March 3, 2017
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. 5 Penn State men's lacrosse is set for its toughest opposition of the early season to date, welcoming No. 8 Penn to Holuba Hall Saturday at noon.
FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can follow all the action with in addition to following live coverage on Twitter (@PennStateMLAX).
ATTENDING HOLUBA HALL
Admission and parking for men's lacrosse regular season events are free. Fans are reminded that there is a no bag policy in place.
NITTANY LIONS STAY PERFECT AT `NOVA
- Penn State snapped a three-game skid in its series with Villanova following the 17-12 win on Feb. 25.
- With the win, Penn State moved to 4-0 on the season, marking the Nittany Lions best start to a season since 1992, in which the team started 7-0.
- Freshman attackman Mac O'Keefe led the way with a freshman record eight goals, breaking his previous record of seven, set against Robert Morris week one.
- O'Keefe's classmate goalkeeper Colby Kneese also had a career day, logging 18 saves, good for the most by a Penn State player since Austin Kaut had 18 at Notre Dame on Feb. 26, 2012.
- Attackmen Grant Ament and Nick Aponte both made noticeable contributions on the offensive end as well. Ament finished with three goals and three assists to lead the team. Aponte had two goals and two assists. Sophomore midfielder Nick Spillane tied the team-high three assists while adding a pair of goals for five points.
- With the 17-12 win, Penn State has scored 15 or more goals in four straight games for the first time since 1995, when the Nittany Lions strung together six-in-a-row scoring 15 or more (March 12-April 8).
- Freshman midfielder Nick McEvoy recorded his first career assist in the Nittany Lions' win.
APONTE NAMED TO TEWAARATON WATCH LIST
After a strong start to the 2017 season, senior attackman Nick Aponte was one of 50 players nationally to be named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List on February 28.
- Aponte was named to the Watch List for the second straight season. He ranks tied for third on Penn State in points this season after leading the Nittany Lions in goals (30) last season.
- Players not named to the initial lists have several opportunities to play their way into a spot as the season progresses. Watch list additions, if applicable, will be announced on March 16 and April 6.
- On April 27, the field will be narrowed to 25 men's and 25 women's nominees. Nominees can be players on the watch lists or players not on the watch lists, effectively allowing for a third round of additions.
O'KEEFE BAGS FOURTH STRAIGHT B1G FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
For the fourth consecutive week, freshman attackman Mac O'Keefe was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week by the league office on Feb. 28.
- With his fourth Big Ten Freshman of the Week, O'Keefe tied the program record for Freshman of the Week honors, held by Grant Ament last season.
- O'Keefe has been the only freshman to win the honor during the 2017 season.
- With his eight goals, O'Keefe set a freshman record, breaking his previous record of seven, which he set against Robert Morris week one.
PENN STATE ATTACK B1G's BEST
Through the opening month of play, the Penn State starting attack line of senior Nick Aponte, sophomore Grant Ament and freshman Mac O'Keefe has proven to be the most potent statistically among the league's teams.
- The Penn State trio are unmatched in offensive categories so far in 2017, leading Big Ten attack units in goals, assists and points.
- The Nittany Lions also boast two of the league's top three goal scoring attackmen in O'Keefe (24) and Ament (14). Ament (11) and Aponte (8) both rank top four in the league in assists, with Ament tied for first.
BIG TEN STARTING ATTACK LINES
| Rk. | School (Attackmen) | 2017 G-A-P Combined |
| 1. | Penn State (Ament, Aponte, O'Keefe) | 43-22-65 |
| 2. | Michigan* (Noseworthy, King, Sutherland) | 31-18-49 |
| 3. | Maryland (Heacock, Maltz, Rambo) | 29-19-48 |
| 4. | Johns Hopkins (Dismuke, Marr, Stanwick) | 22-11-33 |
| Rutgers (Heningburg, Mullins, Murphy) | 21-12-33 | |
| 6. | Ohio State (Buckley, Chell, Fannell) | 17-10-27 |
As of March 1, 2017
*-Michigan had played five games, all other B1G teams have played four.
B1G OFF TO A HOT START
As a league, the Big Ten has been off to a hot start and looks to be one of the top conferences in the nation once again.
- Through February, as a conference teams went a combined 24-1, with its .960 win percentage the top among all Division I programs.
RECORDS BY CONFERENCE THROUGH FEBRUARY
| Rk. | Conference | W-L | Pct. |
| 1. | Big Ten Conference | 24-1 | .960 |
| 2. | Atlantic Coast Conference | 14-5 | .737 |
| 3. | Ivy League | 10-7 | .588 |
| 4. | Patriot League | 17-19 | .472 |
| 5. | America East Conference | 11-13 | .458 |
| 6. | Colonial Athletic Association | 10-12 | .455 |
| 7. | Big East Conference | 9-12 | .429 |
| Northeast Conference | 12-16 | .429 | |
| 9. | Southern Conference | 13-19 | .406 |
| 10. | Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | 9-17 | .346 |
OFFENSE AMONG NATION'S BEST
Through the first month of play the Nittany Lion offense continues to be one of the best in the nation statistically.
- Penn State is the nation's best shooting team in the country statistically as of March 1, firing the ball at a .427 clip.
- Of the over 70 Division I programs, Penn State finds itself second in the country in three other offensive statistical categories: points/game (30.50), goals/game (18.25), and assists/game (12.25).
- Penn State's attack unit has been especially impressive through the stretch. Attackmen Grant Ament and Mac O'Keefe both rank among the top 10 in points and goals scored nationally. O'Keefe leads the country in goals scored (24) and points (27), while Ament ranks tied for second in points (25) and is tied for eighth in goals scored (14).
- Ament and senior Nick Aponte both rank among the top 20 nationally in total assists. Ament's 11 assists are tied for eighth in the country, while Aponte's eight tie for 18th nationally. Ament and Aponte rank first and third respectively in assists per game within the Big Ten.
LIONS DOMINANT AT THE FACEOFF "X"
Penn State's early success on the offensive end has stemmed from stellar play at the faceoff "x", creating opportunities for the offense to thrive.
- Penn State ranks third in the country in faceoff win percentage (.672) and fourth in groundballs per game (36.50) following the fourth week of play. Both figures lead the Big Ten.
- Freshman midfielder and faceoff man Gerard Arceri ranks sixth nationally in faceoff percentage (.658) and third in groundballs per game (9.50). Both figures lead the Big Ten as well.
O'KEEFE ON PACE TO SET NEW RECORDS
Freshman attackman Mac O'Keefe continues a hot stretch offensively, notching an astounding 24 goals through the first four games.
- With just six more goals over the duration of the season, O'Keefe would match Penn State's single-player high for goals from last season, as senior attackman Nick Aponte logged 30 in 2016.
- O'Keefe currently ranks second among freshman goal scorers during the Jeff Tambroni era, only behind former attackman TJ Sanders' rookie campaign, when he scored 44 in the 2013 season.
- O'Keefe's 24 goals also tie TJ Sanders' 2015 season for 10th in a single season in Jeff Tambroni's seven-season tenure at Penn State. The 24-goal mark is 16 short of cracking the program's top-10 single season leaderboard.
SINGLE SEASON GOALS - TAMBRONI ERA
| Rk. | Name | Goals | Season |
| 1 | TJ Sanders | 44 | 2013 |
| 2 | Jack Forester | 41 | 2013 |
| 3 | Shane Sturgis | 33 | 2014 |
| 4 | Matthew Mackrides | 30 | 2012 |
| Nick Aponte | 30 | 2016 | |
| 6 | TJ Sanders | 29 | 2015 |
| 7 | TJ Sanders | 28 | 2016 |
| 8 | Jack Forster | 27 | 2012 |
| Shane Sturgis | 27 | 2013 | |
| 10 | TJ Sanders | 24 | 2015 |
| Mac O'Keefe | 24 | 2017 |
SINGLE SEASON GOALS
| Rk. | Name | Goals | Season |
| 1 | Bill Hess | 49 | 1957 |
| 2 | Erik Merkel | 48 | 1995 |
| Will Driscoll | 2002 | ||
| 4 | TJ Sanders | 44 | 2013 |
| 5 | Jim Trenz | 42 | 1972 |
| Gary Martin | 1982 | ||
| 7 | Bill Hess | 41 | 1956 |
| Ted Peddy | 1990 | ||
| Jack Forster | 2013 | ||
| 10 | Scot McKeon | 40 | 1987 |
| Mac O'Keefe | 24 | 2017 | |
SCOUTING THE QUAKERS
Saturday will feature a battle of undefeated teams as No. 5 Penn State takes on No. 8 Penn at noon in Holuba Hall. The Quakers enter Saturday on a two-game win streak, defeating Saint Joseph's, 10-5, in the season opener before dropping then-No. 6 Virginia, 11-10, last week.
- Penn has found success through a stout defense in its first two outings. The Quakers lead the nation in man-down defense, with the unit yet to let up a goal when playing five-on-six. Additionally, Penn is second in the nation in saves per game (15.50).
- Penn's offense has done a great job of controlling the ball early in the season, limiting itself to 10 turnovers a game, good for fourth in the nation.
- The Penn attack has combined for 11 goals in the first two games, with sophomore attackman Tyler Dunn leading the unit with five.
- The Penn State - Penn series is one of the program's oldest, dating back to 1913.
PENN STATE LAST FIVE VS. PENN
| Date | Winner | H/A | Score |
| 3/5/16 | Penn | A | 11-7 |
| 2/28/15 | Penn State | H | 14-11 |
| 5/7/1977 | Penn | H | 24-10 |
| 5/7/1976 | Penn State | H | 20-13 |
| 4/2/1975 | Penn State | A | 12-10 |
APONTE'S STREAKING
Following the first month of play, senior attackman Nick Aponte holds one of the longest statistical streaks in the country.
- After logging two goals and two assists against Villanova, Aponte has recorded at least one point in each of his last 36 contests, dating back to April 5, 2014.
- Aponte's streak is good for 11th in the country. Vermont junior Ian MacKay and High Point senior Michael LeClair lead the country with 46 consecutive games registering at least one point, dating back to Feb. 22, 2014.
- Sophomore attackman Grant Ament will look to join an exclusive group of players nationally with a scoring streak of 20 or more consecutive games. The Doylestown, Pennsylvania, native is on a 19-game streak entering the game against Penn. If Ament tallies a point against the Quakers, his streak would be good for 25th nationally.
NATIONAL POINT SCORING STREAK 2017
Active Players
| No. | Games | Player, School, Year, Position | G-A-P during streak | Streak started |
| 1. | 46 | Ian MacKay, Vermont, Sr. , M | 111-60-171 | 2/22/2014 |
| 46 | Michael LeClair, High Point, Sr., A | 70-69-139 | 3/8/14 | |
| 3. | 45 | Connor Cannizarro, Denver, Sr., A | 125-69-194 | 4/19/2014 |
| 4. | 43 | Matt Rambo, Maryland, Sr., A | 94-62-156 | 2/14/2015 |
| 43 | Jack Bruckner, Duke, Sr., A | 104-35-139 | 5/26/2014 | |
| 11. | 36 | Nick Aponte, Penn State, Sr., A | 49-40-89 | 4/5/14 |
TAMBRONI EARNS WIN 50 AT PENN STATE
Nittany Lions head coach Jeff Tambroni earned his 50th win of his Penn State career on Dec. 11 at Hobart.
- Entering the 2017 season, Tambroni ranked ninth in win percentage among active Division I coaches (.662) and 13th in overall wins (157).
- Tambroni will became just the fifth active Division I coach with 50 or more wins at multiple DI institutions.
50-PLUS WINS AT TWO DIVISION I SCHOOLS
Active Coaches
| # | Name | Total Wins | School 1 (Wins) | School 2 (Wins) |
| 1 | John Danowski | 372 | Hofstra (192) | Duke (153) |
| 2 | Bill Tierney | 370 | Princeton (234) | Denver (97) |
| 3 | Mike Pressler | 340 | Duke (153) | Bryant (74) |
| 4 | Joe Bresch | 188 | Ohio State (92) | North Carolina (96) |
| 5 | Jeff Tambroni | 159 | Cornell (109) | Penn State (50) |
PENN STATE IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Penn State has climbed into the top 5 of all three national polls following the fourth week of play.
- With its No. 5 ranking in the USILA coaches poll, Penn State is ranked within the top five for the first time since March 10, 2014, when the team climbed to fifth in the national rankings.
- Penn State has now been ranked in 10 consecutive USILA coaches polls, the last time being unranked being March 21, 2016.
APONTE NAMED 2017 CAPTAIN
Senior attackman Nick Aponte was named the 2017 squad's lone team captain in October.
- Tambroni on Aponte: "Our staff is very happy for Nick and optimistic about the path that he will forge for our team as a leader. He has earned the support and confidence of his teammates and coaches through his competence, tireless work ethic and compassion for this team."
- Aponte is just the second player to be a stand-alone team captain in Tambroni's tenure, the other being Kyle Zittel. Before Zittel, the last solo captain was Jon Poole in 1978.
HOGAN CLAIMS SUPER BOWL LI RING
Penn State men's lacrosse finds itself in the headlines in late January following a breakout performance from former Nittany Lion midfield standout and current New England Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan.
- Hogan played four seasons as a midfielder for Penn State, in which he registered 57 goals and 14 assists for 71 career points.
- Hogan sustained an injury three games into his sophomore season (2008) in which he scored a pair of goals. Hogan was granted a medical redshirt, which he chose to use at Monmouth University after graduating from Penn State, where he played wide receiver and defensive back for the Hawks.
- Hogan's breakout performance came during the AFC Championship game in which he pulled in nine catches for 180 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His 180 receiving yards were a franchise postseason single game record. He recorded four catches for 57 yards in the Patriots 34-28 OT win over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
- Hogan is the only member of Penn State men's lacrosse to ever play in the NFL or win a Super Bowl. Thirty-nine total Nittany Lions have now claimed 56 Super Bowl rings, with Hogan being the most recent player to do so.
ARCERI, O'KEEFE AND WRIGHT COMPETE WITH TEAM USA
Freshmen Gerard Arceri and Mac O'Keefe and sophomore Tommy Wright represented Team USA over the summer of 2016 as a part of the 27-man U19 roster.
- The Penn State trio earned the gold medals with the team, marking Team USA's eighth U19 world championship. O'Keefe scored a team-high two goals and added an assist. Arceri saw time, but Wright was sidelined with an injury for USA's 13-12 win over Canada.
- Penn State was also represented by associate head coach Peter Toner, who served as an assistant coach for the USA U19 team. Head coach Jeff Tambroni serves as an assistant for the USA national team, while assistant coach Chris Doctor served as an assistant for the Iroquois national team from 2013-14.
- Four players on Penn State's current roster have played for the USA U19 team. Redshirt senior Matt Florence played with the USA U19 team in 2012 en route to the team's seventh world championship with a 10-8 win vs. Canada.
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