No. 13 Penn State men’s lacrosse (2-1) outlasted Stony Brook (1-2) 14-10 on Saturday afternoon in Stony Brook, New York.  

Two quick goals for Penn State looked to be the beginning of a blowout, but Stony Brook fought back. Although they never got down, the Nittany Lions found themselves in some tough situations defending the Seawolves’ runs. Thanks to Jack Fracyon and the entire offense participating in the scoring, Penn State pulled out the victory.

How It Happened

Despite the snowy weather, Penn State started on fire. The Nittany Lions scored just six seconds into the first quarter. Colby Baldwin won the opening faceoff and found an open lane down the middle of the field. He made no mistake burying the opener.     

Luke Walstrum added to the lead after he beat his man. Walstrum ran up the hashes from behind the goal and faked high with a low finish to put the Nittany Lions up two.  

Stony Brook got on the board off of a defensive miscommunication from Penn State. The Seawolves struggled early to beat Jack Fracyon, but a one-on-one from the crease gave them their first score.  

The first penalty of the game was given to Stony Brook for 30 seconds on a holding. Penn State took advantage of it with an outside shot. Eager to attempt a comeback, the Seawolves responded just one minute later with a long-range shot of their own.  

With 2:51 left in the first quarter, Penn State reinstated its two-goal lead after a long offensive possession. Mac Costin found space on the left wing and put another shot low and away past the Stony Brook goaltender.  

The two-goal separation didn’t last more than 30 seconds before Stony Brook once again had an answer. The Nittany Lions again lost a man on the crease, creating an easy quick stick goal for the Seawolves.  

The first quarter ended with Penn State up 4-3. 

Penn State started the second quarter just like the first, scoring just 50 seconds in. It created some of its offense without a Stony Brook turnover, as Walstrum’s shot trickled into the back of the net. 

Two unanswered goals came right after the quick start as the Nittany Lions began to pull away. Penn State settled in with the larger lead and started having much longer and more controlled offensive possessions.  

Costin took advantage of the added time with the ball, finding another unanswered goal for Penn State.  

A man-up opportunity for the Seawolves looked to be their way back into the game. But much to their demise, a huge save from Fracyon kept the score at 8-3.  

Stony Brook eventually found a goal in the second quarter following another Nittany Lion score. The Seawolves were up two men for 30 seconds and scored just as the two-man advantage ended. They then cut the deficit to four with eight seconds remaining in the half.  

Headed into the half, the Nittany Lions held their dominance with a score of 9-5.

The Seawolves utilized their momentum to start the second half, cutting the Nittany Lion lead in half with two quick goals. One of them was undoubtedly the best goal of the game to that point: a Lyle Thompson-esque shot that found the back of the net two minutes into the half. It was followed by an outside bounce shot 30 seconds later.  

Penn State got on the board for the first time in the second half five minutes in. Will Peden found space and took the Stony Brook momentum away with a quick shot. Three more unanswered goals from the Nittany Lions in the next three minutes completely took the Seawolves out of the game.  

Stony Brook started to fight back with five minutes left in the third quarter. Noah Armitage scored his third of the game, completing the hat trick. The theme of goal runs for both teams continued as the Seawolves scored again from a low-angle shot.  

The rest of the third quarter remained scoreless, and Penn State took a four-goal lead heading into the final quarter.  

The opening minutes of the fourth were controlled by Stony Brook, but the Seawolves didn’t get anything to show for it for four minutes. With 10:26 left in the game, they beat Fracyon in a one-on-one play on the crease.  

Penn State’s 14th goal of the game came at a crucial time in the quarter. With Stony Brook holding the ball for most of the first 10 minutes, the Nittany Lions capitalized on their first real chance of the quarter to re-extend their lead to four.  

The Nittany Lions used the rest of the game to control the ball and finished with the victory. The score of 14-10 remained until the finish.  

Takeaways

• Penn State has shown issues remaining concentrated for the full 60-minute game. At times, it looks like one of the best teams in the country, and at other times, average. If the Nittany Lions can focus on putting a full 60 minutes together in every game, they will prove to be as good as their preseason ranking suggested.
• Everyone on the offense has the green light, and that’s what makes them so dangerous. At all times, the opposing defense has to be weary because a shot can come from wherever and whenever. The scoring distribution across the team is commendable.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will continue their road trip to Annapolis, Maryland, on Saturday, February 24, to face off against Navy. The game is set to begin at noon.