It was a huge weekend for Penn State’s men’s Lax. They faced Loyola on the 15th and Notre Dame this past Sunday.
On Sunday the 15th, the Blue and White were challenged by Loyola. The Lions were the underdog coming into the match and were defeated by two points. The Nittany Lions knew they would be in for a tough match, because not only does Loyola have a reputation for cutting-edge lacrosse, they also have the only college player to make Team USA. Loyola’s Fletcher, a senior, was also the defensive player of the year in 2013.
Penn State said that they had a few errors that they were unhappy about, but that the match against Loyola was a learning experience, and they were planning to improve their overall game, and that is exactly what they did.
Saturday’s game was a huge win and even bigger morale boost for the Nittany lions. They love a close game, and this match was no different. # 12 Penn state, came out on top of the #4 Fighting Irish by One point, ending the game 8-7 PSU. Notre Dame is a great program, so this upset was definitely one they were not expecting.
The Nittany Lions defense was key this game, and it certainly was an important factor in PSU’s success. Penn State’s Goalie, Austin Kaut, had a spectacular game, breaking his save record for this season at 13 for the game. He stated that the defense forced ND to make the bad shots and that he just happened to make the saves. Without the diligence of Kaut and the Defense, PSU would have been in trouble.
Shane Sturgis was also recognized for his performance in Saturday’s game, he was named all CAA for the second time this season because he had 5 goals, 1 assist, and saved three ground balls lost by the Irish. Overall, PSU was able to build off of their mistakes against Loyola and create an intense atmosphere against Notre Dame. The Nittany Lions have now claimed the #10 slot in the NCAA and they will travel to Columbus Ohio this weekend to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes.
