April 8, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. 14 Penn State men's lacrosse (7-3, 1-0) is set to open its 2016 Big Ten home slate, welcoming No. 5 Maryland (7-2, 1-0) to the PSU Lacrosse Field Sunday, April 10 for a 7 p.m. outing under the lights. The matchup will broadcast live on the Big Ten Network with Mike Wolf and Mark Dixon on the call.
PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Penn State men's lacrosse will host a halftime wing eating contest for Penn State fraternities on campus, awarding the winning fraternity a second-half tailgate. The Nittany Lions will also have free Penn State men's lacrosse cell phone cardholders while supplies last.
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SETTING THE SCENE
- The Nittany Lions improved to 7-3 on the year and 1-0 in the Big Ten standings last week, topping Ohio State, 6-5, on the road. The win also moves PSU ahead 1-0 in the Creators Trophy standings, with a decisive matchup against Michigan set for April 30.
- After a career-high performance in the Big Ten opener at Ohio State, sophomore Will Schreiner earned Big Ten Specialist of the Week honors. Schreiner led the team with a career-high 15 saves in Penn State's 6-5 win, en route to his third Big Ten weekly honor this season.
- The Terrapins hold a 26-2 advantage in the all-time series against the Nittany Lions, including a 1-0 mark in Big Ten play. The two teams met as members of the Big Ten conference last year, marking the first outing since 2005. The Terps will make their first trip to Happy Valley since visiting May 3, 1980.
- The matchup against Maryland marks the fourth time this season the Nittany Lions will face a ranked opponent. Penn State is currently 3-0 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).
- Penn State is outscoring its opponents 120-101 on the year, with a scoring offense that's ranked 15th nationally, averaging 12.00 goals per game. Penn State's .357 shot percentage is also slotted sixth nationally and first in the conference. Five Nittany Lions have scored at least 10 goals on the year, led by 20 from senior TJ Sanders. Redshirt junior Matt Florence is second with 15, having scored the game-winner in the final two minutes at Ohio State last week.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TERRAPINS
SCOUTING MARYLAND
Ranked fifth nationally, Maryland enters the weekend at 7-3 and 1-0 in the conference, having edged Michigan, 8-7, in last week's league opener. The Terps are led by Matt Rambo's 26 points (19 goals, 7 assists), while Colin Heacock is atop the team standings with 20 goals. FOGO Austin Henningsen is 95-for-151 on the year with a .629 winning percentage at the faceoff "x" that ranks 12th nationally.
| Last Three vs. Ohio State |
| 4/4/2015 | L, 12-5 | A |
| 5/14/2005 | L, 14-10 | N |
| 3/10/1999 | L, 19-10 | A |
SERIES HISTORY vs. MARYLAND
The Terrapins hold a 26-2 advantage in the all-time series against the Nittany Lions, including a 1-0 mark in Big Ten play. The two teams met as members of the Big Ten conference last year, marking the first outing since 2005. The Terps will make their first trip to Happy Valley since visiting May 3, 1980.
LAST TIME OUT: APRIL 4, 2015
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Penn State held Maryland to four goals in the final 45 minutes of the contest but fell short at No. 3 Maryland,12-5.
Mike Sutton recorded his seventh multi-goal game of the season with a hat trick. TJ Sanders scored his 20th of the season with the extra man, while Mike Aronow netted the first of his career.
Maryland out-shot Penn State 50-20. Sutton led the team with eight shots. With the extra man, Maryland was 1-for-3 and Penn State went 1-for-2. In the cage, Connor Darcey recorded 14 saves. The Terrapins edged the Nittany Lions at the face-off `X', 12-7. Drake Kreinz went 5-for-14, and Billy Lombardi posted a 2-3 record. Maryland also won the ground ball battle, 29-18.
AGAINST NO. 5
Penn State is 1-9 all-time when playing an opponent ranked No. 5 at the time of meeting. The Nittany Lions' only program win over a fifth-ranked squad dates back to March 15, 1998, when Penn State defeated No. 5 Georgetown, 14-13, at home. Penn State is currently 3-0 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).
SCHREINER EARNS THIRD B1G WEEKLY AWARD
After a career-high performance in Penn State's Big Ten opener at Ohio State, sophomore Will Schreiner has earned Big Ten Specialist of the Week honors. Schreiner led the team with a career-high 15 saves in the Nittany Lions' 6-5 win. He made six saves in the fourth quarter alone, marking a season-high tally in a single frame. He allowed just five goals in the victory, which is also a season-low mark for Penn State this year.
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.
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.
LENDING A HELPING HAND
Having notched at least five assists in all but two games this season, Penn State is averaging 7.50 assists per game, which ranks 12th nationally and third in the Big Ten conference.
Both Nick Aponte and Grant Ament have double figure goals and assists. With one assist in all but two games this season, Aponte has totaled 15 helpers. Leading the team with 22 assists, Ament's averaging 2.20 per game, which ranks 12th nationally and third in the conference. Ament's 22:9 assist-to-turnover ratio is tops among a group of 13 NCAA DI players with at least 22 assists on the year.
THE THIRD QUARTER
Penn State is outscoring its opponents 33-25 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.
GOALS ON GOALS ON GOALS
Penn State is outscoring its opponents 120-101 on the year, with a scoring offense that's ranked 15th nationally, averaging 12.00 goals per game. Penn State's .357 shot percentage is also slotted sixth nationally and first in the conference.
Penn State has scored at least 10 goals in five of 10 games this season, at 5-0 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.
FRESH CONTRIBUTIONS
Through 10 games, the Nittany Lion newcomers have continued to make their mark, contributing 32 goals and 29 assists for 31 percent of the team's total point scoring this year.
At least one freshman has scored in all 10 games this season for the Nittany Lions. Most recently, Nick Spillane 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 six of the last seven 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, 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 is currently slated No. 11 in the NCAA men's lacrosse RPI, which is second among Big Ten teams, with Maryland at No. 2 and Johns Hopkins close behind at No. 12.
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 three games this season.
SOLIDIFYING THE ATTACK UNIT
Penn State's starting attack unit consisting of veterans TJ Sanders and Nick Aponte and freshman Grant Ament has combined for 46 goals and 48 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 12goals and 15 assists, serving as a duo that can successfully distribute and finish.
In the last five games, the trio has logged 21 goals and 26 assists for 47 of the team's 98 points during the stretch, that included wins over two Top 10 teams. Ament notched at least two goals 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 moved up for spots to No. 14 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 five of eight poll releases this season, earning its highest ranking of the season in the USILA Coaches Poll at No. 14 this week.
UP NEXT
Penn State remains home next week, welcoming Johns Hopkins to the PSU Lacrosse Field for a Big Ten conference matchup, Sunday, April 17. Opening faceoff is set for 7 p.m., live 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 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.