Penn State Men’s Lacrosse seeks its first Big Ten win of the Season

Story posted March 31, 2023 in

After dropping its first Big Ten matchup to the second-ranked Maryland Terrapins, the Penn State Nittany Lions look to bounce back against Ohio State at home on Sunday.

Penn State’s game against Maryland was a battle to the end. The ninth-ranked Nittany Lions opened scoring just one minute into the game with a goal by TJ Malone, but the Terrapins had the answer just five minutes later.

Maryland found a rhythm late in the first quarter and early in the second, scoring six unanswered goals to put them up 8-3 with 14:19 remaining in the half. Penn State mustered four unanswered goals to cut the lead to 9-8 in Maryland’s favor, but goals late in the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter by the Terrapins were enough to grant them the 13-10 victory.

Jack Traynor earned his first hat trick of the season for the blue and white in the loss.

Ohio State’s first taste of Big Ten play was a shocking beatdown against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The Buckeyes pulled off the upset 11-7 at home heading into the contested matchup against Penn State.

Both sides of the ball were working for Ohio State as goaltender Skylar Wahlund posted a season-best 17 saves on the night, and the Buckeyes’ defense held the Scarlet Knights to just 24 shots on net.

On the offensive front, nine different Buckeyes tallied a point in the win and Ohio State had the lead for the final three and a half quarters of the game. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes found themselves up 10-5, their largest lead of the game. The Scarlet Knights put two goals on the board in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to mount the comeback, earning Ohio State the 11-7 victory.

Heading into the matchup on Sunday, the Buckeyes have all the momentum, but the home-field advantage has been important to Penn State as they haven’t dropped a game at Panzer all season. On the other hand, Ohio State has struggled mightily on the road going 0-3.

The last time these teams faced off, Ohio State dominated, tallying 18 goals in comparison to the blue and white’s mere nine. 2022 graduate Colby Smith hit the back of the net five times for the Buckeyes and topped off his six-point night with an assist.

In 2022, the Nittany Lions won only one Big Ten matchup and mustered just three total wins the entire season. This year, Penn State has been a completely different team, starting the season 5-3, and looking to continue that hot streak in Big Ten play.

The two Big Ten powerhouses will battle it out on Sunday at Panzer Stadium at noon.

Cailey Thalman is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email cmt6182@psu.edu.