April 1, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State men's lacrosse (6-3) is set to open the 2016 Big Ten conference slate on the road, traveling to Ohio State (5-5) to square off against the Buckeyes Sunday, April 3 at noon in Ohio Stadium. The matchup will broadcast live on ESPNU with Anish Shroff and Ryan Flanagan on the call.
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SETTING THE SCENE
- The Nittany Lions improved to 6-3 on the year last week, defeating then-No. 1 Denver, 15-10 in Dallas, Texas to capture the 2016 Patriot Cup. The victory marked the program's first win over a No. 1 ranked opponent and also snapped the Pioneers' 20-game win streak.
- Following a career-high outing against top-ranked Denver, sophomore Ryan Keenan earned Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors. Keenan was one of two Nittany Lions to register a hat trick in the win against Denver, adding two assists for a career-high five points,
- Penn State owns a 13-6 record in the all-time series against the Buckeyes, but is 0-1 in conference action following last year's inaugural Big Ten lacrosse matchup. Three of the last six meetings between the two teams have gone into an overtime period, with all six outings decided by just under two goals per game (1.8).
- Having notched at least five assists in all but one game this season, Penn State is averaging 7.89 assists per game, which ranks seventh nationally and second in the Big Ten conference.
- Both Nick Aponte and Grant Ament have double figure goals and assists. With one assist in all but one game this season, Aponte has totaled 15 helpers, dishing out at least two in three of the last four outings.
- Saturday's matchup marks the start of the Creator's Trophy competition, an annual contest featuring the first three Big Ten member schools to start lacrosse (Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan). The trophy is presented when a team is 2-0 against the other schools - no trophy is awarded if programs are 1-1. The Buckeyes captured last year's trophy.
- Penn State lacrosse also enters its second season of Big Ten Lacrosse, having posted a 2-3 mark in conference play, earning a berth to the first ever Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BUCKEYES
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
Ohio State enters the weekend having wrapped up non-conference play with a 5-5 mark, having lost each of its last four straight. Austin Shanks is currently atop the team standings with 24 points, including 11 goals and 13 assists. Carter Brown is leading the team with 13 goals. At the faceoff "x," Jake Withers is 117-197, with a team-high 78 ground balls.
| Last Three vs. Ohio State |
| 3/29/2015 | L, 10-8 | H |
| 3/1/2014 | W, 11-8 | A |
| 3/2/2013 | L, 10-9 OT | H |
SERIES HISTORY vs. OHIO STATE
Penn State owns a 13-6 record in the all-time series against the Buckeyes, but is 0-1 in conference action following last year's inaugural Big Ten lacrosse matchup. Three of the last six meetings between the two teams have gone into an overtime period, with all six outings decided by just under two goals per game (1.8).
LAST TIME OUT: MARCH 29, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State scored half of its goals in the fourth quarter of the program's first Big Ten lacrosse game, but the Nittany Lions were unable to get past No. 16/15 Ohio State, 10-8.
Mike Sutton scored led a group of seven goal-scorers with two gaols. On the defensive side, James Burke and Drake Kreinz posted four ground balls each. OSU out-shot PSU 32-28 and won the ground ball battle, 23-20. Penn State went 12-10 from the faceoff "x" led by an 11-8 showing from Kreinz.
The Buckeyes jumped out to a 5-1 lead after the first quarter to take over the lead. Penn State struggled to settle in to an offensive rhythm, before scoring four goals in the fourth quarter to arrive within two, 10-8.
CREATOR'S TROPHY ENTERS YEAR FIVE
Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State compete for
the Creator's Trophy, an annual award presented when a team is 2-0 against one of the other programs. The trophy was created to honor the rivalries among the first three Big Ten lacrosse schools at the time Michigan added the sport in 2012. Today, Native Americans still refer to lacrosse as "The Creator's Game," as the trophy is intended to pay homage to the heritage and rivalries of the Big Ten schools. PSU won the 2012 and 2014 titles, while OSU earned the trophy in 2013 and 2015.
KEENAN PICKS UP BIG TEN AWARD
Following a career-high outing against top-ranked Denver, sophomore Ryan Keenan earned Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors. The award is the first of Keenan's career, as he shares it with Maryland's Connor Kelly this week.
Keenan was one of two Nittany Lions to register a hat trick in Penn State's 15-10 win against the top-ranked Pioneers last weekend. He also dished out two assists for a career-high five points in the victory. With multi-goal outings in two of the last four games, Keenan has totaled six goals in the span, as well as four assists, averaging 2.25 points per game in the four-game stretch.
NITTANY LIONS UPSET NO. 1 DENVER
Penn State put an end to a 20-game Denver winning streak, upsetting the top-ranked Pioneers, 15-10, to capture the 2016 Patriot Cup at SMU's Gerald Ford Stadium last weekend. The Nittany Lion victory marks the first win over a No. 1 ranked opponent in Penn State program history. Penn State is now 3-0 on the year against ranked teams at the time of meeting.
Junior Dan Craig and sophomore Ryan Keenan powered a group of five Nittany Lions with multi-goal outings, scoring a pair of hat tricks. Penn State out-shot the Pioneers 33-26, putting 23 shots on goal to Denver's 16. Penn State also won the ground ball battle, 31-27 as Billy Lombardi finished 13-for-28 from the faceoff "x."
After trailing in the first quarter, Penn State used a six-goal surge to enter halftime leading, 8-6. The Nittany Lions out-scored the Pioneers 4-1 in the third quarter to build the lead to as many as five, 15-7. Denver looked to get back on track with three goals in the final four minutes, but Penn State held off the pressure to secure the win.
LENDING A HELPING HAND
Having notched at least five assists in all but one game this season, Penn State is averaging 7.89 assists per game, which ranks seventh nationally and second in the Big Ten conference.
Both Nick Aponte and Grant Ament have double figure goals and assists. With one assist in all but one game this season, Aponte has totaled 15 helpers, dishing out at least two in three of the last four outings. Leading the team with 20 assists, Ament's averaging 2.22 per game, which ranks 11th nationally and second in the conference. Ament's 20:8 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks second among a group of 13 NCAA DI players with at least 20 assists on the year.
THE THIRD QUARTER
Penn State is outscoring its opponents 32-23 in the third quarter. The Nittany Lions have also held both No. 18 Cornell and No. 8 Harvard without a goal in the third frame, on the way to wins against both teams. Most recently, Penn State out-scored No. 1 Denver 4-1 in the third frame, to build a five-goal lead. Against the Crimson, the Nittany scored back-to-back goals in the third quarter within exactly two minutes of each other, holding Harvard without a goal in the frame. On the offensive side, PSU used a nine-goal showing the third quarter at Furman to secure a comfortable second half lead that led to a 16-7 win.
SUTTON STEPPING IT UP
Since entering the starting lineup for the first time this season at Penn, junior midfielder Mike Sutton has stepped up his offensive production for the Nittany Lions. Sutton logged his first hat trick of the season with three goals in the opening quarter against UMass and scored once against No. 1 Denver to stretch his streak to four straight games with at least on goal. He's also notched multi-goal performances in three of the last four games.
GOALS ON GOALS ON GOALS
Penn State is outscoring its opponents 114-96 on the year, with a scoring offense that's ranked 12th nationally and second in the Big Ten conference, averaging 12.67 goals per game. Penn State's .374 shot percentage is also slotted third nationally and first in the conference.
Penn State has scored at least 10 goals in five of nine games this season, at 5-0 in outings with 10 or more goals. The Nittany Lions are also 3-0 on the year when limiting their opponent to less than 10 goals per game.
Penn State scored 37 goals in just the first two games of the season, marking the most amount of goals in the first two games of the season in program history. The 37 goals were the most since Penn State scored 36 in the first two games of the 1987 season and the first 30-plus scoring through two games since the NIttany Lions had 33 goals in 2013.
FRESHMAN INFLUENCE
Through nine games, the Nittany Lion newcomers have continued to make their mark, contributing 31 goals and 27 assists for nearly 32 percent of the team's total point scoring this year.
At least one freshman has scored in all nine games this season for the Nittany Lions. Kevin Hill logged his second multi-goal outing at Furman after scoring his first two collegiate goals against Villanova.
In the road-win at Cornell, Grant Ament logged his third multi-assist outing, leading the team with two helpers. Ament has scored at least one goal in each of the last six straight games, netting two in the win against No. 1 Denver and tallying four assists against UMass. Against Hobart, Ament recorded his first collegiate hat trick with three goals against Hobart, while also tallying a pair of assists for a team-high five points. Chris Sabia also led the team with three caused turnovers.
All 16 Nittany Lion rookies saw action in Penn State's 2016 season-opening victory against Robert Morris. Making the most of their debuts, a total of six newcomers combined for seven goals and six assists. Defensively, Sabia made his first collegiate start at defense, tallying three ground balls. Trevor Scollins also saw action in goal, notching two saves in 10:50 seconds between the pipes.
SANDERS NEARING ANOTHER MILESTONE
With a team-high four goals in Penn State's win against Robert Morris, senior TJ Sanders notched his 100th career goal to join an elite group as just the seventh Nittany Lion all-time to amass 100 career goals. As the first Nittany Lion to hit the mark since Jack Forster in 2013, he needs 11 more goals to tie for first all-time. Sanders has scored at least two goals in all but two games this season.
ATTACK UNIT FINDING MOMENTUM
Penn State's starting attack unit consisting of veterans TJ Sanders and Nick Aponte and freshman Grant Ament has combined for 45 goals and 45 assists, for just under 50 percent of the team's total point-scoring this year.
Leading the team with 20 goals, Sanders has proven to be the top goal scorer among the trio, with Ament and Aponte posting at least 10 goals and 15 assists, serving as a duo that can successfully distribute and finish.
In the last three games, the trio has logged 15 goals and 18 assists for 33 of the team's 63 points during the stretch, that included wins over two Top 10 teams. Ament notched at least two goals in all three games during the stretch, while Sanders had a hat trick against then-No. 8 Harvard before registering two goals vs. then-No. 1 Denver.
POLL POSITIONING
Since entering both the USILA Coaches Poll and the Inside Lacrosse Media Polls, the Nittany Lions made significant movement in the poll. This week, Penn State moved back in to the Top 20, coming in at No. 18 in both polls.
The Nittany Lions opened the season receiving votes in both polls, working their way as high as No. 15/12 by the second week of the season. In total, Penn State has been ranked within the Top 20 in four of seven poll releases this season, having most recently spent last week receiving votes.
UP NEXT
Penn State returns home from its two-week road trip next week to host No. 6/5 Maryland in its Big Ten home opener Sunday, April 10. The evening matchup will broadcast live on the Big Ten Network at 7 p.m. ET
| SEASON NOTES |
PENN STATE LACROSSE STADIUM PROJECT WELL UNDERWAY
Penn State Athletics has unveiled plans for an $8.4 million enhancement to the Lacrosse facility, with a fundraising goal of $5.5 million dollars. The facility would serve as home to both Penn State men's and women's lacrosse programs and is set to be built in the same location as the current Penn State Lacrosse Field. For more information visit the Nittany Lion Club site.
The project includes the addition of: Stadium style seating, concessions, press box and full broadcasting capabilities, multi-purpose room for events, ticket office and exterior fencing.
"We are dedicated to the building process as we create a sustainable, built-to-last model of success," head coach Jeff Tambroni said, "our newly renovated lacrosse facility is an essential step in the process for our men's and women's programs."
DUO NAMED TO TEWAARATON WATCH LIST
Penn State's Nick Aponte and TJ Sanders have been named to the 2016 Tewaaraton Award watch list. The Nittany Lion duo is among the top players across all three divisions of NCAA Lacrosse to be recognized as early contenders for the prestigious award, presented by Under Armour. The Tewaaraton Award, annually honors the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States. On April 28, the field will be narrowed to 25 men's and 25 women's nominees.
PSU PICKED FOURTH IN B1G COACHES POLL
Penn State has been voted fourth in the 2016 Big Ten Preseason Coaches' Poll with Nittany Lions redshirt juniors Matt Florence, Drake Kreinz and senior TJ Sanders named Penn State's Players to Watch. Johns Hopkins claimed the top spot in the 2016 poll with a unanimous selection from the league's head coaches. Maryland and Ohio State rounded out the top three at spots two and three, respectively. Michigan and Rutgers were selected fifth and sixth.
BIG TEN PRESEASON PLAYERS TO WATCH
Redshirt seniors Matt Florence and Drake Kreinz and senior TJ Sanders earned Penn State Big Ten Preseason Player to Watch honors. The preseason nod is the second straight for Kreinz and Sanders, who both earned 2015 Player to Watch honors prior to the inaugural season of Big Ten lacrosse. Florence earns his first career Big Ten preseason honor, having capped off the season with Big Ten All-Tournament team honors. A 2015 Academic All-Big Ten selection, Kreinz served once again as Penn State's top faceoff specialist in 2015, playing in 13 of 14 games. A USILA All-America honorable mention, Sanders returns as one of the Nittany Lions' top offensive contributors in 2016, having earned both All-Big Ten honorable mention distinction and Academic All-Big Ten awards last year.
TRIO TO LEAD AS 2016 CAPTAINS
A trio of midfielders will lead the team during its 2016 campaign. Seniors Tommy O'Neill and James Burke and redshirt junior Drake Kreinz have been voted as captains. The process for choosing captains has remained unchanged for years and Jeff Tambroni is confident in the system he has in place.
"There are a number of different factors going into the captains process," Tambroni said. "One is a consensus vote from last year's team, we want to get exiting seniors, graduating seniors opinions on who they believe will lead this team most effectively."
After the team vote, Tambroni and fellow assistant coaches evaluate upperclassmen during the fall semester before making a final decision. Penn State men's lacrosse has experimented with the number of captains the team has every year. In 2014 three seniors led the team but in 2015 the task fell solely on senior Kyle Zittel.
TAMBRONI SIGNS 11 TO NLI
Jeff Tambroni has announced the signing of 11 newcomers to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. From U.S. Lacrosse All-Americans and MVPs to state champions and honor roll athletes, this year's class features a talented group poised to join the Nittany Lions in 2016.
Gerard Arceri (Saint James, N.Y.), Nick Cardile (West Grove, Pa.), TJ Connellan (Cazenovia, N.Y.), Colby Kneese (Dallas, Texas), Nick McEvoy (Bethesda, Md.), Mac O'Keefe (Syosset, N.Y.), Kane Randolph (Annapolis, Md.), Jack Rusboldt (Richmond, Va.), Mitch Schaefer (Canandaigua, N.Y.), Conor Smith (West Islip, N.Y.) and Barrett Sutley (Stevenson, Md.) are all set to arrive in Happy Valley.
Three of the signees are ranked within Inside Lacrosse's list of top 25 recruits with Arceri ranked No. 11, O'Keefe tabbed No. 23 and McEvoy slotted No. 25.