May 27, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; May 27, 2015 - Five Nittany Lions are representing the Blue and White in the nation's top outdoor professional lacrosse league, the Major League Lacrosse (MLL), now midway through its 2015 season. Greg Gurenlian '06, Drew Adams '09 and Shane Sturgis '14 compete for the New York Lizards, Austin Kaut '14 plays for the Boston Cannons and Matt Mackrides `12 is a member of the Chesapeake Bayhawks.
Gurenlian, Adams, Sturgis and the New York Lizards lead the MLL with a 6-0 record. Mackrides' Bayhawks and Kaut's Cannons maintain a 3-3 mark.
Gurenlian has the top face-off percentage in the MLL at an astounding 79.7 percent (110-138). The 2014 MLL FOGO of the Year and a 10-year league veteran, he is the Lizards' career leader for faceoff wins and ground balls. This season, Gurenlian has picked up four FOAthlete of the Week awards.
In nearly 350 minutes of action in the cage, Adams has been the goalie of record for each of the Lizards' six 2015 wins, boasting a league-best 10.63 goals against average and recording a .551 save percentage. The Lizards' starting goalie for the six years running and a two-time MLL Goalie of the Year, Adams ranks third all-time in the MLL for his 11.85 career goals against average.
Sturgis has yet to appear in a game for New York after he was picked 16th overall in the 2015 MLL Supplemental Draft. In Penn State's record book, Sturgis ranks in the top-10 for career goals (97), assists (61) and points (158).
Mackrides is currently tied for 11th in the MLL's scoring ledger, netting five goals and serving up nine assists for 16 points. He currently leads the Bayhawks, and has finished in the team's top-4 for points each of his last two seasons.
Kaut has not suited up for the Cannons this year after appearing in four contests and making 14 saves last year. Penn State's first three-time All-American, Kaut's 686 career saves place him second on the all-time list behind Adams.
Up next for the group, on May 30, the Lizards will visit the Charlotte Hounds and the Bayhawks welcome the Rochester Rattlers at 7 p.m. Boston hosts the Florida Launch at 6 p.m. that day.