Three Penn State Men’s Lacrosse Stars Earn Big Ten Weekly Honors
After a strong bounce-back win against Johns Hopkins on Sunday, a trio of Penn State men’s lacrosse players earned conference recognition for their efforts.
Mac O’Keefe, Nick Cardile, and Colby Kneese all earned respective awards for their performances in the Nittany Lions’ 11-8 victory over then-No.17 Johns Hopkins.
Mac O'Keefe is the co-@B1GLacrosse Offensive Player of the Week! #WeAre
— Penn State Men’s Lacrosse (@PennStateMLAX) March 30, 2021: https://t.co/kNR60Y8g4v pic.twitter.com/MQT7wFMnr3
O’Keefe was named the co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after notching four goals and one assist against the Blue Jays. O’Keefe’s offensive contributions came at timely moments for the Nittany Lions, as he scored two of Penn State’s final three goals to seal the victory.
The attackman’s five-point performance was the most he’s put up all season. He now also sits at 206 career goals, which is only six behind Justin Guterding’s record for the most career goals in NCAA history.
Nick Cardile is the @B1GLacrosse Defensive Player of the Week! #WeAre
— Penn State Men’s Lacrosse (@PennStateMLAX) March 30, 2021
Cardile earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors for his role in the victory over Hopkins. He had three turnovers and three ground balls in the game, as he anchored the Penn State defense that held its opponent to under ten goals for the first time this season. Two of those turnovers and one ground ball came in the final minute of the game.
Colby Kneese is the @B1GLacrosse Specialist of the Week! #WeAre
— Penn State Men’s Lacrosse (@PennStateMLAX) March 30, 2021
Kneese earned Big Ten Specialist of the Week after an amazing performance on Sunday. The veteran net-minder made 15 saves in the game, finishing with a .652 save percentage. Some of the saves Kneese made were absolutely highlight reel quality, as he was the biggest part in keeping the electric Hopkins offense quiet for most of the game.
Along with the individual honors, Penn State also jumped back into the top 20 in this week’s USILA coaches poll at No. 19. Penn State will try and keep the momentum rolling against the No. 3 Maryland Terrapins on Saturday. That game will take place at 1 p.m and be broadcast on BTN+.
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