Men's Lacrosse Returns to Panzer Stadium with Saturday Meeting Against Yale

 

HISTORY

• Saturday’s contest between Yale and Penn State marks the 11th game in a series that dates back to 1997. The two programs took a break in the on-again off-again series, but renewed the annual contest in 2022, meeting in the last week in February or first week in March each year since. Penn State has won the last four meetings.
• Yale and Penn State rank in the top-ten oldest lacrosse programs of all time. The Bulldogs are tied for the 10th oldest program at 105 years (677-540-5), while Penn State is in its 113th season (594-561-8).
• The all-time series is perfectly split, 5-5.
• Penn State took the first meetin in 1997, but Yale rattled off five consecutive wins over 17 years before the series renewal in 2022.

SCOUTING YALE

• The Bulldogs were one of two Ivy League programs to not be ranked in the preseason Inside Lacrosse Poll. since beginning the season, Yale has moved out to a 2-1 record earning more recognition, sitting as the "first team out" of the polls this week.
• Luke Michalik ranks 10th in the nation in caused turnovers per game (2.33). 
• Ben Friedman is 10th in the NCAA in save percentage (.583).
• Grogan is sixth in the Ivy League in goals per game (2.33), and Gately is eighth (2.00).
• Gately is third in the league in assists per game (2.33), and fourth in points per game (4.33).
• Friedman is first in the Ivy League in saves per game (14.00).
• The Bulldogs are receiving votes in the latest (Week 3) Inside Lacrosse Media Poll.
• Head Coach Andy Shay sits at 195 career wins, just five shy of 200.
• Grogan, Moynihan, Jackson, Gately and Luke Pascal have scored in all three games for Yale.
• Gately's seven points against BU marked a career high.
• Anderson's five goals against the Terriers tied a career high.

LAST TIME VS. YALE

• Seven different goal scorers and career high days from sophomore Kyle Lehman and freshman Hunter Aquino paced the Penn State men’s lacrosse offense enroute to 15-9 victory over Yale on the road.
• Along with the balanced offensive attack for PSU was an impactful defensive performance from Jack Fracyon between the pipes, totaling 18 saves on the day.
• Lehman led the Nittany Lions on offense with five goals, notching a hat-trick in the first quarter.
• Aquino’s two goals along with five assists also helped guide the Nittany Lions attack.
• Jack Aimone notched his second-straight game with a hat-trick, finding the back of the net three times and dishing out one assist to total four points.
• Ryan Dirocco was the final Nittany Lion multi-goal-scorer, posting two goals and two assists to compile four points.
• Liam Matthews, Colby Baldwin and Will Peden added a goal apiece to round out the scoring for PSU.
• As a team, Penn State’s faceoff unit outworked Yale’s, winning 18-of-27 faceoffs. Colby Baldwin led the group with 17 of those wins while scooping 10 ground balls.

LAST TIME OUT

• Then-ranked No. 10 Penn State men’s lacrosse dropped a 12-11 decision to Navy on Saturday afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
• Penn State fell to 2-2 with the loss, while Navy improved to 3-1 on the season.
• Penn State's attack was held to its fewest goal total this season, putting away just 11 goals.
• Kyle Lehman was the leader of the offense, putting up four points on two goals and two assists.
• Liam Matthews and Patrick Carragher followed, both adding a pair of goals and an assist, each.
• Luke Walstrum dished two apples and scored once for three points. Hunter Aquino rounded out multi-point Penn Staters with a goal and an assist. 
• Freshman goalkeeper Preston Hawkins made nine stops in the game while scooping one groundball.
• The defensive unit was active on the scoresheet despite the result, with defender Patrick Keenan dishing an assist and scooping four groundballs, short-stick defensive midfielder Jon King long-stick midfielder Lucca DiBartolomeo each scoring a goal and causing a turnover, and defender Alex Ross vacuuming three groundballs.
• Penn State’s faceoff unit won the draw, with Colby Baldwin and Reid Gills combining for 15 wins on 26 starts.

WHAT A WIN WOULD MEAN

• The win would mark move Penn State to a 3-2 record this season.
• The win would mark PSU’s sixth win all-time series against Yale.
• A win would extend Penn State’s win streak in the all-time series to five, dating back to 2022.
• It would mark the 65th win all-time for Penn State against a Ivy League opponent. The Blue & White hold a 64-47-1 combined record against Cornell, Dartmouth, Penn, Princeton, and Yale.

WEEKLY LOOKS

In limited week zero action across the country, sophomore faceoff Reid Gills dominated the faceoff X, winning 15-of-19 faceoffs, scooping seven groundballs, and dishing an assist to the team’s leading scorer, Hunter Aquino. For his efforts, Gills was named the Big Ten Specialist of the Week.

Senior Alex Ross, sophomore Hunter Aquino, and freshman Preston Hawkins were recognized as this week’s Big Ten Players of the Week in their respective categories, creating a near-sweep of the awards for the Nittany Lions. Ross earned defensive honors, Aquino offensive, and Hawkins as the Freshman of the Week.

The three weekly awards marked the most in a single week since March 12, 2024, when PSU earned offensive, defensive, and specialist honors.

Princeton’s attack and midfield units entered the season regarded as two of the top five units in their respective roles across the country, but senior captain Alex Ross had other plans for the Tigers’ season opener. He matched his season high groundball and turnover marks in Penn State’s win at No. 3 Princeton over the weekend. He helped hold the Tiger’s attack and midfield core to just seven goals.

Aquino led the scoring for PSU against Princeton with a hat trick but proved to be effective in the ride as well, causing a pair of turnovers and scooping four groundballs. The caused turnover and groundball numbers each marked new career highs for the sophomore.

In his third start and second full game of his career, Hawkins put up a career-high 11 saves against a top three ranked Princeton team. The seven goals allowed proved to be a season low for Hawkins when playing a full game. It also marked the fewest goals scored by the Ivy League regular season title favorite since February 28, 2024, when Princeton put up seven goals against Maryland.

PRESEASON NODS

• After putting the nation on notice in 2025, sophomore Hunter Aquino and senior Alex Ross raked in the preseason honors this year.
• Aquino, the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year, was recognized as a Second Team All-American by USILA and Inside Lacrosse, and earned a third-team spot on USA Lacrosse Magazines list.
• Ross was was a second-team honoree according to Inside Lacrosse, while he picked up third-team honors from USA Lacrosse Magazine.
• Senior captian Jon King joined the duo on Inside Lacrosse's list, earning an honorable mention recognition.
• The trio were named Big Ten Players to Watch by the conference offices prior to the start of the 2026 slate.

The USILA preseason list also recognined short-stick Brendan Leary as a Third-Team Preseason All-American, alongside Aquino.

TEWAARATON TIME

• Penn State senior Alex Ross and sophomore Hunter Aquino were each named to the initial 2026 Tewaaraton watch list.
• The prestigious award, which recognizes the top man and woman lacrosse athletes across all divisions.
• In the past two seasons, Penn State has had a pair of Tewaaraton Award nominees (in mid-April, the Tewaaraton commitee narrows down the watch list to 25 names per gender to created the nominee’s list). Matt Traynor was a two-time recognizee (2024, 2025) and Jack Fracyon was named to the list in 2024.