Penn State men’s lacrosse has had quite the rollercoaster experience for a season as of late. Following the loss to Navy, it has now dropped two games to unranked opponents, including the Villanova game earlier in the year. The sole bright spot of the season came in between those losses with a win over then-No. 3 Princeton.

In both losses, the clear flaw has been the late-game defense. Against the Midshipmen, the Nittany Lions allowed an unanswered 3-0 run in the final eight minutes of the contest. Head coach Jeff Tambroni acknowledged the team hasn’t been great in the fourth quarter and understands that to be successful, they will need to play full games.

“It was a tough back-and-forth contest. We haven’t played great in the fourth quarter, and we have to be good from start to finish,” Tambroni said. “When you come off a win, sometimes you can be a little slow.”

Although the Nittany Lions have suffered two early-season losses, they have been by only one goal each. Coach Tambroni understands it’s still early, and there are many opportunities left in a long season.

“There are a lot of opportunities left, but we need to be more consistent day-to-day and week-to-week regardless of outside distractions.” 

Penn State will attempt to avenge last week’s loss in its upcoming opportunity against Yale. Only three games into their season, the Bulldogs bring a 2-1 record into the upcoming matchup. They have back-to-back wins over Marist and Boston University.

The group is led by freshman Sean Grogan, who has tallied seven goals and ten points on the season. Grogan is a part of a confident Bulldogs team that is extremely athletic and versatile on both sides of the field.

“Yale is very athletic and has some of the most versatile players we’ll see all year. They’re playing very confident lacrosse right now, and that makes them hard to prepare for,” Tambroni stated. “

Out of Yale’s top five scorers, only one is a senior. It’s a group spearheaded by the talented freshman Grogan, with sophomore Connor Gately closely behind. Although it is an inexperienced group, it plays at a very high level, well beyond their years.

“What impresses us most on film is their ability to process the game at such a high level in all situations,” Tambroni emphasized. At their age and level of maturity, it’s extremely impressive. It certainly has our respect and is a big reason why they’ve had success.” 

While Yale sports a very young lineup, Penn State carries numerous players with years of experience under its belt. Redshirt seniors Luke Walstrum and Michael Faraone each have five goals on the season and have played key roles in the Nittany Lions’ first four games.

Coach Tambroni believes the pair’s veteran leadership can help get the team back on track. The two midfielders were part of the 2025 team, which made it to the NCAA Tournament Semifinals. They know what it takes to be successful, which helps make the guys around them better.

“They provide wisdom and have a lot of experience with success. They’ve been through wins, injuries, and entire seasons, so they understand what needs to be done,” Tambroni stated. “The more they’re around our guys, the better we become.”

The 2026 season has had its rough patches, but the face-off game has been the exception. Unlike other teams, Penn State works with two different face-off guys evenly throughout the game. Colby Baldwin and Reid Gills split opportunities, but rather than seeing it as competition, they embrace it and feed off one another’s success.

Coach Tambroni acknowledges the team is fortunate to have two talented guys. He credits their mindsets of putting the team before themself and doing what’s best for the guy next to them.

“It’s been a real luxury because it allows us to stay fresh late in the game. None of it works if their mindset isn’t right, and theirs is all about team over individual success,” Tambroni said. “They’re both performing at a high level, and they do what’s best for one another.”

Penn State has played four games so far this season, but has yet to play in Panzer Stadium. Due to the weather, both of its home games took place in Holuba Hall. The entire team is excited for the opportunity to get outside. Tambroni referred to the upcoming game as the team’s real season opener.

“This is like the true season opener for us, and we’re so excited to get back out in the stadium. In our opinion, there’s nothing like it. It looks really nice, and we’re looking forward to it.” 

The preseason top-10-ranked Nittany Lions have produced mixed outputs this season. They understand that one game doesn’t define your season, and with such a talented roster, there are countless opportunities left. They will aim to start piecing it together at home this week.