In a clash of Big Ten powers Sunday night at Penn State Lacrosse Field, the No. 2 Nittany Lion men’s lacrosse team opened conference play with a convincing 9-4 victory over No. 5 Ohio State.
Penn State (10-0, 1-0) looked deserving of their high ranking after cruising in the conference opener over the Buckeyes (9-2, 0-2).
How It Happened
Penn State opened up the scoring early with a goal from Nick Aponte. Ohio State responded with a goal of their own shortly after from Logan Maccani. Mike Sutton gave Penn State the lead again with a goal to make it 2-1, but once again Ohio State responded with a goal of its own. At the end of the first, things were all tied up at 2-2.
Ohio State took the lead just 10 seconds into the second. The Nittany Lions struggled with face-offs early on, ceding a good amount of possession to the Buckeyes right off the bat. Mac O’Keefe got on the scoreboard with 11:42 left in the half, tying things back up at 3. Both teams looked poised and ready for the matchup throughout the first half.
Nick Spillane gave the Nittany Lions a 4-3 lead, which they would ride into the halftime break, with 4:32 left in the half. The real story of the first half was the play of Penn State goalie Colby Kneese who was playing like he had something to prove. Kneese seemed to save every clear goal-scoring opportunity that came Ohio State’s way.
The third quarter went all Penn State’s way, when the Nittany Lions looked like the number one team in the nation. Goals from Drake Kreinz, Mike Sutton, and Dan Craig gave the Nittany Lions a 7-3 lead heading into the fourth.
Kevin Hill extended the lead to 8-3 for the Nittany Lions with 10:18 left in the game. Tre Leclaire notched one back for the Buckeyes to make it 8-4, but Grant Ament closed out the scoring for Penn State, leading to a 9-4 victory.
Player of the Game
Colby Kneese | Goalie | Freshman
Colby Kneese had a terrific game in goal, coming up with some incredible saves to deny the Buckeyes some of their best chances of the game. His performance was vital in the Nittany Lions’ victory in their conference opener.
What’s Next
Penn State will travel to College Park to take on the No. 9 Maryland Terrapins at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 8. The game will be broadcast on BTN.
