UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 19 Penn State Women's Lacrosse team is set to open Big Ten action on Saturday as it visits No. 12 Michigan. First draw is slated for noon at the U-M Lacrosse Stadium with a live stream on BTN Plus.
The Nittany Lions, led by Head Coach Missy Doherty, looks for a strong start to conference play coming off an 11-9 win over Albany. Penn State is 4-3 and ranked No. 19 in the IWLCA Poll.
Michigan, coached by Hannah Nielsen, is off to an impressive 9-0 start and earned a 12-11 win over No. 25 Towson last Sunday.
Follow the action on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateWomensLacrosse) and Twitter/Instagram (@pennstatewlax).
THIS WEEK'S MATCHUP
The Nittany Lions open Big Ten play against No. 12 Michigan. It marks the sixth meeting in the series, all coming in Big Ten contests.
Last season, Penn State fell 12-11 in Happy Valley. The Wolverines tied the game at 11-11 with six seconds left. Michigan then scored with just one second left in regulation on a goal by Maggie Kane. Four Nittany Lions scored two goals, including Maria Auth, Kayla Brisolari, Quinn Nicolai and Kristin Roberto.
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES
Michigan, led by Head Coach Hannah Nielsen, is off to an impressive 9-0 start, including three wins over ranked opponents.
The Wolverines are coming off a 12-11 win over No. 25 Towson on Sunday. After a late 3-0 run by Towson, Molly Garrett scored the go-ahead goal with just 10 seconds left. Maggie Kane led MIchigan with three goals while three other players had two goals a piece.
Michigan is currently 20th in the nation in scoring offense (14.56 goals per game) and seventh in scoring defense (7.44 gpg). They average 35.22 shots per game.
Adriana Pendino is 17th in the country with 24 goals, while Lilly Grass is 32nd with 21 goals. Caitlin Murr sits 25th in the nation with 13 assists. Goalie Mira Shane is ninth in the nation in goals against average (8.28) and seventh in save percentage (.526).
SUPLEE COLLECTS BIG TEN HONOR
Nittany Lion goalie Taylor Suplee was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Tuesday.
In two games, Suplee totaled 19 saves and a .487 save percentage. She also had a team-high eight ground balls. She matched a career high with 11 saves against James Madison and added eight stops in the win over Albany.
DOUBLE HAT-TRICKS
Penn State benefitted from a pair of hat-tricks in its win over Albany. Senior Delaney Muldoon and junior Kristin Roberto each found the net three times. Both players scored twice on free-position chances. Both Nittany Lions recorded their first career hat-trick.
The Nittany Lions have earned six individual performances with three or more goals this season, including three by Madison Carter and one by Kayla Brisolari.
BALANCED EFFORT
The Nittany Lions used a balanced offensive effort against James Madison. Nicolai, Roberto and Triandafils each scored two goals, with Triandafils adding an assist. Carter, Lauren Craft and Muldoon each had a goal.
On the year, five different Nittany Lions have 12 or more points. Carter leads the team with 21 points (17 goals, 4 assists). Kayla Brisolari has 15 points (10g, 5a), Triandafils has 14 points (7g, 7a), Muldoon owns 13 points (9g, 4a) and Nicolai has 12 points (10g, 2a).
CARTER SELECTED FOR TEWAARATON WATCH LIST
Carter was named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List on February 28. It marks her third straight season on the watch list. The two-time All-American leads PSU with 17 goals and 21 points this year.
She currently ranks ninth in the nation among career active leaders in points and third in goals (197). The senior is third among active DI players with 334 career draw controls.
Carter has 218 career points and sits in sole possession of seventh all-time at Penn State. On Carter's second goal of the Towson game, with 12:46 left to go, the senior earned her 200th career point, becoming the 15th Nittany Lion to reach the 200-point mark for her career.
She was the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week on February 27 and was the Brine/US Lacrosse Player of the Week on February 13.
SHOOT TO SCORE
One of the keys to PSU's offensive attack this year is a high volume of shots. PSU ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 29th nationally averaging 32.7 shots per game. The Nittany Lions also sit 25th in the nation, and fourth in the conference, averaging 24.7 shots on goal per game.
SECOND HALF SURGE
PSU is currently averaging 6.9 goals in the second half.
The Nittany Lions found the net eight times in the second half against Albany, including a 4-0 run to start the period.
The Nittany Lions scored seven times in the second half against Princeton, led by Carter's five goals. Against Lehigh, PSU scored the first seven goals of the second half, including two goals each from Lauren Craft and Delaney Muldoon. PSU outscored Lehigh, 9-2 in the half. In the season opener, PSU scored 10 goals in the second half against Towson, starting the period on a 6-1 run.
IN THE POLLS
The Nittany Lions stayed at No. 19 in this week's IWLCA Poll. The blue and white is No. 20 in the Inside Lacrosse Poll. PSU was selected third the Preseason Big Ten Poll behind Maryland and Northwestern.
FIRST WIN IN PANZER
The Nittany Lions earned a 15-5 win over Lehigh in the first ever regular season game at Panzer Stadium on February 16. The state-of-the-art venue was dedicated on September 23, 2018. The facility features a new videoboard, permanent concessions, accessible bathrooms and a ticket office.
The first goal in Panzer Stadium history was scored by Kristin Roberto with 26:50 left in the first half.
NATIONAL AUDIENCE
Penn State will be featured on three Big Ten Network broadcasts and two ESPNU broadcasts this Spring.
The Nittany Lions' Big Ten home opener against No. 2 Maryland on March 21 will be shown on ESPNU. The blue and white will also face No. 17 Johns Hopkins in an ESPNU matchup on April 19.
The blue and white's matchup at No. 4 Northwestern, a 7 p.m. start, will be broadcast on Big Ten Network on March 28. PSU will also be on BTN on April 4 vs. Ohio State, a 7 p.m. matchup, and April 27 vs. Rutgers, an 11 a.m. game.
Senior Reilly Masterson