Penn State men’s lacrosse started its season off strong with a 21-11 win over Lafayette on Saturday, February 4.

Coincidentally, last year’s season also started off on a strong note with a 20-15 win against Lafayette. Unfortunately for Penn State, though, that win was one of only three the entire season, as the Nittany Lions finished 3-11.

Plagued by injuries last year, the Nittany Lions have three key players returning from injury. Captain Jack Traynor was back on the field in Saturday’s game, recording one goal and two assists. Traynor finished fourth on the team with 23 points last season, despite only playing in six games.

Traynor was gifted No. 16 this season, which is worn in honor of Connor Darcey, a Penn State lacrosse player who tragically passed away in a car accident in 2015.

“It’s been a rocky road in terms of health for not just myself, but a lot of key guys on our team; TJ Malone, Brett Funk,” J. Traynor said.

TJ Malone returning for another season as a graduate student, after struggling with injuries for the last two years, is crucial for the Nittany Lions to develop. Sophomore Matt Traynor, who helped lead his team to victory with five goals, talked about the importance of Malone’s presence.

“Even when he wasn’t that big of an impact on the field, he’s just an inspiration to all of us,” M. Traynor said.

Head coach Jeff Tambroni echoed Traynor, speaking about an emphasis on his players’ mindsets this season.

“We talked to our guys about being a little more persistent and being a little more resilient and he’s just living proof,” Tambroni said.

All of the veteran leadership and persistence comes together in an attempt to create a winning culture. Changing the mentality and culture of the program has been Tambroni’s focus since last season.

Penn State men’s lacrosse is trying to return to the trajectory it was on in the 2019 season when it boasted a 16-2 record.

“Steps like today, just understanding what it takes to win, winning a game, getting that feeling, and then reinvesting, that’s kind of where we want to go right now,” Tambroni said after the game Saturday. “So, I think that that, from last year to this year, hopefully, that will be a good start, get us off in the right direction.”

While it may be too early to tell, there was clearly a shift seen in the team on Saturday. The face-off game has greatly improved in the offseason due to Hudson Bohn and should be much better moving forward.

With young players working hard in the offseason and veteran leaders such as recent transfer Chris Jordan, the Nittany Lions’ path to returning their winning culture will be an all-around team effort. Penn State will be back in action at noon on Sunday, February 12, with a road matchup against Villanova.