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Mark Selders

No. 5 Men's Lacrosse Falls to No. 1 Duke in Heartbreaking 16-15 Overtime Loss

Postgame Quotes PHILADELPHIA - The fifth-seeded Penn State men's lacrosse team dropped a heartbreaking 16-15 overtime loss to number one seeded Duke in the NCAA national semifinals on Saturday.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Duke and Penn State scored back-to-back goals to open the game with a 2-2 score with 8:31 remaining in the quarter.
  • Jeb Brenfleck capitalized on the man-up opportunity and scored his sixth goal of the season to put Penn State ahead 3-2.
  • Both sides each exchanged goals following the Brenfleck goal before Duke went on a 3-0 scoring run to end the first quarter with the Blue Devils ahead 6-4.
  • After Duke opened the scoring in the second quarter with 11:40 remaining, Jack and Matt Traynor each tallied a goal forty seconds apart from each other to cut the Duke lead to 7-6.
  • Duke answered with a pair of goals before TJ Malone closed the half with a goal coming with 4:38 remaining to make the score 9-7 at the midway point.
  • Both sides opened the third quarter with a pair of goals each before Luke Mercer found the back of the net with 7:43 left in the quarter to make the score 11-10 in favor of the Blue Devils.
  • With 0:35 seconds remaining in the quarter TJ Malone closed it out with his fifth goal of the game to cut the Duke lead to 13-12.
  • Jake Morin started the fourth quarter with his first goal of the game coming with 9:35 remaining in the quarter to tie the game up at 13.
  • Both sides each added two goals apiece sending the game into overtime as TJ Malone scored the game tying goal with 5:07 remaining in regulation.
  • Duke had the final say in the game as Garrett Larson slipped a goal past Jack Fracyon to take the 16-15 victory.

GOALTENDING

  • Jack Fracyon stopped 12 shots and allowed 16 goals to drop his record to 11-5 on the year. 

STATS AND NOTES

  • TJ Malone now sits tied for second in program history in points in a single NCAA tournament game off six goals and two assists for eight points. Grant Amet is the only Nittany Lion to register more points in an NCAA tournament game.
  • Penn State drops its record in the NCAA tournament to 4-6 and still looks for its first win in a national semifinal game.
  • This is the first overtime the Nittany Lions have played in an NCAA tournament game.
  • 16 goals is the second highest amount ever scored by Penn State in an NCAA tournament semifinal game.