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Previewing The Penn State Men’s Lacrosse 2025 Season

Penn State men’s lacrosse finished the 2024 season 11-5, enough for the No. 9 spot in the country to end the season.

The Nittany Lions fell short in the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament, losing to No. 14 Michigan in the Big Ten Championship and No. 8 Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament despite an early 7-2 lead.

In 2025, Penn State will once again chase its 2023 success. This time, though, it will be without Premier Lacrosse League Rookie of the Year T.J. Malone and three others who left for the pros: Grant Haus, Jack Posey, and Mac Costin.

The Nittany Lions need some returners to step up but will also look to their new faces at the start of the season.

Jack Aimone is expected to get the start right from the jump and did so in Penn State’s scrimmage against Bucknell. The graduate transfer recorded 20 goals and seven groundballs during his senior season at Rutgers and will provide a new element to the midfield.

Another potential impact transfer is Ryan DiRocco, a sophomore attackman from Army. DiRocco only played in three games while at West Point, but got the start behind the cage against Bucknell. He showed off his quick feet and toughness, scoring multiple times in the scrimmage.

On paper, the most impactful freshman for the Nittany Lions could be Hunter Aquino from the Academy of the New Church in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. The midfielder is an elite athlete who garnered attention from Penn State football after committing to the university for lacrosse, per USA Lacrosse Magazine.

In terms of returners, one of the most important aspects of the team is the improvement of Matt Traynor. The senior had 45 goals and seven assists in the 2024 season and proved an effective dodger shooter throughout.

Traynor’s role will increase significantly this year as he replaces Malone as the quarterback in the Nittany Lion offense. Inside Lacrosse has Traynor as the No. 49 player in the country entering the season.

Against Bucknell, Traynor looked comfortable in his new role and had seven points at halftime. His four assists in the game were more than half of what he had in the 2024 season. If he can continue this type of play in the regular season, Penn State’s offense could be a surprise this year.

Staying on the offensive side, Kyle Lehman will work to replicate and improve on a successful freshman season in 2024. The lefty attackman started in Penn State’s first scrimmage.

One thing Penn State fans should be able to count on in 2025 is a hard-nosed, talented defense. All four expected starters, including Jack Fracyon in net, started or saw time in 2024.

Fracyon is Inside Lacrosse’s No. 14 player entering the 2025 season and for good reason. The senior keeper averaged 9.89 goals against last season, No. 12 in the country, with a .571 save percentage, which was good for No. 5 in the country.

Alex Ross also made the top 50 players preseason list, falling at No. 29. With Posey missing much of last season, Ross was asked to step up and be the Nittany Lion’s No. 1 cover man. He met expectations and well exceeded them.

Ross ended his sophomore year named an Honorable Mention All-American by USILA and Inside Lacrosse.

Kevin Parnham is another piece of Penn State’s defensive puzzle that brings experience. Parnham was also troubled with injury during the 2024 season and missed a multitude of games. He is back in 2025, though, and will look to continue his dominance on the ground as his coverage defense improves.

Penn State opens its 2025 season against Colgate at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 1, in Happy Valley.

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About the Author

Collin Ward

Collin is a second-year majoring in digital/print journalism. Born in Hartford, he now lives in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. As a die-hard Chelsea FC fan you can normally find him yelling at his TV screen on the weekends. To reach him, follow him on X(formally Twitter) @CollinJW1, or email him at [email protected].

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