Penn State men’s lacrosse notched its fourth win over a top-15 opponent, defeating Ohio State 13-6. Last year, the two teams met at Panzer Stadium, with the Buckeyes winning. This season’s rematch took place in Columbus at the Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium and was a different story. The Nittany Lions jumped out to a quick start and led through all four quarters.

For the fourth consecutive game, Penn State worked without one of its top players. Due to injury, All-American sophomore Hunter Aquino has been absent since the early March matchup against Cornell. Through the first five games of the season, Aquino had 12 goals, leaving a big gap to be filled.

That gap has been smoothly filled by a collective offensive effort, notably led by Jack Iannantuono. In nine games, he ranks second on the team in scoring with 14 goals. His presence has been crucial and has gone beyond just scoring. He leads the team in assists with 13. As a freshman, it can be difficult to play with poise, but coach Jeff Tambroni has been impressed with Iannantuono.

“We have been really impressed with his mindset and his ability to play with poise. His confidence is like that of an upperclassman, and that serves him extremely well,” Tambroni emphasized. “He has an exceptional skill set with a really high IQ. He plays with a wisdom well beyond his time, regardless of the opponent.”

While players like Jack Iannantuno and Chase Robertson have been the backbone of the offensive attack, it stems from a collaborative effort. Even through various struggles, the offense has yet to miss a beat.

“Collaboration, and it’s never been more important when Hunter gets injured. We’ve been inefficient at times, but the group has worked really hard together, and they focus on the team rather than themselves,” Tambroni said. “We’ve battled through some injuries, but thankfully, we’ve had some good contributions.”

Penn State ranks second amongst the Big Ten conference in goals scored, only behind Rutgers. The Nittany Lions have posted 122 goals, averaging 13.6 a game.

Coming into the matchup, Ohio State had yet to allow an opponent to surpass double digits. Early into the game, Penn State took advantage of scoring opportunities from short distances and put a halt to that streak. Coach Tambroni trusts in his game plan when lining up against a goalie as talented as Caleb Fyock.

“It’s always the game plan, but against teams like Ohio State with a goalie like Fyock, you just aren’t going to have success from far out. So we were fortunate to work from closer angles, and it served us well. It allowed us to settle in very quickly,” Tambroni stated.

While the Buckeyes’ defense has been working in sync since the start of the season, the Nittany Lions are still finding their rhythm and building confidence. In the last five games, only North Carolina has surpassed ten points against Penn State, a testament to the defensive improvements. An anchor within that defense has been goalie Preston Hawkins.

“Preston has continued to keep getting better, which helps the level of defense in front of him. If you’re confident in the goalie behind you, then you play more loosely,” Tambroni said. “The difference from early season to now is that we are building through confidence. The defense has done a good job at holding some talented opponents.”

Although the defense seems to be trending in the right direction, the face-off personnel have hit a rough patch. After winning the face-off battle for the first six games, the Nittany Lions have been outscored in two of the last three.

Even with the recent struggles, they still rank second amongst the Big Ten in face-offs won, behind their recent opponent, Ohio State. Coach Tambroni knew it wouldn’t be an easy fight against the Buckeyes, who work at a 62.1% face-off win rate.

“We knew it was going to be a challenge, but we had hoped that we would perform better than we did. Ohio State competed with a great level of energy and urgency, and I don’t feel that we matched it,” Tambroni stated. “Our guys are hardworking men, so I know there is a new sense of work ethic following that game. I am confident they will continue to contribute positively.”

Before the win over Ohio State, the Nittany Lions had not started conference play 2-0 since the 2019 season. While the undefeated start is nice, they will need to turn their attention to a new opponent quickly. A road trip to face No. 11 Johns Hopkins is in store for Penn State this coming weekend.

Last season, they met two times, once at Panzer Stadium and once in the Big Ten Tournament. Penn State was victorious in both meetings, with its last loss to the Blue Jays coming in 2024. Johns Hopkins is led by Hunter Chauvette, with 25 goals. In last year’s Big Ten Tournament meeting, he tallied two goals. Coach Tambroni understands the threat not only that Chauvette poses, but the entire roster from top to bottom.

“They have a tremendous group of athletes. We are prepared for them to play with their backs against the wall because this is their senior day. We have to be ready for them no matter the circumstances and focus on the present matchup,” Tambroni emphasized.

The Blue Jays are coming off a surprising double-overtime loss to Rutgers, 9-8. While a win can be beneficial for building confidence, a loss serves its own purpose.

“Sometimes coming off a win is advantageous because it builds confidence, but the same could be said about a loss. You could say coming off a loss is advantageous because of the edge you can carry with you through practice and into games,” Tambroni said.

Located in Baltimore, Maryland, Homewood Field stands as a historical stadium in the lacrosse world. Built in 1907, it serves as the home field for Johns Hopkins. With a 2-6 record, the road trip has not been friendly for the Nittany Lions. While Coach Tambroni understands the history behind the field, he has his sights set on changing the narrative of recent history.

“I can remember going to a game in 1994 as a young lacrosse coach and fan. It is an iconic stadium, but it has not been friendly to Penn State in recent travels,” Tambroni said. “This version of this team needs to do a good job of eliminating all noise.”

No. 7 Penn State will hit the road to face No. 11 Johns Hopkins in its third Big Ten matchup of the season, aiming for its first 3-0 start since 2019. As the Big Ten stretch continues, it will not be easy for the Nittany Lions, but they have proven themselves up for the challenge. With confidence still improving and scattered injuries, perseverance will remain key.