Feb. 4, 2017
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Freshman attackman Mac O'Keefe scored seven goals while senior midfielder Mike Sutton added four of his own, as No. 15/14 Penn State men's lacrosse claimed a 15-11 victory against Robert Morris in its 2017 season debut on Saturday afternoon inside of Holuba Hall.
O'Keefe put on a clinic, finding the back of the net seven times on 12 total shots to lead Penn State's scoring output. His seven goals tied for fourth most in a single game and marked the first time since 1983 that a Penn State player logged seven or more goals in a single outing.
"He played really well," seventh season head coach Jeff Tambroni said of O'Keefe's performance following the win. "The one thing Mac can really do is shoot the ball. I thought right up the middle with Colby Kneese in goal, Gerard Arceri at the faceoff and then Mac O'Keefe - all three freshmen played in a very difficult spot. In their first college game to come out here and play the way they did - I think it's a very bright future for us and for them."
Sutton followed O'Keefe in the scoring column, pouring in four goals for Penn State's other multi-goal performance. Sophomore attackman Grant Ament showed tremendous vision, dishing out five assists against the Colonials.
Senior attackman Nick Aponte and sophomore midfielder Kevin Hill had multipoint games as well. Aponte scored a goal and tacked on a pair of assists, while Hill had a pair of helpers. Aponte has now logged 34 consecutive games with at least one point, with 83 total points over the streak.
Arceri handled the faceoff duties for Penn State, going 21-of-30 in his collegiate debut. Arceri also logged his first career goal, while redshirt freshman Dylan Foulds joined him with his first score for Penn State.
Kneese earned the win in the season opener. The Dallas, Texas, native logged eight saves and allowed five goals in 38:45 played. Junior Will Schreiner started the first 21:15, making three saves while allowing six goals.
As a team, Penn State shot nearly 40 percent on the game while logging 10 more shots than the visiting Colonials. The defense had a strong performance with eight caused turnovers. Sophomore Chris Sabia and senior Peter Triolo were responsible for three.
Penn State is now 1-0 on the season, while Robert Morris falls to 0-1. Penn State returns to the field Saturday, February 11, when the Nittany Lions face Hobart in Victor, New York at 2 p.m.
The Turning Point
Penn State turned the tide with 11:42 left to go in the fourth. After tying the game earlier, Robert Morris found themselves within a goal of Penn State at 11-10. Ament fed Foulds in open space, where the redshirt freshman scored for a two-goal advantage. The goal sparked a 4-0 run to secure the Penn State victory.
Difference Makers
Penn State
- Mac O'Keefe - O'Keefe scored seven goals on 12 shots, marking the first time since 1983 a Penn State player has scored seven or more goals in a game.
- Gerard Arceri - Arceri won 66 percent of the game's faceoffs, going 21-of-32 at the faceoff "x" and added the first goal of the game to set the tone for the Nittany Lions.
- Grant Ament - Ament showed impeccable vision, being responsible for six total goals on five assists and a score of his own. Ament led four different players to score.
Robert Morris
- Matt Schmidt - Schmidt logged a hat trick for the Colonials, going a perfect 3-for-3 shooting.
- Adrian Torok-Orban - Torok-Orban posted a team-best four points on three goals and an assist.
- Alex Heger - Heger kept the game close, logging 12 saves playing all 60 minutes between the pipes.
By Quarters
First Quarter
Arceri kick-started the Nittany Lions offense, winning the opening faceoff and scooping the ground ball himself before scoring nine seconds later. Arceri's goal sprung a 3-0 Penn State run, with O'Keefe scoring a man-up goal from Ament before Sutton scored his first goal of the game on a helper from Hill. RMU responded on a diving goal by Jack Toomb before Aponte and O'Keefe logged back-to-back goals, with Ament earning the assist for both. Robert Morris scored twice before O'Keefe logged his third goal. Torok-Orban scored his lone goal of the game with four seconds left in the opening frame.
Penn State 6, Robert Morris 4
Second Quarter
After an action packed first quarter, both sides slowed things down in the second. Robert Morris carried some momentum into the quarter, scoring 48 seconds in. Three minutes later, O'Keefe responded with his fourth goal on a pass from redshirt senior Matt Florence, bouncing it in for Penn state's lone score of the quarter. Robert Morris' Carter Yepsen scored his first goal of the day to bring the game within one before a scoreless stalemate for the final 8:44 of the half.
Penn State 7, Robert Morris 6
Third Quarter
Carter scored for the second time for the Colonials, tying the game, 7-7, at 11:06 in the third. Just over a minute later, Sutton responded, ripping the ball into the back of the net on a feed from Ament. PSU held the lead for four and a half minutes, when Robert Morris scored on an extra man opportunity to even the game. O'Keefe scored the next two, with Aponte and Ament dealing assists to give Penn State a 10-8 lead. The Colonials scored with 2:59 left in the third to pull back within one.
Penn State 10, Robert Morris 9
Fourth Quarter
Sutton logged his third score of the day to open the fourth, finding the top corner from deep to give PSU the two-goal lead. Robert Morris pulled it within one before Foulds scored on a pass from behind the net, courtesy of Ament for a 12-10 advantage. Sutton logged his fourth goal of the day on a pass from Hill with 6:08 left on the clock. Ament followed up the score with one of his own, dodging from behind the goal and making his defender stumble before beating the goalie. Junior midfielder Ryan Keenan dished the ball to O'Keefe for his seventh score, before a man-up goal from Robert Morris closed out the final quarter.
Penn State 15, Robert Morris 11
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