In a game marked by long Maryland possessions and abundant shots-on-goal, Penn State could not manage a comeback. The Nittany Lions fell to the Terrapins 12-5 in their first Big Ten road game of the season.

How It Happened

Maryland came out swinging in the first quarter with early goals from Dylan Maltz, Jay Carlson, and Matt Rambo to take a 3-0 edge. A goal from Penn State’s Mike Sutton put the Lions on the board with 7:56 left in the first, paving the way for a possible comeback. That dream was quickly dashed with a shot right off the face-off at 7:43 from Maryland’s Isaiah Davis-Allen. At this point, Maryland transitioned to keep-away mode, running the clock to preserve their 4-1 lead. Later in the first quarter, Maryland’s Bryan Cole, Matt Rambo, and Henry West bested Penn State’s defense to extend their lead. Penn State’s Sutton scored his second in the final seconds of the quarter to give the Lions a little momentum headed into the second quarter, trailing 8-2.

Penn State’s TJ Sanders capitalized on the extra man opportunity early in the second to make it 8-3 Maryland. Although Penn State managed to shut out Maryland in the second quarter, Lions still trailed by five.

Maryland, displeased with the outcome of the second quarter, scored two unanswered goals early in the third (Heacock, 14:12, Rambo, 12:23) to stretch their lead to seven, 10-3. The remainder of the third period featured a lot of Maryland possession, trying to run down the clock.

Joe LoCascio opened up scoring in the fourth quarter, putting Maryland up 11-3 then Penn State’s Sutton answered with his third of the day. As Maryland continued to run the clock, the refs finally instituted a shot clock. Henry West beat the clock, extending Maryland’s lead to 12-4. Although the outlook was bleak, Penn State’s Mike Aronow closed out the scoring with his first goal as a Nittany Lion. With 1:58 left to play, the final score was decided: 12-5.

Player of the Game

Mike Sutton served as Penn State’s offensive player of the game, with a hat trick against one of the toughest defenses in college lacrosse. It was Sutton’s seventh multi-goal game of the year.

Takeaways

• A game against Maryland, No. 3 in the nation, was always going to be a tough task for Penn State. This isn’t the end of the world or the end of the season.
• Penn State goalie Connor Darcey plays with his heels on the line. This explains his quick reaction time and many of his impressive saves. Despite the numbers, he had a respectable game and will need more help from the defense as the season progresses.
• With Maryland’s talent considered, Penn State still needs to shoot more precisely.

What’s Next?

Penn State heads to Baltimore to face another tough team, No. 15 Johns Hopkins, in their first Big Ten meeting on Saturday, April 11. The game will air on Big Ten Network at 6 p.m.

 Image: Mark Selders/GoPSUsports.com