April 22, 2018
By Erin Neri, GoPSUsports.com student staff writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Junior attackman Nick Spillane played a major role in helping No. 12 Penn State men's lacrosse to its first program win against Johns Hopkins last week, as the Nittany Lions upset the Blue Jays 14-12.
After spending his first two years with the Nittany Lions in the midfield, Spillane has embraced his new role at attack this season in light of junior Grant Ament's injury. Although the position swap was a big change for Spillane at first, he's finding his stride.
"It's gotten a lot better, I've definitely gotten more comfortable throughout the year," Spillane said. "The way we play offense has definitely made it a little bit easier with that free flowing style. It's great playing with guys that are so focused on each other and don't care about individual stats, but how the offense in general does."
Spillane had a stellar outing against the Blue Jays, scoring two goals to go along with a personal-best five assists. Spillane also picked up honors from the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association for his performance Saturday afternoon.
Now starting to reap the benefits of his hard work at the new position, Spillane has experienced some bumps along the way.
"This has been a process," Penn State head coach Jeff Tambroni said. "Never in the struggle has he allowed himself to wallow in self-pity and when he's had great success, you would never know. I think that's what has allowed him to maintain his hunger and his trajectory to where he is right now."
There were many adjustments Spillane had to make to play the 'X.' Not only did he have to get used to playing behind the net, but he also had to learn to draw the coverage of the opposing team's best defender.
Spillane hasn't had to face the challenge alone though, receiving constant support from his fellow teammates.
"Whether I had a really good game or a bad game, everyone's confidence in me has just stayed really high," Spillane said. "That's made it so much easier knowing that everyone is behind me and supportive because it's definitely not easy to step into a role like that."
One of Spillane's biggest supporters and mentors has been Ament himself. Even though Ament has been sidelined this season, he has remained actively involved with the team.
Although Ament has been a source of help and advice for everyone on the team, he and Spillane have forged a special relationship as the season has progressed.
"He's been great with staying involved," Spillane said. "I talk to him about what he sees throughout the game because he has a great mind for the position and the sport in general. It's definitely been an open conversation between him and myself throughout the entire year. He has given me some pointers throughout games and practices, so he's definitely made my transition a little easier."
While Spillane and Ament are two unique individuals, it wasn't a coincidence the coaching staff selected Spillane to step into the open spot on attack. With Spillane's talented skillset and mind for scoring, moving him made the most sense to Tambroni.
Fellow attackman, sophomore Mac O'Keefe, also sees similarities between Ament and Spillane, which has made the transition easier for the other members of the offense.
"They're pretty similar," O'Keefe said. "They both have very good vision and their heads are always up looking to make a play."
Looking ahead to Sunday night, the Nittany Lions will head to New Jersey to take on No. 10 Rutgers.
Although Tambroni hopes the team's win over Johns Hopkins will provide an extra boost of momentum, he also doesn't want the victory to prompt complacency.
"It can certainly provide confidence and justify the work and the collaboration that this group has put in, and that's what you hope," Tambroni said. "It can also go the other way. You can tend to be a little short-sighted with wins like this and start to think about big picture instead of focusing on the details. We have to make sure there is still a sharp focus on our daily goals and an attention to detail on a daily basis versus end results."
The Scarlet Knights are coming off a strong game of their own, losing only to top-ranked Maryland by a single goal, 11-10.
Sunday night's game could also prove to be of great importance later in the season, as both the Nittany Lions and the Scarlet Knights are on the cusp of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.
All that aside, the Nittany Lions are sticking true to their own strategy, focused on improving their own game instead of concentrating all their attention on Rutgers.
"I think our guys are just going to have to continue to go out and play hard and play together," Tambroni said. "There's no magic or secret to our success, it has been a selfless collaboration and if our guys stay connected to that foundation, we'll be in a good position."