Feb. 24, 2012
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 20 Penn State men's lacrosse team will face its highest ranked foe in program history when it travels to No. 2/4 Notre Dame on Sunday (Feb. 26) at 1 p.m.
Prior to Sunday's matchup, the Nittany Lions last faced a top-five opponent during the 2010 season, when they also battled the Fighting Irish. In that matchup, Penn State fell to third-ranked Notre Dame, 12-8.
The Nittany Lions (1-1, 0-0 CAA) will enter the contest following a 16-9 victory against Michigan in their home opener on Saturday, Feb. 18. Penn State led the Wolverines, 4-2, at halftime before using a nine-goal third quarter to seal the victory. Attackman Jack Forster(Jenkintown) led the Nittany Lions in both goals (5) and points (8), and has accumulated 11 points in two games. The senior is just four points shy of his 2011 total.
Forster and the rest of the Penn State offense will be put to the test against a stringent Notre Dame defense that ranked second in the nation in 2011 in goals allowed per game (6.57). Senior midfielder Matthew Mackrides (Newtown Square) and sophomore attackmen Gavin Ahern (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) and Shane Sturgis(Downingtown) will also look to continue their strong offensive play and find success against Notre Dame goalkeeper John Kemp.
Kemp matched a career high with 14 saves in the Fighting Irish's season-opening 7-3 victory against then-No. 2 Duke last weekend. The junior netminder and Penn State sophomore goalkeeper Austin Kaut(Morton) were both named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List after sensational 2011 campaigns that saw the pair earn USILA Honorable Mention All-America honors.
The Nittany Lions will also rely on several freshmen to continue their strong early-season play. Attack Pat Manley (Arnold, Md.), who was tabbed CAA Rookie of the Week, has found the net in both games this season, while starters JP Burnside (Garden City, N.Y.) and Jack Donnelly(Toronto, Ont.) have helped anchor the Nittany Lion defensive unit.
For the Fighting Irish, senior midfielder Max Pfeifer tallied four points (2g, 2a) in the win against the Blue Devils to extend the team's February win streak to 15 games.
The Nittany Lions are 4-14 all-time against Notre Dame and have played the Fighting Irish each season since 1997. Penn State last secured a win over Notre Dame during the 2002 season with a 10-9 overtime victory.