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Mark Selders

No. 5 Men's Lacrosse Downs No. 11 Rutgers 14-5 to Take Share of Big Ten Regular Season Title

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The fifth-ranked Penn State men's lacrosse team captured a share of the Big Ten Regular Season Title and won the Friendship Cup after a 14-5 dominating victory over 11th-ranked Rutgers on Friday night.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

  • The Nittany Lions started out the game with five unanswered goals off the sticks Kevin Winkoff, Mac Costin, Mark Sickler, Jack Traynor and Jake Morin to put Penn State ahead 5-0 with 5:46 remaining in the first quarter.
  • Eric Civetti scored the first goal for the Scarlett Knights with :28 seconds remaining to close the first quarter.
  • Rutgers opened the second quarter with two goals to cut the Penn State lead to 5-3 with 12:08 remaining in the half.
  • Penn State fired back with two goals in the quarter including a man-up goal by Ethan Long with 5:38 remaining to put Penn State ahead 7-3 after the first half.
  • TJ Malone started the second half with a goal just thirty seconds into the third quarter to put Penn State ahead 8-3.
  • Rutgers and Penn State each exchanged goals for the remainder of the quarter to close the third with Penn State ahead 9-4.
  • Penn State opened the fourth quarter with two straight goals off the sticks of Winkoff and freshman Mac Hobbs to give the Nittany Lions an 11-4 lead with 11:51 remaining in the quarter.
  • After a Rutgers goal with 7:33 remaining, Penn State brought the final attack with three goals off the sticks of Winkoff, Luke Mercer and Jeb Brenfleck to secure the 14-5 victory.

GOALTENDING

  • Goalie Jack Fracyon had another strong day in net stopping 17 shots and allowing just five goals for his ninth win of the season. 

STATS AND NOTES

  • Mac Hobbs scored his first collegiate goal.
  • Penn State captured its first Friendship Cup title since 2019 when the Nittany Lions defeated Rutgers 14-13.
  • Penn State captured the Big Ten regular season title for just the second time in program history.
  • Penn State had 10 goal scorers for the third time this season.

UP NEXT

  • With today's victory Penn State will have a bye in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament and will advance to semifinals which will be played on Thursday, May 4 in Baltimore, Md. Game-time is still to be determined.