April 15, 2013
USILA Coaches Poll | Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A seven-game winning streaking has catapulted Penn State men's lacrosse to a ranking of ninth in both the USILA Coaches and Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Polls on Monday.
Penn State (9-3, 4-0 CAA) moved up two spots from 11th to its current ranking of ninth. This marks the first time in program history that Penn State has had three weeks ranked ninth or better. Earlier this season, the Nittany Lions spent two weeks at eighth following a win over current USILA No. 1 Denver on Feb. 17 and a loss to current No. 3 Notre Dame on Feb. 24.
Of the current 20 teams ranked in the poll, Penn State and its opponents represent nine ranked squads. The Nittany Lions are 4-3 against ranked foes this year with one more potential game against a ranked team looming (at No. 20 Hofstra, April 27). The Nittany Lions travel to Delaware on Saturday for a potential CAA title-clinching game against the Blue Hens.
This past Saturday, Penn State defeated Towson, 10-8, in front of a national television audience on the Big Ten Network. The Nittany Lions were paced offensively by TJ Sanders (Orillia, Ont.) who scored five times along with a four-point showing by Jack Forster (Jenkintown, Pa.).
Defensively, Tyler Travis (Geneva, N.Y.) and his defensive unit held the high-scoring Thomas DeNapoli to just a single goal all afternoon. DeNapoli entered the game scoring nearly 2.5 goals per game. Travis also notched his first career point, scooping a ground ball and feeding Shane Sturgis (Downingtown, Pa.) during a 6-1 Penn State run that helped earn the victory.
--NITTANY LIONS--