two games next week, hosting Villanova on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in Holuba Hall and then visiting Rutgers on Saturday for a 1 p.m. contest.

LAST TIME OUT

The Nittany Lions fought hard but dropped a tough 12-8 game at No. 3 Notre Dame last Sunday. Chris Hogan had two goals and an assist for Penn State.

GAME NOTES

TODAY'S GAME
The Penn State Nittany Lions (0-2, 0-0 CAA) will to Columbus, Ohio, to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes (2-1) in its second straight road game. Face off in Columbus is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 6. The Nittany Lions will be searching for their first win of the young season.

Penn State is coming off a tough loss at No. 3 Notre Dame last Sunday. Head coach Glenn Thiel's squad rallied from a six goal deficit late in the third period to close within three before dropping a hard-fought 12-8 game. The Fighting Irish withstood a flurry of Penn State goals in the game's final 16 minutes to claim the win.

Chris Hogan led Penn State in the loss in South Bend, notching two goals and an assist. Hogan has seven points off six goals and one assist in Penn State's first two games. Sophomore Matthew Mackrides leads Penn State with eight points off seven goals and an assist while freshman Billy Gribbin checks in with six off five and one. Senior Charley Henneghan has a .625 face off percentage, having won 25 of 40 attempts this year. He also has a team-best 13 ground balls. Freshman Goalie Dave Baker had a solid outing against the Irish, giving up only four goals and grabbing seven saves in 40:00 minutes of play.

Ohio State is coming off a 16-7 win over Detroit on Saturday. The win improved OSU's record to 2-1. Logan Schuss leads the Buckeyes with 10 points off six goals and four assists while Jeff Tundo checks in with seven off five and two. Trey Wilkes has won 17 of 42 face offs for Ohio State while goalie Brandon Freeman has an 8.08 GAA in three games thus far.
Penn State has two games next week, hosting Villanova on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in Holuba Hall and then visiting Rutgers on Saturday for a 1 p.m. contest.
HOGAN NOTCHES THREE POINTS IN CLOSE LOSS AT #3 NOTRE DAME
Junior Chris Hogan led Penn State with two goals and an assist in the Nittany Lions 12-8 loss at No. 3 Notre Dame on 2/28. Hogan's effort helped spark the Lions on a late comeback that fell short as the homestanding Irish held on late for the win.

FRESHMAN MAKER SOLID IN NOTRE DAME GAME
Freshman goalie Dave Baker played the final 40:00 minutes of Penn State's game at No. 3 Notre Dame and had his best outing of the early season. Baker allowed only four goals over the final two thirds of the game and collected seven saves.

MACKRIDES, GRIBBIN AND HOGAN LEAD LIONS IN HOME OPENING LOSS TO ROBERT MORRIS
Matthew Mackrides led Penn State with five goals and an assist for six points in Penn State's 24-17 home opening loss to Robert Morris on 2/20. Freshman Billy Gribbin had six points off four goals and two assists while Chris Hogan had four goals. The Nittany Lions out-shot RMU 75-40 but were thwarted by 26 saves from Robert Morris goalie Sal Barcia (RMU had 29 as a team).

SCRIMMAGES GIVE GLIMPSES INTO 2010 SEASON
The Penn State Nittany Lion lacrosse team took part in two scrimmages in preparation for the 2010 season. The Nittany Lions hosted Hobart on Feb. 6 in an evenly played game that allowed head coach Glenn Thiel to get every player some playing time. The Nittany Lions got to see if of their three goalies in action, with Dave Baker getting the first half nod and John Nichols and Conor Baucum splitting time in the second half. The next weekend, the Nittany Lions hosted the Iroquois Nationals in an exhibition on Sunday night. Penn State was impressive in the scrimmage with the Nationals, who were short-handed entering the contest. The Nittany Lions doubled up Iroquois in shots and outscored the visitors in each period. Freshman Nick Dolic tallied five goals in the game while sophomore Matthew Mackrides had four. The Penn State offense was once again balanced while the defense showcased the toughness it will take to have a successful 2010 campaign.

FOLLOW PENN STATE LACROSSE ON FACEBOOK
The Penn State Nittany Lion lacrosse team's coaching staff has a great way for fans to follow the team via the squad's facebook page. The staff will update the page regularly, offering fans with Facebook accounts an inside look at the team from the coach's perspective! Just go here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Penn-State-Lacrosse/261058956645