On Saturday, thanks to a strong defensive effort, Penn State men’s lacrosse took on No. 11 Maryland, its third-ranked win this season. The game marked the first time the Nittany Lions have defeated the Terrapins at Panzer Stadium.

Penn State held Maryland to only six goals last weekend. A large reason for this was that goalie Preston Hawkins, who had a career day with 14 saves and a 70% save percentage. He did so in the highest attented Panzer Stadium game of all time, receiving chants from the home crowd throughout.

“It just means so much to these guys. This win means everything, everyone’s already talking about it,” Hawkins said. “But my defense was in front of me all day. They give me the shots I want to see, so they’re the reason for my success today.”

The freshman starter said his defense is what keeps him going throughout the game. The unit gives him energy when he needs it, and he reciprocates it when they need.

“Usually my guys will run up to me, and they’ll just say good save, and then if I feel something, I gotta get pumped up for, then I’ll get pumped up back,” Hawkins said.

Penn State’s defense stepped up for the team again on Saturday, allowing just six goals. Maryland, to this point in the season, was averaging just over 12 a game.

The offense, however, was the least efficient it had been all season, shooting at a rate of just .238. While 10 goals is good on paper, that was the team’s first win this season when shooting at less than .350. It’s only the Nittany Lions second win this year, shooting in the .300’s at all.

Coach Tambroni said that despite falling 10-8 a week ago against No. 9 North Carolina, his message to the offense was to stick to the plan.

“It was actually the same. We honestly tried not to change anything. We felt like we played hard and, to a degree, well against North Carolina. The message to our guys was, let’s just keep it the same. We just got to find ways in the end to be able to win a clutch,” Tambroni said.

This paid off early as Penn State went up 5-2 in the first quarter on Saturday and maintained a solid lead. However, in the second and third quarters, the team had close to a 35-minute scoring drought and had to make adjustments to get ahead of Maryland.

“I think the mindset of our offense shifted. I thought in that first half, they (the team) were really aggressive. They were bold with their decisions, playing with a great deal of confidence,” Tambroni said.

He told his team, “Don’t think about how we got here, just think about the fact that we are here and then play the next few minutes to win. And that was how we did the job, just continue to grind it out.”

The game finished 10-6, and while Penn State had moments of struggle, it came together late to secure the win. The team held Maryland to zero goals in the fourth quarter and scored three in a strong finish.

“I thought in the Villanova game, the Navy game, and then in North Carolina, we were in every game, and we just didn’t find ways to win,” Tramboni said. “I think at the end of the day, it’s more about keeping things the same.”

The Nittany Lions have four games remaining, three of which are against ranked opponents, all before the Big Ten Tournament. The first of those tests will be against No. 7 Ohio State at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, at Ohio Stadium. Folks at home can tune in on Big Ten Network.