If you happened to miss it in the midst of your State Patty’s Day festivities Saturday, Penn State men’s lacrosse is 4-0 for the first time since 1992. Led by freshman Mac O’Keefe’s eight (?!) goals, the Nittany Lions powered over Villanova 17-12 on the road.

How It Happened

The first quarter was slow — Villanova got on the board early 2:16 into the game and held a 1-0 lead until about halfway through. O’Keefe stole the lead with two goals in less than two minutes to close out the quarter’s scoring. Things picked up in the second. O’Keefe’s third, fourth, and fifth of the game paced the Nittany Lions, with goals from Dan Craig and Nick Spillane nestled in there. Villanova went on a three-goal run in the second, and struck last in the half, narrowing Penn State’s lead to 7-5.

O’Keefe’s sixth of the game came less than two minutes into the second half. Back-and-forth threatened Penn State’s lead early in the third quarter — Villanova fought to keep it a two-goal game, but it slipped away when Penn State went on a three-goal run and closed out the third with a 14-8 lead. The Wildcats weren’t done, though. They scored three unanswered in the fourth, before (you guessed it) O’Keefe responded with two of his own. Nick Aponte tallied a goal with three minutes left to play, then a late-game effort from Villanova’s Danny Seibel finalized the 17-12 score.

Player of the Game

Mac O’Keefe l Freshman l Attack

I think this is the most tame stance I’ve ever taken in my life. O’Keefe’s eight goals on the game broke his own freshman single-game scoring record. He’s had 24 goals in four games. There’s really nothing else to say about it — just think about that.

What’s Next

Penn State takes on Penn at home this Saturday. The first face off is at noon.