UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State men’s lacrosse jumped two spots in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll to No. 2 on Monday, March 17.
After losing Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) Rookie of the Year TJ Malone and stud defenseman Jack Posey, also to the PLL in the offseason, there were question marks circling Penn State’s men’s lacrosse program heading into the 2025 season.
All of those questions were answered in the first seven games of the season as the Nittany Lions have jumped to a 6-1 start in nonconference play.
The season started against No. 18 Colgate with a 14-9 win and then another victory against Villanova.
The first and only stumble of the season was at home against No. 6 Princeton. An absolute battle in Holuba Hall ended in an overtime loss for the Nittany Lions. They have bounced back since though, upsetting No. 4 Cornell in overtime and handling Yale, Navy and Robert Morris.
A large part of the offensive efficiency has been Matt Traynor. While he has only played five games, the senior scored 23 points on 16 goals and seven assists. He has taken over the Malone role when playing, commanding the offense on almost every possession.
Leading the team in points is freshman Hunter Aquino. The midfielder is built like an upperclassman and has the confidence of a more experienced player. While many expected him to have a large role this year, no one thought he would have 11 goals and 15 assists through seven games.
On the defensive end Alex Ross and Jack Fracyon continue to lead the way for Penn State. Fracyon has started all seven games allowing just 59 goals against in that time with 71 saves.
The heart of the Nittany Lions season begins on Sunday, March 23, as Big Ten play begins against No. 9 Ohio State. Penn State will face three ranked teams in its final five games including No.1 Maryland and No. 11 Johns Hopkins.
