March 10, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 10 Penn State men's lacrosse team fell to No. 11/13 Denver, 14-6, at Penn State Lacrosse Field on Saturday afternoon. The loss snapped the Nittany Lions' three-game win streak as they fell to 3-2 overall (0-0 CAA).
Penn State battled back from a 3-0 first-quarter deficit to bring the game within one, but the Pioneers, who entered the contest averaging 14.50 goals per game, notched seven markers in the second to take a 10-2 halftime lead. Both teams tallied four times in the second half as Denver improved to 4-1 (0-1 ECAC).
Senior attackman Jack Forster (Jenkintown) and junior midfielder Nick Dolik (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) led the Nittany Lions with a pair of goals each, while freshman Shane Sturgis (Downingtown) and junior Travis Crane (Parkville, Md.) also found the back of the net. Sophomore goalkeeper Austin Kaut (Morton) turned aside eight shots in just over 58 minutes before junior Dave Baker (Havertown) made his second appearance of the season in the final 1:41.
Both Penn State and Denver registered an equal number of shots (33), ground balls (27) and turnovers (20). The Nittany Lions were 11-for-18 on clears and 1-for-4 on extra-man opportunities, while Denver finished 12-for-17 and 1-for-7, respectively.
The Pioneers opened the game on a 3-0 run in the first 7:41 before Forster's sixth goal of the season cut the lead to 3-2. With 5:09 left in the opening period, senior Matthew Mackrides (Newtown Square) fed Forster, whose shot beat Denver goalkeeper Jamie Faus. Dolik brought the Nittany Lions to within one 3:30 later with his fourth goal of the season.
Following the Pioneers' seven-goal second quarter, Forster made it a 10-3 game with his seventh tally of the season with 13:19 left in the third. Denver tacked on two more goals in the third before the Nittany Lions outscored the Pioneers by a 3-2 margin in the fourth.
Dolik added his second of the game just 1:27 into the final frame before Sturgis made it 12-5 with a man-up goal one minute later. The Pioneers added two goals in a 2:56 span before Crane closed out the scoring with his first goal of the season in the game's final minute to account for the 14-6 final.
Penn State will continue its season-long three-game homestand Saturday, March 17 when it hosts fifth-ranked Massachusetts at noon. The game will mark the Nittany Lions' fourth straight and fifth of the season against a ranked opponent. Penn State is currently 2-2 against ranked foes in 2012.