March 6, 2015
| NO. 13/16 HARVARD VS. PENN STATE | |
2-2-0, 0-0-0 Big Ten | 2-1-0, 0-0-0 Ivy League |
| Saturday, March 7 (12 p.m.) | |
| Soldiers Field Lacrosse Stadium | Cambridge, Mass. | |
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| Season Statistics: Penn State | Harvard |
| Game Notes: Penn State | Harvard |
| INSIDE THE NUMBERS | ||
| PSU | HAR | |
| 10.5 | Goals per Game | 15.0 |
| 23 | Assists | 30 |
| 35.2 | Shots per Game | 41.0 |
| .298 | Shot Percentage | .366 |
| 9.5 | Goals Against Average | 15.33 |
| 135 | Ground Balls | 100 |
| 20 | Caused Turnovers | 20 |
| .286 | Man-Up % | .583 |
| .636 | Man-Down % | 1.000 |
| .900 | Clearing % | .846 |
| .574 | Faceoff % | .471 |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; March 6, 2015 - The Nittany Lions (2-2) kick off a three-game Spring Break trip to Massachusetts with a noon contest on Sat., March 7 at No. 13/16 Harvard (2-1).
SCOUTING THE CRIMSON
No. 13/16 Harvard has picked up where it left off from its 2014 Ivy League championship campaign. Its only loss this season was to then-No. 6 Duke, a 21-14 defeat. The Crimson have exhibited a high-powered offense this year, scoring at least 14 goals in each of their three games, led by Devin Dwyer and Deke Burns. Dwyer's 14 points lead Harvard, and Burns has recorded two hat tricks this year, including a seven-goal outing in the team's season opener against UMass. Will Walker has also been a steady presence on attack, scoring at least one goal in 13 consecutive games. Austin Williams is the Crimson's go-to at the 'X', going 36-for-73. Jake Gambitsky has started all of Harvard's games this season, but Bryan Moore appeared in relief in each contest, maintaining a .632 save percentage and 8.67 goals against average. The Nittany Lions and the Crimson face each other for just the second time. On April 6, 1937, the teams' lone meeting, Harvard topped Penn State, 11-1.
SANDERS STANDS OUT
Following a six-point performance in a 14-11 home victory over then-No. 16/11 Penn, TJ Sanders captured Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week accolades. This is the first-ever Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honor for a Nittany Lion. Sanders scored goals in the first (1), second (1) and third (2) quarters and assisted on the eventual game-winner late in the second quarter and a fourth quarter tally, helping Penn State to its first win over a ranked team this season. He added assists on the game-winner and a goal late in the fourth quarter. The contest marked the junior's 20th multi-goal game, and tied his career high for points, goals and assists. Additionally, Sanders took 12 shots, a single-game high for a Nittany Lion this season and a personal best, and picked up three ground balls against the Quakers. He is currently tied for the Big Ten lead with 2.50 goals per game and his 3.50 points per game is third in the conference.
A GAME OF FIRSTS
The Nittany Lions' 14-11 win over then-No. 16/11 Penn was more than just the team's first win over a ranked opponent this year. Sophomore Nick Aponte surpassed his career high in ground balls (7), James Burke scored the first goal of his three-year Nittany Lion career, also recording his first career point, junior James Chakey had career performances for ground balls (4) and caused turnovers (1), sophomores Tyler Chambers and Dan Craig both caused his first turnovers while wearing the Blue and White, junior TJ Sanders took a career-best 12 shots and sophomore Mike Sutton's five ground balls was a career showing.
AROUND THE HORN
To start the season, 11-or-more Nittany Lions have scored at least one goal. TJ Sanders leads the team with 10 goals. Matt Florence has netted eight, and fellow middies Nick Aponte and Mike Sutton are posting six tallies. Pat Manley has a trio of markers, Kyle Baier, Dan Craig and Brian Prestreau have recorded a pair of goals and Tripp Traynor, Matt Sexton and James Burke each scored a goal.
CONN MAN
Connor Darcey wasted no time making a statement in the cage this season, his first as a starter. The redshirt sophomore's 42 saves in the opening three games of the season were the most to kick off a Penn State campaign since 2006. His 12.25 saves per game are the second most in the Big Ten and rank 14th in the nation, while his 0.563 save percentage is the 11th-best in the NCAA. In his first collegiate start, against Vermont, Darcey made 15 saves, the most of any Big Ten goalie in action during the day en route to his first collegiate win. His efforts earned him the first-ever Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award.
SWEET FLO
Matt Florence has made an immediate impact since transferring to Penn State this year. He has scored two goals per game and recorded 3.25 points per game, both the fourth-most in the Big Ten, and his 0.421 shot percentage ranks second in the conference. He had a four-goal outing against Penn and scored a hat trick and added two assist in the season opener against Vermont, the first three-goal performance in a Penn State debut since 2002. He also scored the game's first goal at Loyola and added additional assists against the Greyhounds and at Villanova.
CLEAR VISIBILITY
For the first year of Big Ten Lacrosse, the Nittany Lions will be available to more people than ever before. All of Penn State's Big Ten games will be broadcast live on television. The Ohio State and Johns Hopkins games will air on ESPNU, and the Maryland, Rutgers and Michigan games are slated for the Big Ten Network. The Big Ten Network will also show every contest of the Big Ten Men's Lacrosse Tournament.
ROAD WARRIORS
For the inaugural season of Big Ten Lacrosse, the Nittany Lions will be faced with a huge test. Just four of Penn State's games will be played in Happy Valley, the fewest of any Big Ten team. Penn State also plays a pair of neutral site games against Marist (at Babson College) and Denver (at Hofstra), alongside seven true road games.
PENN STATE OPENS 2015 WITH 15-8 WIN
Two Nittany Lions recorded hat tricks and Connor Darcey earned the first win in the first start of his collegiate career, leading the No. 14/17 Penn State men's lacrosse team to a season-opening 15-8 win over Vermont on Feb. 7. Penn State's offensive output was evenly distributed throughout the game. In both the third and fourth quarters, the Blue and White scored four goals, and put five past the Catamounts in the opening 15 minutes.
PSU VOTED THIRD IN BIG TEN POLL
Penn State has been picked to finish third in the inaugural season of Big Ten Lacrosse by the conference's coaches, as announced in the preseason poll. Additionally, 2014 Academic All-Big Ten honorees JP Burnside, Drake Kreinz and TJ Sanders were named Penn State's Players to Watch. Sitting atop the preseason list was preseason No. 5 Johns Hopkins, which made its record 42nd NCAA Tournament appearance in 2014. Earning berths to the second-most NCAA postseasons at 37, preseason No. 8 Maryland came in second. Ohio State, Rutgers and Michigan rounded out the poll.
RICHARDS DRAFTED IN MLL
Senior Michael Richards was tabbed 45th overall in the 2015 Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Collegiate Draft by the Denver Outlaws on Jan. 23 in Baltimore. Richards joins Shane Sturgis (New York Lizards) and Tom LaCrosse (Ohio Machine), both of whom exhausted eligibility in 2014 and were picked in the 2015 Supplemental Draft, as selections by one of the MLL's eight teams in the U.S.A. and Canada. Richards appeared in all of the Nittany Lions' contests last season, making 10 starts in the midfield. The 2014 Academic All-Big Ten honoree recorded six points, collected 20 ground balls and caused four turnovers.
ZITTEL NAMED TEAM CAPTAIN
Senior Kyle Zittel was named the 2015 Penn State men's lacrosse team captain, the program's first solo team captain since 1978. "He has assumed the lead role immediately after the season ended last spring and has, in doing so, earned the respect of his teammates and our staff," head coach Jeff Tambroni said. "Kyle's effort, selflessness, integrity and character made him an obvious choice." A defensive midfielder, Zittel played in all 13 games for the Nittany Lions, picking up a career-best 11 ground balls and causing four turnovers. Zittel also excels in the classroom. The science major has a cumulative 3.5 grade point average and earned a 4.0 grade point average during the fall 2013 semester.
TAMBRONI IN HIS FIFTH SEASON
Guiding the Nittany Lions through the inaugural season of Big Ten Lacrosse, Jeff Tambroni is in his fifth season as Penn State's head coach in 2015. With a 35-24 record, Tambroni has guided his Nittany Lion teams to .500-or-better records in each of his four seasons at the helm.