UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State men's lacrosse erased a five-goal deficit to take a one-goal lead late in the third quarter but came up just short in the end in a 13-12 loss to Villanova in a non-conference game Saturday at Panzer Stadium.
Penn State saw its record dip to 1-1, while Villanova won its season opener to go to 1-0.
The Nittany Lions used a 5-0 run to take their first lead of the game with 4:33 left in the third quarter. Senior Jack Traynor had two goals in the run, scoring the first to pull Penn State within three, 9-6, with 12:32 showing on the clock. Following redshirt freshman Jeb Brenfleck's first career goal, Traynor scored again off an assist from Mac Costin to make it a one-goal game with 5:41 left in the quarter.
Traynor's second goal of the run started an offensive flurry for Penn State. Freshman Hudson Bohn won the faceoff and took it himself for a goal just six seconds later to tie the game. Just 1:02 after that, freshman Will Peden put the Lions up 10-9, a lead the Lions took in to the fourth quarter.
Villanova scored the first two goals of the fourth quarter to retake the lead, tying it with a score by Tucker Goodelle 1:05 into the period and the second by Luke Keating with 6:46 to play.
The teams went back and forth over the final five minutes. Traynor scored his fourth goal of the game to tie it at 11-11 with 4:35 left on the clock, but Villanova's Patrick Daly responded just over a minute later. Peden came through with a huge goal, tying the game with 1:24 remaining, but Daly was clutch again, scoring his sixth goal of the game 24 seconds later. He grabbed a loose ball in front of the cage and put it in from short range for the eventual game winner.
Penn State nearly tied the game in the closing moments. Senior Jack Kelly put a shot on goal with a great effort, shooting between two defenders, but it bounced off the left post.
The Lions were doomed by a slow start that saw Villanova jump out to a 3-0 lead. Senior Dan Reaume ended the early run by the Wildcats with his third goal of the season.
The Wildcats' largest lead of the game was 8-3 in the second quarter. Two goals late in the half helped Penn State inch closer before the break. Reaume scored with 58 seconds left and Traynor scored with 32 seconds remaining.
Traynor matched his stat line from a season-opening win over Lafayette last weekend, totaling five points on four goals and one assist for the second-straight game. Peden finished with two goals and one assist, while Reaume contributed a pair of goals. Brenfleck, Kelly, Bohn and freshman Nils Barry each tallied one goal.
Daly, with his six goals, and Keating, with his two goals and two assists, led the way for Villanova.
Hudson Bohn went over 50 percent on faceoffs again, winning 12 of his 23 chances at the 'x'. His success was a key part of the Lions' comeback in the third quarter.
Junior Aleric Fyock started and went the distance in goal for Penn State. He matched a career high with 15 saves on 28 chances.
Just one man-up goal was scored in the game. It came from Villanova on one of its five opportunities. Penn State was scoreless on its four chances that added up to three minutes with an advantage.
Penn State has little time to dwell on Saturday's result. The Lions are back at Panzer Stadium on Wednesday to host Vermont at 3 p.m. The Catamounts are 0-2 with losses to No. 3 Duke (15-7) and Utah (11-10).