March 4, 2017
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The fifth-ranked Penn State men's lacrosse team earned its first win over a top-10 opponent since March of last season on Saturday afternoon, taking down in-state rival No. 8 Penn, 14-13, inside Holuba Hall.
For the first time in 2017 the Nittany Lions faced a daunting task, having to overcome a four-goal deficit in the first half. A relentless effort from the group resulted in a seven-goal output in the third quarter to help Penn State advance to 5-0 on the season. The Quakers dropped to 2-1.
Penn State's scoring came by committee against the Quakers, with nine different players finding the back of the net. The Nittany Lions were led by sophomore midfielder Nick Spillane, who put together a career day against Penn with a game-high five goals, one coming in an extra-man opportunity.
"I thought in the second half we shared the ball more," seventh-season head coach Jeff Tambroni said following the Nittany Lions' one-goal victory. "We made our shots a little more difficult for the goalie to locate and took advantage. Obviously, the momentum at the faceoff 'x' was just monumental. We had enough opportunities to get our offense in rhythm, and without that it may have been a totally different outcome."
Freshman midfielder Gerard Arceri continued to impress at the faceoff dot, going 24-for-31 to create chances for the Penn State attack.
Attackmen senior Nick Aponte and Grant Ament kept their point streaks alive, both tallying three points in the contest. Aponte logged a goal and a pair of assists in the outing, while Ament posted three helpers, quarterbacking the offense at the X. Freshman attackman Mac O'Keefe added a score.
The midfield handled the majority of the Penn State scoring. In addition to Spillane's output, classmate Kevin Hill logged a pair of goals, one being man-up. Arceri, Dan Craig, Matt Florence and Mike Sutton each posted a goal as well. Sophomore long stick midfielder Tommy Wright scored the first goal of his career to open the Penn State scoring, while classmate Ryan Keenan added an assist.
On the defensive end freshman goaltender Colby Kneese logged his fifth win of the season with six saves, while sophomore defender Chris Sabia logged a team-best pair of caused turnovers.
The Nittany Lions have little turnaround time, as the team hosts the Furman Paladins on Tuesday, March 7, at 3 p.m. The game is set to air on the Big Ten Network, with Pete Medhurst and Mark Dixon on the call.
The Turning Point
The Nittany Lions held a 14-13 lead with just over a minute and a half remaining, when Penn's Kevin McGeary looked to move the ball into a scoring position. Senior midfielder Tyler Chambers jarred the ball loose, and while McGeary recovered the loose ball, a pair of Nittany Lions forced McGeary over the midfield line to gain possession. The possession gave Penn just 30 seconds at the end of the game to try to equalize, but the Nittany Lion defense answered the call.
Difference Makers
Penn State
- Gerard Arceri - Despite facing three different faceoff specialists, Arceri remained consistent at the faceoff 'x', going 24-of-31 while collecting a game-high 15 groundballs. Both his faceoff wins and groundballs marked season highs.
- Nick Spillane - Spillane set a new career high with five goals on six shots to lead all players in the scoring column. The five goals were one shy of his season output entering the game.
- Midfield scoring - Entering the game, Penn State saw 63 percent of its season scoring coming from the attack position. The attack line served as facilitators in the top-10 showdown, scoring just two goals, while seven midfielders accounted for the remaining 12 goals.
- Transition opportunities - The Nittany Lions made the most of their chances moving the ball from defense to offence, going a perfect 12-of-12 in clearing opportunities. Additionally, both Arceri and Wright found chances to score thanks to efficient play in the fast break.
Penn
- Tyler Dunn - The sophomore attackman proved tough to cover for the Nittany Lions, finishing the game with a team-high four goals.
- Stout defense - The Penn defense was relentless, limiting Penn State to its lowest number of shots (39) and shooting percentage (.359) of the season.
By Quarters
First Quarter
The first frame opened with a strong Penn performance, leading to three goals within the opening six minutes. Penn State stopped the run with the most unlikely of goals, as Wright scooped up a groundball before going coast-to-coast and scoring his first career goal. The two sides were stagnant until Penn's Reilly Hupfeldt dodged from behind the net to score with 18 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Penn State 1, Penn 4
Second Quarter
Spillane made the game a two-goal contest 1:16 into the second quarter, firing from 10 yards out on an assist from Aponte for his seventh goal of the season. Penn scored a pair of goals before Aponte logged his lone goal of the contest on a feed from Keenan behind the net. Penn logged its seventh goal of the day before Florence kicked it out to O'Keefe, who scored with a shot from the wing.
Penn State 4, Penn 7
Third Quarter
The Nittany Lions would regain control of the game in an outrageous seven-goal performance during the third period. The Nittany Lions wasted little time, scoring 37 seconds into the frame, as Spillane scored his second goal of the day. Arceri won the ensuing faceoff, sprinted down field and fired home his third goal of the season just seven seconds later. Penn's Austin Kreinz, brother of Penn State midfielder Drake Kreinz, was called for a holding penalty, giving Penn State a 30-second man-up situation. Hill capitalized on the opportunity, tying the game following a pass from Ament. Penn scored the next two goals before a 4-0 run from the Nittany Lions. Penn State's run began at the 6:35 mark, where Florence dodged a pair of defenders before burying the shot. A little over two minutes later, Hill found the bottom corner of the net for the equalizer. Another penalty was assessed to the Quakers, followed by a shot from Spillane for his third goal of the contest along with Ament's third assist. Aponte kicked the ball to Sutton 41 seconds later, as the senior went low-to-high to give the Nittany Lions an 11-9 advantage. Penn tacked on a goal with eight seconds remaining to close out the quarter.
Penn State 11, Penn 10
Fourth Quarter
Spillane opened scoring in the final frame a minute in, scooping up a loose ball on a rebounded shot and dumping it in from close range. Penn responded with a score of its own just over three minutes later. Less than a minute afterwards Craig caught a pass from Ament and scored on the run for a two-goal advantage. A minute later Spillane juked his defender and scored the eventual game-winner. Penn made a run later, scoring twice at the 3:24 and 2:42 marks, but the Nittany Lion defense dug in over the remaining time to earn the fifth win of the season.
Penn State 14, Penn 13
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