No. 20 Penn State comes away with a Win against Harvard in OT
After routing Furman University in their previous game, No. 20 Penn State men’s lacrosse (5-2) had reason to feel confident heading into their next competition. However, they knew that against No. 7/8 Harvard (who fell to No. 14 as a result of this loss), the Lions would have to work their hardest to come away with a win at home.
This game was close from the start. Harvard starting off the game leading the Nittany Lions 2-0, but their grasp would not be held for long. The Nittany Lions soon began firing on all cylinders after Harvard’s first two goals, as Penn State notched six goals to Harvard’s one, ending the first quarter in the lead.
The second quarter was a nail biter. Penn State won the initial faceoff, which allowed sophomore Josh Wellman (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) to take the ball straight up the field and rip his first collegiate goal, granting the Lions the momentum they would need to stay strong for this quarter. After netting another goal, giving the Lions an 8-3 lead, Harvard came back and led a 5-2 scoring run, ending the quarter with a close score of 10-8.
It was becoming clear that this game was not one to be taken lightly. The third quarter left Harvard with no new goals as Penn State secured two more for its tally. Despite staying strong for three of the four quarters, Penn State lost some momentum in the fourth as Harvard capitalized on its scoring opportunities, snagging four goals to end regulation with a 12-12 tie.
Heading into golden-goal overtime, the Nittany Lions knew it was do-or-die. It was junior standout Nick Aponte (West Islip, N.Y.) who scored the game winning goal, securing the 13-12 win at home for Penn State.
Head Coach Jeff Tambroni was thrilled with the result: “I felt like our guys have been really focused in the last few days and I thought we came out and played that way early in the game.”
Penn State dominated on faceoffs, 18-11, and also had 23 shots on goal to Harvard’s 22. Harvard collected 39 ground balls to Penn State’s 36.
The superstars of the game were undoubtedly Aponte and TJ Sanders (Orillia, Ont.) who both added a hat trick to their lacrosse resumes. Grant Ament (Doylestown, Pa.), the freshman who has quickly made a name for himself on the field, notched two goals and three assists for the Lions.
Your Penn State Nittany Lions are home again this weekend as they take on unranked University of Massachusetts at noon on Saturday. We hope to see you there for yet another exciting match!
This game was close from the start. Harvard starting off the game leading the Nittany Lions 2-0, but their grasp would not be held for long. The Nittany Lions soon began firing on all cylinders after Harvard’s first two goals, as Penn State notched six goals to Harvard’s one, ending the first quarter in the lead.
The second quarter was a nail biter. Penn State won the initial faceoff, which allowed sophomore Josh Wellman (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) to take the ball straight up the field and rip his first collegiate goal, granting the Lions the momentum they would need to stay strong for this quarter. After netting another goal, giving the Lions an 8-3 lead, Harvard came back and led a 5-2 scoring run, ending the quarter with a close score of 10-8.
It was becoming clear that this game was not one to be taken lightly. The third quarter left Harvard with no new goals as Penn State secured two more for its tally. Despite staying strong for three of the four quarters, Penn State lost some momentum in the fourth as Harvard capitalized on its scoring opportunities, snagging four goals to end regulation with a 12-12 tie.
Heading into golden-goal overtime, the Nittany Lions knew it was do-or-die. It was junior standout Nick Aponte (West Islip, N.Y.) who scored the game winning goal, securing the 13-12 win at home for Penn State.
Head Coach Jeff Tambroni was thrilled with the result: “I felt like our guys have been really focused in the last few days and I thought we came out and played that way early in the game.”
Penn State dominated on faceoffs, 18-11, and also had 23 shots on goal to Harvard’s 22. Harvard collected 39 ground balls to Penn State’s 36.
The superstars of the game were undoubtedly Aponte and TJ Sanders (Orillia, Ont.) who both added a hat trick to their lacrosse resumes. Grant Ament (Doylestown, Pa.), the freshman who has quickly made a name for himself on the field, notched two goals and three assists for the Lions.
Your Penn State Nittany Lions are home again this weekend as they take on unranked University of Massachusetts at noon on Saturday. We hope to see you there for yet another exciting match!
