No. 7 Penn State men’s lacrosse (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten) suffered a disappointing loss to Villanova (1-0, 0-0 Big East) at Holuba Hall on Saturday afternoon.  

Villanova and Penn State traded blows all afternoon in a fast-paced back-and-forth battle that saw neither team gain lasting control through regulation. Despite Penn State’s dominance in faceoffs and a late scoring run, Villanova matched every push and forced overtime. Dan Martin’s overtime winner capped an instant-classic, lifting the Wildcats to a thrilling 14–13 victory.

How It Happened

Villanova won the opening faceoff and got one shot off, but it would not result in a goal. Penn State’s Chase Robertson quickly got the Nittany Lions on the board just a minute and a half into the game. That would not phase Villanova, as David Link netted the Wildcats’ first goal of the game at the 11:02 mark in the first quarter.

Penn State struggled early in the contest during transition opportunities. Sophomore Hunter Aquino notched his fifth goal of the season minutes later, giving Penn State a 2–1 lead midway through the first. The Nittany Lions were controlling the faceoff game early on, but sloppy offensive play prevented them from capitalizing. On the opposite side, the Wildcats’ offense was moving like a well-oiled machine. After a slow-developing possession, Luke Raymond scored his first goal of the season with 7:22 to play in the first.

Villanova maintained possession for the next three minutes, getting two shots denied on goal. Immediately following that stretch, Aquino netted his second goal of the game, raising his season total to six. A missed shot opportunity allowed the Wildcats to quickly transition, and with 16 seconds remaining in the first, senior Colin Michener evened the score at three apiece.

Villanova kicked off the second quarter by winning the opening faceoff and wasted no time finding the net. Nick Lucchesi scored with 13:12 remaining in the first half, pushing the Wildcats to a 4–3 lead. Just one minute later, sophomore Ryan Welgos found the back of the net to extend the lead to 5–3.

Penn State’s sloppy offensive play continued throughout the first half, as the Nittany Lions totaled six turnovers midway through the second quarter. After a Villanova possession that drained the entire shot clock, junior Kyle Lehman regained possession and cut into the lead with a shake-and-bake goal off an assist from Aquino. Villanova burned its first timeout of the game with 6:59 remaining in the half, looking to regroup after a quick start and several long possessions.

Coming out of the timeout, Penn State committed its tenth turnover of the match. Villanova sophomore Gavin Michener capitalized, scoring the Wildcats’ sixth goal with 3:25 remaining. Penn State responded with momentum heading into halftime, scoring two goals within a minute. Back-to-back tallies by Chase Robertson and Kyle Lehman tied the game at 6–6.

Entering the second half, Penn State continued to control faceoffs and time of possession but struggled to capitalize. Just over a minute into the third quarter, Villanova’s Kessy Cox scored his first goal of the game to break the tie and give the Wildcats a 7–6 lead. The back-and-forth continued when Jack Iannantuono scored with 7:59 remaining in the third.

Neither team could gain full control as the fast-paced nature of the contest continued. Penn State reclaimed the lead at 8–7 on Robertson’s third goal of the game, but it was short-lived. Colin Michener answered with his second goal of the match, tying the score at eight.

Moments later, a Villanova possession ended in a shot-clock violation. Following the turnover, defensive confusion allowed Penn State senior Jon King to take advantage. He ran the length of the field, made a nifty move, and scored his first goal of the season, giving the Nittany Lions a 9–8 lead with 46 seconds remaining in the third.

Just 58 seconds into the final quarter, the back-and-forth continued as Nick scored his second goal to tie the game at 9–9. Villanova then found itself in trouble, allowing Penn State a man-up opportunity. Aquino scored his third goal of the game at the 10:02 mark, followed by John Jude Considine’s first goal of the day to make it 11–9.

With 20 seconds left on the shot clock, Andrew Beard added an impressive unassisted goal, extending Penn State’s lead to 12–9. Just when it appeared the Nittany Lions were taking control, Villanova answered with a scoring surge of its own. The run began at the 5:49 mark as Lucchesi completed his hat trick.

Kessy Cox followed with his second goal, and one minute later Martin joined the action, scoring his first goal of the season. Penn State head coach Jeff Tambroni called a timeout with 3:32 remaining, but it did little to slow Villanova’s momentum. Raymond scored next, giving the Wildcats a 13–12 lead.

With under two minutes remaining, Penn State refused to go quietly. Senior Alex Ross delivered a clutch moment, tying the game at 13–13 with a quick shake and shot at the 1:35 mark. Ross’ late heroics sent the contest into overtime, a fitting outcome given the game’s back-and-forth nature.

After four quarters failed to produce a winner, the game headed to overtime with the score tied at 13–13. Penn State held an 18–12 advantage in faceoffs, and each team had eight different players record at least one goal. It took just one minute for Villanova to seize its opportunity. With three minutes remaining, Martin scored his second goal of the game, sealing a 14–13 overtime victory for the Wildcats over Penn State. An electric finish in an unforgettable contest.

Takeaways

• Villanova is resilient, and it defined this game. Even when Penn State went on the big scoring run, the Wildcats answered with a run of their own, scoring four unanswered goals. They showed that they can handle pressure, and that was clear in overtime during their winning goal.
• Penn State should be able dominate the faceoff game this year, but converting those wins into points could be an issue. Early in the contest, the Nittany Lions’ offense was very sloppy and inconsistent, preventing them from ever pulling away in this game.
• Eight different players from each team found the net, and it was evident that there was depth within each roster. Aquino and Lucchesi led the way for their respective teams, each finishing with three goals.

What’s Next?  

Penn State heads to Princeton, New Jersey, for a matchup with the Tigers at Sherrard Field at Class of 1952 Stadium at noon on Saturday, February 14.