April 15, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. 14 Penn State men's lacrosse (7-4, 1-1) is set to wrap up its two-game homestand hosting No. 17 Johns Hopkins (6-4, 1-1) Sunday, April 17 in another Big Ten matchup under the lights. Opening faceoff is set for 7 p.m., live on the Big Ten Network with Pete Medhurst and Mark Dixon on the call.
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PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT
- Faceoff against Cancer, featuring a free student tailgate beginning at 6 p.m. on the hill for all Penn State students in attendance.
Penn State men's lacrosse is set to host its annual Faceoff Against Cancer game, highlighted by the Nittany Lions' annual Friends of Jaclyn event. Penn State will welcome Friends of Jaclyn adopted teammate Gavin Royer, along with Johns Hopkins adopted teammate Connor Durgin in a ceremonial pregame coin toss. The Nittany Lions will also recognize Gavin, Connor and the rest of the Penn State Friends of Jaclyn adopted teammates, spanning five athletic programs at PSU.
The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation was created with the mission to improve the quality of life for children battling pediatric brain tumors. Penn State men's lacrosse signed teammate Gavin Royer in November 2014, through the adopt-a-child program offered by the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation.
SETTING THE SCENE
- The Nittany Lions moved to 7-4 on the year and 1-1 in the Big Ten standings last week after coming up short in a close 11-10 OT loss to then-No. 5 Maryland. Junior Mike Sutton led a group of six Nittany Lion goal-scorers with his second hat trick of the season
- The Blue Jays have won all seven outings in a series that dates back to 1916. Last year, the two teams met in the regular season for the first time since 1946, with Johns Hopkins claiming an 11-10 double overtime win in Baltimore. PSU and JHU met once more in the inaugural Big Ten Tournament semifinals, with Hopkins claiming a 14-9 win to advance to the finals.
- The matchup against the Blue Jays marks the fifth time this season the Nittany Lions will face a ranked opponent. Penn State is currently 3-1 on the year against ranked teams, having knocked off No. 18/15 Cornell (8-7), No. 8/7 Harvard (13-12OT) and No. 1/1/ Denver (15-10), before falling short against No. 5/5 Maryland (11-10OT).
- Penn State is currently leading the nation with the fewest turnovers per game, averaging 9.73 per outing. Committing less than 10 turnovers in all but five games this season, Penn State's 107 miscues on the year are the third fewest among NCAA DI teams. Freshman Grant Ament's 23:10 assist-to-turnover ratio is tops among 14 NCAA DI players with at least 23 assists on the year.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BLUE JAYS
SCOUTING JOHNS HOPKINS
The Blue Jays enter the weekend at 6-4 on the year, having rebounded from a 16-9 loss at Rutgers with a 13-12 win at home against Ohio State last weekend. Johns Hopkins is averaging 20.00 points per game on the year, which ranks ninth nationally. Shack Stanwick leads the team with 44 points (16g, 28a), while Ryan Brown ranks first in the team standings with 28 goals on the year. Stanwick's 2.80 assists per game ranks second nationally, while Brown's 2.80 goals per game is slated ninth.
| Last Three vs. Johns Hopkins |
| 4/30/2015 | L, 14-9 | N (B1G Tourney) |
| 4/11/2015 | L, 11-10 2OT | A |
| 5/11/1946 | L, 19-4 | H |
SERIES HISTORY vs. JOHNS HOPKINS
The Blue Jays have won all seven outings in a series that dates back to 1916. Last year, the two teams met in the regular season for the first time since 1946, with Johns Hopkins claiming an 11-10 double overtime win in Baltimore. PSU and JHU met once more in the inaugural Big Ten Tournament, with Hopkins claiming a 14-9 win to advance to the finals.
LAST TIME OUT: APRIL 30, 2015
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -Penn State's 2015 season came to a close in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals as the fourth-seeded Nittany Lions fell short in a 14-9 decision to Johns Hopkins.
Connor Darcey highlighted the outing with 17 saves, turning away 11 shots in the first half alone. Matt Florence led the team with two goals and two assists while, TJ Sanders also added two goals and one assist. Drake Kreinz went 13-for-25 at the faceoff "x" leading the team with six ground balls.
AGAINST NO. 17
Penn State is 4-6 all-time when playing teams ranked No. 17 at the time of meeting. The last time the Nittany Lions matched up against ranked team dates back to its most recent meeting against Johns Hopkins. PSU fell short in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, dropping a 14-9 decision to the No. 17 Blue Jays.
FLORENCE IN THE CLUTCH
Redshirt junior Matt Florence has proved to be a clutch offensive option for the Nittany Lions at all the right times this season. Florence netted his second game-winner of the season in Penn State's win at Ohio State, scoring with 1:41 remaining in the fourth quarter to break open a tied score and secure a 6-5 win. Earlier this season, he scored with 3:49 in the fourth quarter to secure an 8-7 win at Cornell.
SHARING IS CARING
Having notched at least five assists in all but three games this season, Penn State is averaging 7.50 assists per game, which ranks 13th nationally and third in the Big Ten conference.
Penn State's starting attack unit with Nick Aponte, TJ Sanders and Grant Ament features a trio with double figure assists and goals. With one assist in all but two games this season, Aponte has totaled 17 helpers. Leading the team with 23 assists, Ament's averaging 2.09 per game, which ranks 15th nationally and third in the conference. Ament's 23:10 assist-to-turnover ratio is tops among a group of 14 NCAA DI players with at least 23 assists on the year.
THE THIRD QUARTER
Penn State is outscoring its opponents 34-27 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.
A FEW NOTES ON THE MARYLAND GAME
Despite the outcome, Penn State scored 10 goals against the Terrapins in last weekend's close OT loss to become just the second team this season to score 10 goals on the Terps. Maryland entered the matchup with a 39-5 record across the last three seasons when allowing less than 10 goals in a game prior to the Nittany Lions' offensive surge. Maryland had also limited its opponents to just 18 goals in the first quarter on the year, before Penn State put away five in the opening frame.
GOALS ON GOALS ON GOALS
Penn State is outscoring its opponents 130-112 on the year, with a scoring offense that's ranked 14th nationally, averaging 11.82 goals per game. Penn State's .349 shot percentage is also slotted sixth nationally and first in the conference.
Penn State has scored at least 10 goals in six of 11 games this season, at 5-1 in outings with 10 or more goals. The Nittany Lions are also 4-0 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.
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. PSU won the 2012 and 2014 titles, while OSU earned the trophy in 2013 and 2015. After defeating Ohio State, the Nittany Lions could potentially win the trophy with a win against Michigan in the regular season finale, April 30.
FRESH CONTRIBUTIONS
Through 11 games, the Nittany Lion newcomers have continued to make their mark, contributing 35 goals and 30 assists for nearly 30 percent of the team's total point scoring this year.
At least one freshman has scored in all 11 games this season for the Nittany Lions. Nick Spillane recently registered his second goal of the season in Penn State's Big Ten opener at Ohio State.
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 seven of the last eight games, netting two in the win against No. 1 Denver and against No. 5 Maryland. Against Hobart, Ament recorded his first collegiate hat trick, 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.
PENN STATE IN THE NCAA RPI
Penn State slipped to No. 18 in the latest NCAA DI men's lacrosse RPI update. The Nittany Lions are the behind Big Ten opponents, No. 1 Maryland and No. 10 Johns Hopkins.
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 10 more goals to tie for first all-time. Sanders has scored at least two goals in all but four games this season.
AND AT ATTACK ...
Penn State's starting attack unit consisting of veterans TJ Sanders and Nick Aponte and freshman Grant Ament has combined for 51 goals and assists, for just under 50 percent of the team's total point-scoring this year.
With each member of the trio having posted at least 30 points or more on the year, Sanders has proven to be the top goal scorer, with Ament and Aponte registering at least 14 goals and 15 assists apiece, serving as a duo that can successfully distribute and finish.
In the last five games, the trio has logged 21 goals and 24 assists for 45 of the team's 87 points during the stretch, that included wins over two Top 10 teams. Ament notched at least two goals in three of five 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 stayed at No. 14, splitting the spot with Johns Hopkins via Inside Lacrosse.
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 six of nine poll releases this season, earning its highest ranking of the season in the USILA Coaches Poll at No. 14 last week.
UP NEXT
Penn State hits the road next week for its final roadtrip of the regular season. The Nittany Lions are set to travel to Rutgers for a rare Friday night matchup April 22 in Piscataway. Opening faceoff is set for 8 p.m. with live coverage on the Big Ten Network.
| 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 juniorsMatt Florence,Drake Kreinzand seniorTJ Sandersnamed 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 seniorsMatt FlorenceandDrake Kreinzand seniorTJ Sandersearned 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. SeniorsTommy O'NeillandJames Burkeand redshirt juniorDrake Kreinzhave been voted as captains. The process for choosing captains has remained unchanged for years andJeff Tambroniis 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 Tambronihas 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.