Preseason excitement wanes for Penn State men's lacrosse team
When the 2015 men's lacrosse season opened, optimism abounded at Penn State. Not only were the Nittany Lions making their debut in the Big Ten, but they began the season ranked 14th in the 2015 United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Division 1 preseason coaches' poll.
When the 2015 men's lacrosse season opened, optimism abounded at Penn State.
Not only were the Nittany Lions making their debut in the Big Ten, but they began the season ranked 14th in the 2015 United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Division 1 preseason coaches' poll.
But the Lions' season has not gone as planned. Headed into Sunday's game vs. Rutgers, the Nittany Lions are 3-8 overall and winless (0-3) in the Big Ten.
The 2015 campaign started smoothly enough, with a season-opening 15-8 victory over Vermont. But since then the rough schedule has caught up to the Nittany Lions and exposed their weaknesses.
Penn State dropped its next two games at Loyola (Md.) and Villanova, and then pulled its record to .500 with an upset of Penn on Feb. 28.
Since then, though, the Nittany Lions have been in a free fall, with their only win being a narrow, 9-8 victory over Marist on March 10. They've yet to win a road game this season (0-6, not counting neutral-site games), and they play just four homes games this season, the fewest of any team in the conference.
In fairness to the Lions, five of their eight losses have come against teams ranked 13th or higher in the initial USILA poll.
The key to beating the Lions has been to hold them down offensively and beat them in a low-scoring contest. In their three victories they have averaged 12.7 goals per game. In their eight losses they have averaged just 7.6. Their 11-10 double-overtime loss to Johns Hopkins last week marked the first time this season they've scored in double-figures in defeat.
The Lions have a good opportunity to end their skid when they host Rutgers (4-9, 0-2) on Sunday.
Penn State women rolling
Led by leading scorer Maggie McCormick (21 goals, 30 assists), Penn State's women's team (11-3, 3-0 Big Ten) has seen its fortunes go in the opposite direction.
The Lions have won six in a row since falling to Princeton, 12-11, on March 18. Their other two losses (to Virginia and James Madison) were by one goal each, and they appear to be peaking as the Big Ten Tournament looms later this month in Piscataway, N.J.
The coming week will give a real glimpse of how Penn State stacks up against the conference powers. On Sunday they play at No. 7 Northwestern (10-4, 2-1), and they take on No. 1 Maryland (15-0, 3-0) on Thursday.
@JmitchInquirer