No. 12 Penn State men’s lacrosse (2-1, 0-0 Big Ten) defeated Stony Brook 15-8 in a snowy Saturday matinee at Panzer Stadium.

Nine different Nittany Lions scored, led by a four-goal effort from junior Kevin Hill and a hat trick from star attacker Mac O’Keefe. Gerard Arceri was dominant in the faceoff dot and added two goals and an assist in the victory. Colby Kneese was solid in goal, making eight saves for Penn State.

How It Happened

Penn State got off to a fast start during today’s game, scoring the first three goals of the game in 67 seconds to open up a quick lead. The absence of Grant Ament was made up for by an offensive explosion in the first 15 minutes of the game; Kevin Fox, O’Keefe, and Hill scored the goals that gave the Nittany Lions a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.

Stony Brook responded with a goal of its own to cut the deficit to 3-1, but Hill’s seventh goal of the season extended Penn State’s lead back to three with 11:20 remaining in the first quarter. A high-scoring first quarter ended with the two teams trading four more goals.

The pace of the game significantly slowed in the second quarter — mostly due to the snowy conditions that took over Panzer Stadium — as the teams combined to score just three goals. Penn State led by four goals at halftime.

Stony Brook got off to an extremely fast start in the third quarter, controlling possession for the first five minutes in a stretch that included a goal that cut Penn State’s lead to 8-5. Kevin Hill responded with a snipe of his own with 8:09 to play in the third quarter, restoring the Nittany Lions’ four-goal lead.

The Seawovles nearly scored on a quick counter-attack midway through the third quarter, but a big check by junior defender Chris Sabia nullified the chance. However, Sabia took a one-minute unreleasable penalty, giving Stony Brook a big chance to claw back into the game. Kneese and the Nittany Lions’ defense stood up to the challenge, escaping the penalty unscathed.

The Seawolves continued to gather momentum with a quick goal at the beginning of the fourth quarter to trim their deficit to just two goals, but freshman Bobby Burns weaved through Stony Brook’s defense to put Penn State back ahead by three. Arceri scored his second of the game just eleven seconds later to put the Nittany Lions back up by four goals with 13:06 to play in the fourth quarter.

Mac O’Keefe kept the goal-scoring flurry going with his lightning-quick release to extend the team’s lead to five goals for the first time in the game. Sabia continued the Nittany Lions’ offensive run with 8:10 remaining in the quarter, scoring with a powerful shot after a quick takeaway on the defensive end. The goal forced Stony Brook freshman Ryan Erler out of the net, as he was pulled after allowing 13 goals on 18 shots on target.

Matt Robison ended the run with 7:07 remaining in the period, but Jack Kelly responded with a goal of his own just 52 seconds later to give the Nittany Lions a 14-8 lead. O’Keefe completed his hat trick nine seconds later, capping off a solid all-around effort for Jeff Tambroni’s team.

Player Of The Game

Kevin Hill | Junior | Midfielder

The junior midfielder was excellent this afternoon, scoring four goals to increase his tally on the year to nine. He caused Stony Brook’s defense problems all afternoon and stepped up in a big way while star attacker Grant Ament sat out due to an injury.

What’s Next

The Nittany Lions will take on Robert Morris at noon Saturday, February 24 right back here in Happy Valley.