SAN DIEGO – The No. 17 Penn State Nittany Lions recorded the team’s first 8-0 start this millennium after walloping San Diego State, 18-6. This was the first meeting between the two programs.
The Nittany Lion offense had one of the team’s most balanced attacks all season. Rocquette Allen, Maddie Greco, Erika Ho, Delaney Radin and Payton Wainman all had two goals, and 13 different Penn State players recorded a goal. Graduate transfer Anna Salerno had a game-high four points, her second consecutive effort with four points, off a goal and a career-high three assists. Radin and Ho both contributed an assist to aid in the scoring effort and to push the pairing’s points to three and Minka Martinez added an assist as well. Emma Kelly, along with a goal, added 12 draw controls more than doubling the Aztecs’ total in the circle and securing the second-highest draw control total this season for the Nittany Lions.
Defensively, Penn State had another great day. The nine caused turnovers by the Nittany Lion defense is the most since the team’s game against Drexel earlier this year with seven different players responsible led by Maggie Driver and Susannah O’Connell with a pair each. Allen, Lilly Spilker and Sydney Manning each picked up two ground balls each while, in the cage, Penn State recorded the team’s sixth game with a save rate of 50% or higher split between Manning and Arden Jansen.
KEY PERFORMANCES
- Anna Salerno – one goal, three assists, three draw controls
- Delaney Radin – two goals, one assist
- Erika Ho – two goals, one assist, one ground ball, one caused turnover
- Emma Kelly – one goals, 12 draw controls
- Maggie Driver – one ground ball, two caused turnovers, two draw controls
- Susannah O’Connell – one ground ball, two caused turnovers
FIRST QUARTER
Penn State began the team’s first quarter scoring blitz less than 30 seconds into the opening frame. Radin, on a woman-up opportunity recorded the first goal for the Nittany Lions while Kelly notched the Blue and White’s second goal with not much time on the shot clock in the following possession. San Diego State answered in the transition with a fast break goal of the team’s own. Kelly MacKinney, from the eight meter, secured the third Penn State goal of the game after a caused turnover by Cailin Hetrick. The Nittany Lions would again score quickly with Greco securing her first goal of the day off the draw control by Salerno. Salerno scored her only goal of the day from the eight-meter a minute later and a minute and a half after that, Hannah Hoyt netted her third goal of the year. Allen scored her first goal of the afternoon with a minute and a half left in the opening quarter to close out the frame.
SECOND QUARTER
The Nittany Lions again struck first in the second stanza. Ho, on a clear-to-goal opportunity, notched her first of the day while Radin, less than 30 seconds later, scored on another woman-up opportunity. To cap off a minute-long three-goal sequence, Ho, from Salerno, secured her second goal of the quarter. The Aztecs would score consecutive goals, but with less than a minute left in the quarter, Wainman netted her first of the afternoon off an assist by Ho to cap off the quarter for Penn State.
THIRD QUARTER
The defense held strong to start the second half to force a scoreless seven and a half minutes. Allen recorded the first goal of the half, her second of the game. A few minutes later, after the Penn State defense held the San Diego State offense and forced the shot clock violation, Porter Rhoades scored her third of the season with Radin on the assist. San Diego State would score, woman-up, to end the frame.
FOURTH QUARTER
In the final frame, the offense returned to its earlier ways and scored fast and in a run. Maggie Rezza netted her fifth career goal with Greco scoring her second goal of the day two minutes later off an assist by Salerno. Sophomore Ellie Wisch converted from the eight-meter and freshman Anna Mellinger, on a woman-down situation, scored her second goal of her career with Martinez grabbing the assist to cap a four-goal run early in the fourth. San Diego State notched the last two goals of the game as Penn State secured the victory, 18-6.
POSTGAME NOTES
- The Nittany Lions outdrew the Aztecs’ 21-5. Kelly, who was the primary draw taker, more than doubled San Diego State’s total with 12 on the day. Both the 21 draw wins for Penn State and 12 for Kelly are the second-most this season.
- 13 different Penn State players recorded a goal and four different players dished out an assist.
- The nine caused turnovers by the Nittany Lion defense is the most since the team’s game against Drexel earlier this year.
- This is the fourth time this year that Penn State has shot above 50%.
UP NEXT
The Blue and White conclude the California road trip with the team’s Big Ten opener against Southern California at Rawlinson Stadium on Thursday, March 12th at 9 p.m. ET. Fans can stream the game on B1G+.
Visit GoPSUSports.com for more information on Penn State women's lacrosse. Fans can keep up to date with the Nittany Lion women's lacrosse team on Facebook at /pennstatewomenslacrosse as well as Twitter and Instagram @PennStateWLAX.