UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — It might not feel like lacrosse season in central Pennsylvania, but the Nittany Lions opened their season last Saturday with a 16-9 win over Lafayette at Panzer Stadium. While on paper it felt like the team cruised to a win, head coach Jeff Tambroni expects to continue seeing his team develop a better rhythm than the one he saw last weekend.
"I still think we're so early in the season, and I hope or anticipate that three or four weeks from now, we're going to fine tune certain things, whether it's lineups or specific areas," Tambroni said. "We have to be a little bit more consistent in our practice efforts this week, I felt like there was just a big letdown in the fourth quarter. Credit to Lafayette, and I think we just didn't finish quite the way we wanted."
While Tambroni's comments weren't quite what you would expect after a season-opening home win, they represent the higher expectations the team now carries after last year's appearance in the national semifinals. They have battled illnesses and inconsistency in practices, but they remain confident in the ability to play through distractions.
"Getting them to collaborate and play a little bit more on the same page has been a point of emphasis over the last two days of practice," Tambroni said. "Everyone is working hard to give a great effort, and we played with a great deal of confidence. We just need to have the same synergy that we see in practice every day."
On a more encouraging note, midfielder Kevin Hill (Webster, N.Y.) tallied his first goal of the season as he returned to action for the first time in about a year. Hill redshirted last season after a season-ending injury, and has spent considerable time rehabbing to come back for one more season, and a shot at a national championship.
"It was tough. You know, I went into last season, as a senior feeling pretty good that we were going to have a great year," Hill said. "It was tough going down the first game, but after talking to my family, coaches and friends for a couple weeks after the injury, it was really a nobrainer to come back and play. I knew if I didn't come back, I'd regret it for the rest of my life."
Hill remained in State College throughout the fall semester, and did not let the injury limit him as he continued his development off the field while continuing to prepare for returning to game action.
"I was doing an internship in State College," Hill said. "And every morning at like 6 a.m. our strength staff was huge in pushing me every day, and helping me keep a positive mindset. I definitely was able to keep that mindset because of my family and teammates that helped me."
"You know just watching him kind of go through that process last year, it was just such an unfortunate incident," Tambroni said.
"And then riding that wave of emotions over the last eight or nine months it's been a long time just getting himself back into this. Now a year later, seeing him back on the field after so much time and effort, you know he made a pretty sizable commitment to come back to school. It says a lot about who he is and the commitment his family has made to Penn State."
Hill certainly represents an important return in terms of the chemistry that made the Nittany Lions a powerhouse last season. Tambroni knows that synergy will return, but he's hoping to continue seeing development both from experienced players, and guys who are cycling into different lines for the first time.
"Just the rotation of guys going through a number of injuries that were going into the season has been a challenge," Tambroni said.
"The positive of that is that we've had a chance to see a lot of different guys play. The downside is we're not where we were maybe at this point last year, in terms of just overall synergy and momentum. We're not practicing every single day with the exact same guys but I do think long term, it may actually serve us well."
As they take on Villanova this weekend, Tambroni is excited for the early challenge that the road test will provide his team.
"Getting on the road helps your chemistry just in terms of getting away from Penn State, being on a bus together. I think there's just a lot of real positive things that can happen with chemistry building," Tambroni said.
"The good thing is we have a lot of veteran presence on this team so I'm hopeful it will allow us to just put a little bit more time and emphasis on the focus that is required, and lay that foundation down for the younger guys. They're a really good team when they play at home so I know we're going to be tested, and also recognize that we're going to have to play very well to come back with the win."
