UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State men's lacrosse associate head coach Peter Toner was named the Assistant Coach of the Year by the Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IMLCA) on Friday. Toner received the award after helping lead the Lions to their most successful season in program history.
"I am extremely proud of Peter Toner as this is a well deserved recognition for his effort and dedication to Penn State lacrosse," head coach Jeff Tambroni said. "He has been an extremely loyal, compassionate and hard working young man and our program is very lucky to have him on staff."
Penn State racked up program firsts last season on its way to a 16-2 overall record and perfect 5-0 mark in the conference, winning its first outright Big Ten title and its first Big Ten Tournament title, advancing to its first-ever NCAA Final Four, and posting its first-ever varsity win over Maryland.
Toner has been instrumental in Penn State's recruiting efforts, which helped the team land a team-record nine All-Americans last season.
As the leader of the team's defensive effort, Toner played a pivotal role in four of the All-Americans' successful play on the field last season. Defenseman Chris Sabia earned first team All-America recognition and went on to be picked 10th overall by the Dallas Rattlers in the PLL Draft. Defenseman Nick Cardile, long stick midfielder Tommy Wright, and goalie Colby Kneese were all honorable mention selections.
The Lions finished eighth in the nation in ground balls per game, averaging 36.17 per game. They easily had the best scoring margin in the nation at +6.89.
Toner is set to enter his 10th season on the Penn State men's lacrosse staff and his sixth as the team's associate head coach. The Lions have had a winning record in eight of his first nine seasons with the team, including a 36-12 record over the past three seasons.
Penn State opens the 2020 season with a home game against Lafayette on Saturday, Feb. 1.
