Penn State men’s lacrosse checked in at No. 5 in the Big Ten preseason poll, the team announced Thursday morning.

Big Ten foes Maryland, Ohio State, Rutgers, and John Hopkins filled in the top four, while only Michigan was ranked behind Penn State at No. 6.

Additionally, sophomore Kevin Parnham and graduate students TJ Malone and Jack Traynor rounded out the Nittany Lions’ representation in the Big Ten’s 2023 Players to Watch List.

Penn State will open its season when it hosts Lafayette at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 4, in Holuba Hall. The Nittany Lions opened their 2022 season with a 20-15 win against Lafayette and will search for a repeat.

After a 3-11 record last season and just one conference win, head coach Jeff Tambroni’s squad will attempt to increase its tallies in the win column. The Nittany Lions entered the Big Ten Tournament as the lowest seed and were knocked out in the first round by Johns Hopkins.

Penn State men’s lacrosse’s season may look different than last year with key players returning from injury, such as Malone, and new star recruits making their way into the lineup.