March 19, 2012
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The 17th-ranked Penn State men's lacrosse team will conclude its three-game homestand when it welcomes No. 10/11 Lehigh on Tuesday (March 20) for a mid-week non-conference matchup. Game time is set at 7 p.m. at the Penn State Lacrosse Field.
Tuesday night's matchup will mark the Nittany Lions' fifth straight game and sixth of the season against a ranked opponent. Penn State has gone 2-2 against top-20 foes, including a 4-3 overtime victory against then-No. 2/4 Notre Dame Feb. 26. The Nittany Lions, who will enter the contest at 3-3 overall (0-1 CAA), will look to snap its two-game skid after falling to No. 3/4 Massachusetts, 9-8, in overtime on Saturday.
Senior Jack Forster (Jenkintown) continues to pace the squad in points (15) while Matthew Mackrides(Newtown Square) has netted a team-best 11 goals. Mackrides has totaled 82 goals during his stellar career, good for 16th in the nation among active players.
Eight different Nittany Lions - led by midfielders Danny Henneghan (Beverly Hills, Mich.) and Ryan Link (Englewood, Colo.) have registered double-digit ground ball totals, while Link's eight caused turnovers are a team best. Sophomore Austin Kaut (Morton) has compiled a 3-3 record with an 8.14 goals-against average and a .597 save percentage.
Lehigh, which will be Penn State's fourth top-10 foe of the season, is off to its best start since its 1969 campaign at 7-1 (1-0 Patriot League). The Mountain Hawks are 3-1 against ranked opponents in 2012, defeating then-No.19 Pennsylvania, then-No. 4 North Carolina and then-No. 15 Yale.
Junior attackman David DiMaria leads the team in goals (11), assists (12) and points (23), while classmate Ryan Snyder has recorded 55 ground balls. Freshman Matthew Poillon is 7-1 with a 5.92 goals-against average and .615 save percentage.
The Nittany Lions are 32-7 all-time against Lehigh and 1-0 under head coach Jeff Tambroni. The teams have only met twice since 2000 with Penn State prevailing in both matchups. Last year, the Nittany Lions edged Lehigh, 8-7, in overtime.