February 2011 Archives

Read a Penn State Hoops Notebook Leading Up to the Ohio State Game

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion men's basketball team (15-12, 8-8) welcomes No. 1 Ohio State (27-2, 14-2) to the Bryce Jordan Center for a Senior Night clash on Tuesday at 9 p.m. (Big Ten Network).

GoPSUsports.com sat down with assistant coach Lewis Preston to discuss the pivotal clash with the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.  Coach Preston offered his thoughts on the Penn State seniors and has a message for the fans leading up to Tuesday's game.  Watch it here.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - It is only fitting that the calendar will turn to March on Tuesday, just as the Nittany Lions embark on a week featuring two huge games with significant postseason implications.

Let's lay the groundwork for what is shaping up to be the biggest week of the season for Big Ten basketball.  The top three teams in the conference standings (Ohio State 14-2, Purdue 13-3 and Wisconsin 12-4) will be the top three seeds in the Big Ten Tournament.  The final finishing order of those three teams may alter this week, but no other teams have a shot to finish third or better.

Behind the lead trio, though, there is a logjam in the fight for fourth.  Illinois, Michigan State and Penn State all have 8-8 records heading into the final week of the season.  Additionally, Michigan has eight wins (8-9) with one game to play.  Minnesota is 6-10 with a chance to finish the season with eight wins, as well.

The top five seeds receive a bye in the conference tournament.  The Gophers will need some help to finish in the top five, but Illinois, Michigan State, Penn State and Michigan all have a legitimate chance of being one of the top five squads when the tournament begins next week.

Here are the remaining schedules for all five teams in the middle of the standings:

No. 1 Buckeyes Coming to Town

The AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls were released on Monday afternoon with the Ohio State Buckeyes ranked No. 1 in the nation.  It's hard to imagine a more fitting matchup for Talor Battle and the senior class to have in the final home game of their careers than Tuesday night's showdown in the Bryce Jordan Center.

"It is a great opportunity for them," Coach DeChellis said.  "We need to have the game tomorrow night.  I don't care who it is.  We have got to continue to win games.  We have won three out of four, and continue to win and put ourselves in the NCAA Tournament.  We are trying to build our resume like a lot of schools out there trying to build their resume.  We have to put our best foot forward and continue to win games.  And the next one happens to be Ohio State."

Nonetheless, it is going to take a valiant effort from the Nittany Lions.  Coach DeChellis told the media on Monday afternoon that the Buckeyes have very few kinks in their armor.  With an overall mark of 27-2, it's hard to argue.

"We have to play extremely hard and we have to play extremely well to have an opportunity (to knock off the No. 1 team)," Coach DeChellis said.

Penn State is 0-11 all-time against No. 1 teams.  The Lions last met a No. 1 team on Feb. 21, 2007 when they clashed with the Buckeyes.  Illinois (2004-'05) was the last No. 1 team to play in the Bryce Jordan Center.

VIDEO: Eager for Senior Night

The Senior Night clash with the Buckeyes continues Penn State's trend of NCAA Tournament games in the regular season.  Talor Battle, Jeff Brooks, Steve Kirkpatrick, David Jackson and Andrew Jones will suit up for the final time during the regular season in the Bryce Jordan Center.  The senior class has defeated every Big Ten team, but one - Ohio State.  The group will have one more chance on Tuesday night at 9 p.m. (Big Ten Network).  Take a look at what a few of the seniors had to say at practice on Monday.

By Kyle G. Arslanian, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With the regular season coming to a close Sunday, the Penn State Lady Lions know there is a lot more basketball to be played this season.  With the win over Northwestern, Penn State locked in the second seed in the Big Ten Tournament and an all-important first round bye.

The Lady Lions have accomplished a lot so far this season; they have amassed 22 wins, set personal bests and led the conference in several offensive categories.  While the regular season has been very impressive, the team now has its sights set on moving forward to the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.

Penn State has some momentum from the end of the regular season with a quality performance against Northwestern and a resurgent second half in the game against Purdue.  Head coach Coquese Washington thinks the momentum is important for the team as the postseason begins.

"We talked about getting this win today and helping our confidence," said Coach Washington.  "You want to go into postseason play with confidence in the team and confidence in our play."

The Lady Lions had hit a bump in the road of late, losing three of their last five games, but Coach Washington does not think that is indicative of what her team can do and believes the team has turned its game around at the right time.

"If you look at our conference, there are so many teams with five, six, seven losses and everybody in that group has had those losses come in clumps. Ours just happened to be at the end of February, Ohio State had theirs in early January, Purdue had it's too," said Coach Washington.  "Everybody has theirs and we had our little slide at the end of February. To be honest, I felt it started to turn around in the second half of Purdue. We didn't come away with a win, but the effort we had, the intensity we had, we started to get it back the second half of Purdue."

Just like winning, losing will tell you a lot about a team and their character. The same holds true for The Lady Lions.  Nobody likes to lose, and it can help get a good team back on track.  Coach Washington thinks her team got back on track during their second half run against Purdue.

"We didn't come away with a win, but the effort we had, the intensity we had, we started to get it back the second half of Purdue," Coach Washington said.  "Sometimes there are lessons to be learned in losses and we learned how hard we have to play, how we can get things going offensively on the defensive end of the floor and I think it all came together in a sort of light bulb moment for the entire team today in the second half."

The Lady Lions are getting back into their winning ways at the right time, and after Sunday's game, a key part of Penn State's success seems to have gotten back on track.  Freshman guard Maggie Lucas, who is the team's leading scorer, had been in somewhat of slump of late, her trademark 3-point shot not falling like usual.  She seemed to find her shooting touch once again in the second half Sunday, hitting three 3-pointers to put her in tie with Penn State great Kelley Mazzante with 102 3-pointers in single season.

"I think my pace into my shot was a little off," said Maggie Lucas.  "It's just a rhythm thing for me so when I'm in my rhythm I don't feel like I can miss. I got back into my rhythm in the second half."

Senior Julia Trogele played her last regular season game at the Bryce Jordan Center Sunday, but knows if the team takes care of business she will be back in two weeks for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, the momentum from finishing strong will be very important.

"This was huge for us. Not only did it put us in second place going into the Big Ten Tournament, we are getting out momentum back," said Julia Trogele.  "We have a lot of confidence in ourselves. We had a low point against Michigan State and Ohio State and I think we've really got it back together and we're ready to attack in the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament."

By Jeff Sattora, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - One look at the stat sheet of Penn State's game against Albany over the weekend and you will be able tell that the game was a close fought battle.

Unfortunately for the Nittany Lions, they came out on the losing end of the 8-7 contest to the Great Danes.  The stats were very close to even in almost every category including, shots (23-20 Albany), turnovers (13-12 Albany) and ground balls won (19-17 PSU).

The Lions battled all day long even after falling behind 1-0 just over a minute into the game.  The game was close throughout as the largest lead was 4-2 by Penn State a little over halfway through the first half, with the back and forth contest including five ties and five lead changes.

In the end, turnovers and execution of what needed to be done was the Lions downfall. 

"I think we need to capitalize and execute on attack," said senior midfielder Jackie Eastman.  

Eastman also talked about the offense to defense transition adding how they would make a great stop on defense and were unable to execute on attack, with the number of turnovers being a miscue.

With this still early in the season the Lions will be able to learn from their mistakes and build on it as the season goes along.

"I think we can just learn from this and work hard in practice the next couple days and get our first win till we go away to Virginia," Eastman said, referring to a home game against Bucknell next week before a road trip to Virginia after that.

Coach Doherty talked about the disappointment that came from dropping their first home game of the season, to fall to 0-2 on the year.

"This game was really disappointing," Doherty said.  "We really needed to come out better offensively and we didn't do that."

Doherty also echoed Eastman in mentioning how turnovers really cost her team.

"We made some really unfortunate turnovers at critical situations," she said.

Although the turnover stat was close to even, the timing over those turnovers really seemed to hurt the home team in the end. 

While Doherty was upset with the turnovers and offensive execution she did think the defense provided some bright spots. 

"Defensively they were strong the whole game, you can only have so many possessions and 'D' did respond well to being on defense a lot," Coach Doherty said.

Trying to put this game behind them, Coach Doherty talked about the coaching aspect of what needs to be done to help get the team their first win of the season, with change being a possibility.

"We have to figure out how as coaches how we can change things up so that the girls are ready to perform, whether it's changing up lineups or switching up our offenses, just making the changes we need to make to make it work," she said.

Eastman did point out a few bright spots, including junior goalie Dana Cahill.

"Dana was awesome," Eastman said, adding how she can only take so many shots and defend for so long against the Albany attack.

The Lions will look to build on the strong effort from Cahill and other players like Elaine Welch who had two goals and Mackenzie Cyr who had a goal and assist to try to get their first win of the 2011 campaign this week against Bucknell.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Welcome to the GoPSUsports.com in-game blog for the Lady Lion basketball team inside the Bryce Jordan Center.

The Lady Lions (22-8, 11-5) knocked off Northwestern (18-11, 7-9) in the final regular season game of the season on Sunday afternoon.  Take a look back at Penn State's Pink Zone victory on the in-game blog.

Starting Lineups:

Penn State: G - Lucas, G - Gray, F - Nickson, F - Trogele, C - Greene

Northwestern: G - Tailor Jones, G - Meshia Reed, F - Kendall Hackney, F - Brittany Orban, C - Amy Jaeschke

First Half:

11:13: Penn State 17, Northwestern 14.

The news from the Bryce Jordan Center began prior to tipoff on Sunday afternoon, as Maggie Lucas was introduced in the starting lineup for the first time in her Lady Lion career.  The freshman guard has been the squad's leading scorer since she arrived on campus.  Lucas has provided a spark off the bench all season, but in the final contest before the postseason, Lucas replaced Alex Bentley in the lineup.  Clad in pink uniforms, the Lady Lions built a five-point cushion early, but the Wildcats have kept things within three.  Mia Nickson has been active, once again, in the opening minutes with six points.  She has been aggressive on the glass, as well.  The 2011 version of Pink Zone has been a resounding success once again this season with 17 buses of breast cancer survivors and families from all over the state parked outside.  Aside from a brief sliver of Northwestern fans, the BJC is pink today.

0:00: Northwestern 31, Penn State 30

Neither team led by more than five in the opening half of play.  The story of the opening 20 minutes of play was Northwestern center Amy Jaeschke.  She poured in 15 points, including seven tallies at the foul line to lead all players.  Penn State's Nikki Greene, Talia East and Marisa Wolfe all picked up two fouls in the first half.  It will be very interesting to keep an eye on the foul numbers in the second half with Jaeschke on the floor.  Offensively, the Lady Lions shot 41 percent from the floor, but have yet to register a 3-pointer.  Look for the Lions to pick up the tempo more in the second half to counteract the post play from Northwestern.  The first four minutes of the second half will be a good indicator of how the complexion of the game will play out.

Second Half:

11:47: Penn State 46, Northwestern 40

After trailing by six at the 16:35 mark, the Lady Lions took control of the ballgame with a 14-0 scoring spurt.  Renee Womack kick-started the scoring with a layup, but it was Lucas' 3-pointer on the left wing that altered the momentum.  Lucas' long ball was her 100th on the season, and it marked Penn State's first of the afternoon.  A Zhaque Gray 3-pointer from the top of the key pushed Penn State's lead to eight (46-38).  The lead is currently six, but it feels like the margin is much more.  Penn State needs a strong finish to build some momentum heading into the Big Ten Tournament.

0:00: Penn State 66, Northwestern 56

Penn State's 27-8 surge mid-way through the second half proved to be the difference in Sunday' Pink Zone game at the Bryce Jordan Center.  Like she has throughout her freshman season, Lucas lit up the BJC nets in a 21-point effort to lead the pink-clad Lady Lions to a much-needed victory heading into the conference tournament.  Lucas drained a trip of 3-pointers to equal Penn State great Kelly Mazzante's single season 3-point mark of 102.  She finished 7-for-13 from the floor and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.  Gray finished with 12 points, while Nickson added 11 points and nine rebounds.  Despite shooting shy of 40 percent from the floor, Penn State stepped up when it needed to and will take some momentum into the postseason.

Final Thoughts:

Heading into Sunday's game, Penn State needed some confidence after a deflating home loss to Purdue on Thursday night.  The Nittany Lions played like a squad needing a victory on Sunday afternoon.  The 10-point victory clinched the No. 2 seed for the Lady Lions at the Big Ten Tournament, marking their highest seed since 2004 when they were No. 1.  The Lions will clash with the winner of the No. 7-10 matchup on Friday morning at 11:30 a.m. at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.  Lucas was tremendous in her first career start, reaching 20 points for the 12th time in her freshman campaign.  It was a collective team effort for the Lady Lions on Sunday afternoon, and that is what the squad needed as it heads into the postseason.  We will look forward to bringing you in-game coverage from Indianapolis on Friday morning.  Congratulations to the Lady Lions on the victory and the entire program on another fantastic Pink Zone game on Sunday afternoon.

By Will Donley, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - What is the effective shooting range of a Division I men's lacrosse player?  Truthfully, effectiveness is hard to determine.  There are too many factors: fundamentals, hand placement, stick length, pocket depth, strength, flexibility, footwork, etc.  These factors aside, there is one determinant that is impossible to ignore: it is the quality of shots that matters, not the quantity.

A quality shot for one player is not necessarily a quality shot for another, of course.  Sure, some players live by the mottos, "You cannot score if you do not shoot" and "You miss 100 percent of the shots that you do not take."  Others understand the subtle nuances of team offense and have the ability to bait goalies and be effective by shooting around defensemen and through screens.

Last season, the Nittany Lions took 514 shots.  They scored on only 124 of those attempts for a measly .241 shooting percentage.  Junior attackman Matthew Mackrides (Newtown Square, Pa.) led all Penn State players with 119 shots.  He capitalized on 36 of those shots for an adequate .303 shooting percentage.  Sophomore midfielder Nick Dolik (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) led all returning midfielders with 79 shots last season.  He scored on only 21 of his shots for a .266 shooting percentage.

Sophomore attackman Billy Gribbin (Rockville, Md.) ranked third among returning Nittany Lions in shots taken a season ago.  He took 60 shots, scored 23 goals and led these three with a .383 shooting percentage.

In their first game of the 2011 season, the Nittany Lions took 33 shots.  They scored only nine goals for a .273 shooting percentage.  Only 16 of Penn State's shots were registered on goal, though.  After one game, the team's shot on goal percentage is only .485.

Dolik scored one goal on eight shots for a .125 shooting percentage during Penn State's opener against Binghamton.  Mackrides took six shots and scored three times for an admirable .500 shooting percentage.  Freshman Tommy LaCrosse (Canandaigua, N.Y.) took 4 shots in his first college game.  He scored once for a .250 shooting percentage.

Of course, the Nittany Lions have played only one game this season.  These percentages will change quickly as these players take more and more shots.  Still, Penn State cannot underestimate the importance of taking quality shots this spring.

In order to win this Sunday, the Nittany Lions must force Notre Dame's young goalie John Kemp (Potomac, Md.) to make saves.  Their shots must not only be on goal, but they must be of appropriate range and placement.  Any shot beyond 12-15 yards, gives the Irish goalie a chance to make the save.  Any shot beyond 15 yards is a prayer.

The Notre Dame shooters shot only slightly better during their run to the NCAA Championship game last season.  The Irish took 582 shots last spring.  They scored on 155 of those shots for a .266 shooting percentage.  Senior midfielder Zach Brenneman (East Hampton, N.Y.) led Notre Dame with 105 shots last season.  He tallied 29 goals for a .276 shooting percentage.

Senior David Earl (Simsbury, Conn.) took 61 shots last spring and scored 22 times for a .361 shooting percentage.  Junior attackman Sean Rogers (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) registered a blistering .400 shooting percentage after scoring 14 goals on only 35 shots last spring.

Last weekend against Duke, Notre Dame took 38 shots.  The team scored 12 times for a .316 shooting percentage.  Brenneman scored 3 goals on 10 shots for a .300 shooting percentage.  Earl scored once on 5 shots for a .200 shooting percentage.  Rogers needed only two shots to score twice as the Irish revenged their championship weekend loss to the Blue Devils.

Expect Notre Dame to challenge Penn State's freshman goalie Austin Kaut (Morton, Pa.) on Sunday.  Brenneman and Earl are not shy about shooting and will dodge hard to free themselves up for left-handed shots.  Rogers is a bit defter.  He has a quick release that surprised many goalies.

The Nittany Lion defense must force Brenneman and Earl to become passers and not shooters this Sunday.  In doing so, Penn State will limit Notre Dame's most potent scoring opportunities.


Will Donley, Senior Attackman, Penn State Men's Lacrosse Team, GoPSUsports.com

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - It is one thing to talk about the importance of treating every game in the month of February as if it was an NCAA Tournament game.

It is another to play like it.

On Thursday night at Northwestern, the Nittany Lions (15-12, 8-8) looked like a team with its back to the wall.  From the word go, Penn State came out of the gate firing.  Thanks to hot start from Tim Frazier, the Nittany Lions built an 18-2 cushion in first seven minutes of action.

Getting off to a quick start was something the Nittany Lions have wanted to do on the road for quite some time, and it was a difference maker in Thursday's 14-point win over the Wildcats.

"It was important to us," Coach DeChellis said following the victory.  "The last two road games we haven't started very well and it was really disappointing so we just said that we have some seniors and they just have to be ready to play, and I thought that Northwestern would come out and have a lot of juice and a lot of energy and I though that we had to match that that energy and be ready to play, and I thought they did a nice job tonight, and we held on."

Northwestern got as close as one point on the opening possession of the second half, but it was a wire-to-wire victory for the Nittany Lions in a must-win ballgame.

"I was really proud of our kids," Coach DeChellis said.  "I told them the other day that it was a three-game season.  We're all fighting for our lives to make the NCAA tournament and we had three games, and you have to take one at a time, but we had to come here and win."

Frazier and Jeff Brooks were the stars of the show in Welsh-Ryan Arena.  The sophomore point guard registered his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 assists.  Frazier is averaging north of 10 points per game in his last four outings.  He played a great floor game to lead the Lions past a pesky Northwestern 1-3-1 defense.

Brooks has been a matchup nightmare for every team on the schedule this season.  Thursday was just another example in a long line of impressive performances from No. 25.  Brooks poured in 20 points on a white hot 8-of-10 shooting.  He has converted on 16 of his 19 field goal attempts in the last two games.  Simply put, no one has demonstrated an ability to stop Brooks in Big Ten play.  Brooks is third in the Big Ten in conference games with 63 percent shooting from the field.

To put the victory into perspective, the Nittany Lions climbed eight spots in the RPI today, up to No. 53.  Penn State checks in at No. 6 in strength of schedule leading up to a much-needed weekend off.  The Lions have eight wins over RPI Top 100 teams and four wins over Top 50 squads.

Additionally, the Lions (8-8) are now in sole possession of fifth place in the Big Ten standings.  Penn State trails Michigan State (8-7) by one half game and leads Illinois (7-8) by one half game.  Keep in mind that the top five teams receive a first round bye at the Big Ten Tournament.

There is still work to be done, in terms of Penn State's NCAA Tournament resume.  Nonetheless, Thursday's win builds a great deal of confidence for a team prepping for a clash with rival Ohio State on Tuesday night (9 p.m. on BTN) in the Jordan Center.

The second-ranked Buckeyes host Indiana at 4 p.m. on Sunday before traveling to Happy Valley.  Penn State took Friday off after arriving back in Happy Valley just before 5 a.m.

Tuesday night's clash is huge for the Nittany Lions.  If you don't have tickets already, get on GoPSUsports.com's ticket page and make plans to see Penn State battle No. 2 Ohio State with NCAA Tournament hopes on the line.

By Kaitlyn Knopp, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - As a sophomore all-around competitor and the tallest girl on the gymnastics team at five-feet eight-inches, Madison Merriam is someone to look up to in more ways than one.

"There are only three sophomores," Merriam explained. "[Of the sophomores] Sharaya (Musser) and I ended up being roommates."

Sharaya Musser and Merriam are also Penn State women's gymnastics team's top all-around competitors. As roommates in such an individualistic sport, it could be assumed rivalry would occur.

"It's having the support of your team that matters," Merriam said. "You know you want your teammates to do well."

Doing well is something Merriam is familiar with. As an all-around, Merriam posted a first-place finish at the quad meet against Pittsburgh, Bridgeport and West Virginia, as well as took third at the meet versus North Carolina.

At every meet though, the one consistent competitor for Merriam, leading over her 39.100 all-around average by 0.125 points, is her five-foot two-inch tall roommate, Musser. This doesn't affect the companionship between the two.

"Honestly, I spend a lot of time with Sharaya," Merriam said. "She's my roommate. I'm close with everyone on the team though."

Standing on the mats at practice or a meet, Merriam is spotted over the heads of her fellow gymnasts, her blonde hair and tall build setting her apart. Her fellow all-around competitor, Musser, is a stark comparison with her dark brunette hair coming just above Merriam's chin. When in the Nittany Lion's navy and white uniforms though, the similarities in their determination and skills appear in every performance.

Merriam said she is motivated by many factors, but team support is the most important. Originally from Gaithersburg, Maryland as a gymnast for Hill's Gymnastics, Merriam said doing well is "happening naturally."

"I haven't felt any pressure from the team," Merriam said. "It's hard getting through practice, but you know it will help you at the meet."

Merriam will be continuing her quest to be the top all-around at the next meet against Ohio State. The newly ranked No.10 Nittany Lion women's team - an eight spot jump - will be holding their own as well as cheering on the men's gymnasts towards victory.

Meaning Merriam will also once again not only be competing against the other team, but also edging for first against Musser. Though that is not what Merriam is worried about.

"[Everyone] should know every single one of us girls on the team have been through so much mentally and physically since we were two and three years-old, when we started gymnastics," Merriam said. "It means a lot to come out and support us."

By Kyle G. Arslanian, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Baseball Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby was once asked what he did in the winter when there was no baseball. He replied; "I stare out the window and wait for spring."

While spring has yet to arrive in University Park, baseball has.  The Penn State baseball team opened their season going 2-1 in the Big East challenge as head coach Robbie Wine enters his sixth season leading the Nittany Lions.  This season, Coach Wine is leading something of a youth movement with only seven seniors and eight juniors on the roster.  More than half of the team is either sophomores or freshman, making Penn State a very young team.

The Nittany Lions have a solid lineup that will be bolstered by a young group of players that give the team good depth.

"We're deep, we have guys to go out there and fill the positions," said Coach Wine.  "Id probably say 11 or 12 guys that could be in there everyday and then the freshman, the way they played, I anticipate them getting out there a little more no too."

Coach Wine sees that depth as an advantage in several ways; protecting the team against injuries and keeping up a healthy competition among the players to keep sharp during the season.

"You want to say you can motivate yourself, but when you have a guy behind you who is going to take innings and at bats from you, it motivates you," said Coach Wine.  "This is the first year that we've had depth where there wasn't a drop off.  We'll go to all them, whoever wins the job."

Over the course of the season, the Penn State lineup will look something like this:

Infield:
At first base, The Nittany Lions will field junior Joey DeBernardis.  DeBernardis is a right-handed hitter who will anchor the middle of Penn State's lineup.  Last season, the Lake Zurich, Ill., native started every game for Penn State and led the team with 75 hits and multi hit games with 24.  His offensive prowess, while important to the team, is not the only thing DeBernardis brings to the table.  His solid defensive play at first base will make an impact on every game he plays.

Across the diamond, junior Jordan Steranka will man the other corner infield spot.  Steranka had the most RBIs of all Big Ten third basemen and can be counted on for similar numbers again this season.  With another year under his belt, Jordan will be a force in the middle of the lineup this season.

Up the middle, Penn State will field senior Michael Glantz at shortstop and sophomore Elliot Searer at second base.  As the shortstop and only senior, Glantz is the leader of the infield.  The sure handed fielding he displayed last season, combined with improved hitting has Glantz primed for a big senior season at Penn State.  Sophomore Elliot Searer, who played last season in the outfield, moved back to second base after an injury to junior Sean Parvin.  Both players are capable of manning the right side of the infield and should provide Coach Wine options once Parvin is healthy.


Outfield:
Junior Sean Deegan is entering his second season as a starter, this year he will move over from left into centerfield.  Hitting from the left side, Deegan gives the Nittany Lions a power bat and above average speed that will translate well to the base paths and rigors of playing center field.  Deegan is the team's leadoff hitter and will set the table for the rest of the lineup.  Flanking Deegan will be senior Blake Lynd and sophomore Ryan Clark.  Lynd missed all of 2010 with an injury and will look to get back to his 2009 form when he hit .356 and stole 22 bases.  When Lynd hits ninth, he is essentially a second leadoff hitter, his speed will make the Penn State batting order dynamic from top to bottom.  In the other corner outfield spot, sophomore Ryan Clark moves from behind the plate to the outfield.  Clark missed almost the entire 2010 season with an injury.  Playing leftfield, Clark has the tools to contribute on an everyday basis and have an impact making plays in the field and with the bat.


Pitchers:
The starting rotation will be led by senior Heath Johnson, sophomore John Walter and sophomore Steven Hill.  Walter and Hill both made major contributions on the mound as freshmen in 2010, seeing time as starters and working out of the bullpen.  Hill recorded 43 strikeouts last season and pitched in 21 games.  Walter will look to build his control this season to improve his strikeout total and cut down on his walks.    Johnson made the transition to pitcher last season with promising results toward the end of the season, striking out 12 in 14.2 innings.  The bullpen will be anchored by senior Jesse Alfreno who pitched in 18 games out of the bullpen last season.  Mike Franklin could be the team's swingman who can make a spot start, or get an out of the bullpen.  The biggest thing that Coach Wine thinks his young pitching staff needs is experience; they will get plenty of it this season and will undoubtedly improve as the season progresses.


Catcher:
Senior Bobby Jacobs will be the man behind the plat for Penn State this season.  His main job will be to lead this young pitching staff through opposing lineups and help them in their development as pitchers, but his contributions as a fielder and at the plate will be just as important.  Last season, he split time with senior Ben Heath and batted just under .300 at .298.  He should be able to build on his hitting last season to find success in 2011.  The rigors of catching dictate that Jacobs will need a day off every once in awhile, which shouldn't be a problem.  Penn State has several catchers on the roster that can step in and give Jacobs a break.  That depth will ensure Penn State's leader behind the plate will stay healthy and fresh throughout the season.

By Will Donley, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No member of this year's senior class has ever walked off the field following a game against Notre Dame with a reason to celebrate.  The reason being, no member of this year's senior class has ever beaten Notre Dame.

When the Nittany Lions take on the Fighting Irish this Sunday at 1 p.m. on Bigler Field, the team will not only be playing for a vital non-conference win against a top-ranked opponent; they will be playing for a group of dedicated seniors who have never quite been able to topple the Fighting Irish.

Since walking onto Penn State's University Park, Pa., campus more than three years ago, the 2011 Nittany Lion seniors have attempted to change the face of Penn State lacrosse.  Ranked the 10th-best recruiting class by Inside Lacrosse Magazine in 2007, this group boasted some of the best young players that this nation had to offer.  Still, in three tries, this group has yet to beat Notre Dame.

As freshmen, the 2011 seniors travelled to South Bend, Ind. to take on the then eighth-ranked Fighting Irish.  Notre Dame got off to a blistering start, jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the first quarter.  The Nittany Lions were unable to overcome the deficit, losing 15-9, despite outscoring the Irish 6-5 in the second half.

Notre Dame was again the eighth-ranked team in the nation when they came to University Park, Pa., to take on Penn State two years ago.  As sophomores, the 2011 seniors were still unable to defeat Notre Dame.  The Fighting Irish got off to another quick start, leading the Nittany Lions 3-0 at the end of the first quarter.  Despite the team's best efforts during the remaining three quarters, the Nittany Lions lost to the Irish 13-8.

The 2011 Penn State seniors inched closer to their goal of beating Notre Dame a year ago.  In what seems to be a recurring theme between these two teams, the then third-ranked Fighting Irish scored the game's first three goals and led the Nittany Lions 4-1 at the end of the first quarter.  Penn State's late-game rally again fell short again, as the 2011 seniors lost their third straight game to Notre Dame 12-8.

In order to beat the Fighting Irish this season, the 2011 Penn State seniors will have to lead a young but talented team against a high-powered and veteran Notre Dame squad.  The Nittany Lions will have to stifle the Notre Dame offense, controlling the Irish's physical midfield and deft attack.  Against a team that historically starts quickly, the Nittany Lions must get out to their own quick start, scoring early and often.

With the help of a core group of freshman, sophomores and juniors, the Penn State senior class plans to change the program's recent history with a win Sunday against Notre Dame.  Come out and support the entire team, as the Nittany Lions look to topple last year's NCAA Runners-up!

The 2011 Nittany Lion Senior Lacrosse Players:
#11 Matt Bernier
#18 John Brelus
#13 Greg Brown
#16 Bill Davis
#44 Will Donley
#9  Jack Forster*
#5  Alex Garrity

#3  Billy Lloyd
#43 John Nichols
#17 Matt Shankoff
#22 Colton Vosburgh


*Jack Forster came to Penn State as a member of this year's senior class.  Due to a medical redshirt, he still has years of eligibility remaining.  Still, he is a vital member of the 2011 senior class.


Will Donley, Senior Attackman, Penn State Men's Lacrosse Team, GoPSUsports.com

By Jeff Sattora, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Coach Missy Doherty knows about winning National Lacrosse championships and the new coach of the Nittany Lions is ready to use that experience, along with a talented group of players to get Penn State to the top of the lacrosse world.

Doherty comes into Penn State with the experience of five national championships as a player and coach under her belt.

As a new coach, she understands the challenge that she is up for taking over the second winningest program in NCAA history in women's lacrosse.

"Our challenge is really to turn the corner and take the program into the top five, top ten, and the players are working really hard to do that," Doherty said.

With a very tough schedule, already facing the defending national champions in Maryland in the season opener, the Lions will look towards a strong group of seniors and experienced players to lead the way.

Senior Captain Maggie Dunbar has been through the grind and knows just how much this experience can help down the road.

"I just think we have a lot of experience, especially with the seniors," Dunbar said.  "That will definitely help in the big games when we've seen the situation before and we know the tough competition we'll face in every game."

Coach Doherty called the senior class, "one of the high points of the team" and talked about just how hard working and driven they are to compete in the conference and NCAAs.  The experience is something that you can't coach no matter how hard you try so having that this season is a real plus for the Lions.

Hard work is word that was echoed between coach and player as one of the keys to this team being successful.

"I feel like hard work and confidence is important in every play, not just in scoring a goal or stopping the ball," Dunbar said, when talking about the team's keys.

Confidence is very important as she added, "if we all have confidence in not just ourselves, but each other we'll all work well together and hopefully come out on top."

Coach Doherty talked about "the process" in making this team successful, especially since she has been here.  "They've been really dedicated in the day to day work and working hard and that's all a coach can really ask for," she said.

Being a new coach the transition for the players is not lost on her and something she has been happy with so far.

"It's a lot to learn the first year of a new coach and the girls have done a great job with it, "she said.  Adding, "There is a learning curve and they have continued to listen and work hard and do the things it takes to get better."

Excitement and anticipation seemed to be in the air, as the team is getting ready for their first home game this Saturday as they take on Albany.

Doherty talked about bouncing back from a tough loss to Maryland and working hard to bring their "A" game against Albany, who won their conference last year.

"It will be exciting to play at home and debut for the first time this season," she said.  As well as mentioning how this will be the first of many tough games for this squad this season.

Being a senior and a captain Dunbar mentioned her personal goal was, "getting everyone on the same page and working hard," not a personal stat, not an award she wanted to win, but a team related personal goal.  That is the kind of attitude that can help take this team to the top and fill those lofty expectations.

By Kyle G. Arslanian, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Sometimes in sports, a short memory is a very important thing.  For the Penn State Lady Lions, that is exactly what they will need to have as they move on from their game against Purdue.

For Penn State, the most important thing to do is learn from what went wrong against Purdue, and forget the game ever happened.  Even with the setback Thursday night, Penn State is still a very good basketball team that is headed into the Big Ten Tournament with a winning conference record and in all likelihood, will be taking their 21 plus wins into the NCAA Tournament.

For now, this loss will sting, but the sting of the loss is what will drive the team to improve and win games in the postseason. 

"This is a real tough loss. All of us really wanted this game," said junior guard Renee Womack.  "It's been a while since we beat Purdue. In our practices and our shoot around it all seemed like we were intense, playing hard. I thought we were going to get the win, but this one hurts. It does."

Getting things turned around before Sunday's regular season finale versus Northwestern should not be a problem for the Lady Lions.  Their season has been marked with resiliency and a confidence that has allowed them to compile their best record under head coach Coquese Washington.

Penn State played well down the stretch, but it wasn't enough to overcome the early whole they dug themselves.  Their play in the second half is the style of play Coach Washington would like to see from her players over the course of an entire game.

"I don't know why we can't play like that the whole game," said Coach Washington.  "We need that kind of energy the whole game, and it's disappointing. We'll figure it out between now and Sunday."

One thing remains, the Lady Lions are a very good basketball team.  They are in second place in The Big Ten and have one of the most balanced scoring attacks in the country.  Coach Washington knows the team has a lot of things to work on before their final game Sunday, but is confident they will get better.

"A lot of things (that the team needs to work on), but it's really the intangibles," said Coach Washington.  "We're a very good basketball team, we just need to find a way to start strong and come out with energy on the defensive end of the floor. If we figure that out, we'll be okay."

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Welcome to the GoPSUsports.com in-game blog for the Lady Lion basketball team.

Take a look back at Penn State's (21-8, 10-5) 51-49 setback to Purdue (19-10, 9-7) on Thursday night.

Starting Lineups:

Penn State: G - Bentley, G - Gray, F - Nickson, F - Trogele, C - Greene

Purdue: G - Brittany Rayburn, G - Courtney Moses, G - Chantel Poston, F - Drey Mingo, F - Alex Guyton

First Half:

11:38: Purdue 18, Penn State 9

Mia Nickson has been the offense for the Lady Lions in the opening eight minutes of play in the Bryce Jordan Center.  The redshirt sophomore forward is 3-of-4 from the floor for seven points and six rebounds.  On the defensive end of the floor, Purdue has found open looks on a consistent basis.  Give the Boilermakers credit for shooting north of 55 percent from the field in the early minutes, but Penn State needs to start doing a better job contesting shots.  The shooting numbers will improve, but the emphasis will be on the defensive end of the floor heading into the break.

0:00: Purdue 33, Penn State 21

After a 6-for-30 start from the floor, Penn State turned up the wick in the final 2:27 to slice into Purdue's advantage.  A pair of Zhaque Gray free throws kick-started an 8-0 run for Penn State heading into the locker room.  Field goals from Renee Womack, Maggie Lucas and Julia Trogele set the halftime score at 33-21.  Penn State's surge in the closing minutes trimmed what was 20-point deficit down to a respectable 12.  Nickson is 4-for-8 from the field.  The rest of the team is just 5-for-26.  Looking at the stats, the Lady Lions are fortunate to be down just 12 with Purdue shooting so well, but the complexion of the game changed in the final 2:27.  Penn State needs a strong start out of the locker room to keep the momentum going.

Second Half:

11:35: Purdue 44, Penn State 36

As we mentioned heading into the halftime break, the Lady Lions had all the momentum in the ballgame.  That trend carried over into the first six-plus minutes of action in the second half.  A Nikki Greene scoop shot triggered a 15-0 spurt, which drew the Lions within one (37-36).  Penn State's defensive intensity rattled Purdue in the closing minutes of the first half and the first portions of the second half.  Additionally, the Lions did a nice job of penetrating on offense.  However, just when things began to turn in Penn State's favor, Purdue answered with 7-0 spurt to push the margin back up to eight.  Penn State is still well within striking distance, though.

0:00: Purdue 51, Penn State 49

An Alex Bentley desperation toss at the buzzer from 16 feet fell agonizingly short to clinch a two-point victory for the visiting Boilermakers.  Penn State let a golden opportunity slip away in the final 3:48 of action.  Trailing 50-49 after a Lucas jumper, the Lady Lions had six different chances to tie or take the lead before a Brittany Rayburn free throw put Purdue up 51-49 with 19.5 seconds to play.  After trailing by 20, Penn State closed to within one on two different occasions, but fell just short of the victory.  Purdue went nearly six minutes without a point until Rayburn's free throw, but it was enough to snag a victory.  Nickson led the way with 12 points and 10 rebounds, marking the fifth time this season she has tallied a double-double.  The Lions managed just 32 percent shooting for the game (20-63) and just 1-of-12 from beyond the arc.

Final Thoughts:

It is very difficult to beat a good team when you dig a 20-point hole in the first half.  Give the Lady Lions credit for rallying to within one at the 13:50 mark and again with 3:48 to play, but Purdue held on for its 19th victory of the season.  Penn State had an opportunity to clinch a first round bye, but Purdue walked away with its 10th straight win over the Lady Lions.  With 10.8 seconds to play, Penn State diagrammed one final play during a timeout, but all Bentley could manage was a desperation toss as time expired.  Penn State will return home on Sunday looking to close out the season with a victory before heading to the Big Ten Tournament.  It is Pink Zone day against Northwestern.  Look for the Lions to rebound after a tough loss on Thursday night.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Just 11 days have passed since the Nittany Lions (14-12, 7-8) clashed with Northwestern (16-10, 6-9) in the Bryce Jordan Center.  The two teams will again meet on Thursday at 9 p.m. on ESPN2 in Evanston.

To get ready for the game, here are five things to watch for as the Lions take on the Wildcats for the first time this season.

Stretch Run Confidence

Moving into the final three regular season games, the Nittany Lions need to finish the season with some momentum.  The Lions need to rekindle the swagger that fueled ranked wins over Michigan State, Illinois and Wisconsin at home and two narrow losses to Purdue and Ohio State on the road in January.  Penn State has shown the ability to play with anyone on the schedule.  The margin for error is essentially zero in Evanston on Thursday night.  The Nittany Lions know they need a road victory against the Wildcats to keep NCAA Tournament hopes alive.  It comes down to confidence, attitude and swagger for the senior-led Lions.

Rebound with Authority

A good place to start in the quest to bring intensity for 40 minutes is on the glass.  Northwestern is being out-rebounded by its opponents by a seven-rebound margin during Big Ten play.  Penn State was plus 12 in rebounding during the first meeting on February 13.  That stat bodes well for Thursday's battle on the glass, but you don't win the rebounding edge on paper.  It comes from effort, and the Lion post players need a strong performance on the glass.

Defending the Perimeter

It is no secret that Northwestern is a perimeter shooting team.  The Wildcats shot just 2-for-21 from the perimeter in the first meeting, but they are much better outside shooters than that.  Led by John Shurna, Michael Thompson, Drew Crawford and Alex Marcotullio, the Wildcats have several outside shooting threats. Northwestern will shoot better on its home floor, but the Nittany Lions must defend like they did in Happy Valley.  Keep an eye on Penn State's ability to contest shots on the outside.

Foul Trouble

Several Nittany Lions have been plagued by foul trouble in the past few games.  Jeff Brooks and Andrew Jones, who top that list, need to be on the floor throughout tonight's game.  It is difficult to find a rhythm when you are sitting on the bench for most of the first half, as Brooks and Jones have done on occasion in the past month of basketball.  There is a fine line between playing physical defense and fouling.  The Nittany Lions understand the importance of being physical, but the big men need to be on the floor.  It is especially true for Brooks.  He is a matchup nightmare for the Wildcats.  Look for the Lions to give No. 25 plenty of opportunities to score.

Final Push

There are just three games between now and the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis.  The four seniors in Penn State's starting lineup have just three more opportunities to play in the regular season.  Sunday's setback to Wisconsin is ancient history.  It is time for the Lions to turn up the wick and finish strong.  A span of two road games in the last three outings is a golden opportunity for the Lions to pad their tournament resume. Everyone is turning to seniors Talor Battle Jeff Brooks, David Jackson and Andrew Jones in the clutch moments of the season.  Now, it is time for the group to respond with a strong performance against Northwestern.

Tip is at 9 p.m.

By Will Donley, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The third-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish travel to Happy Valley this Sunday to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions at 1 p.m. on Bigler Field.  The Irish are fresh off a run to the National Championship last season where they lost to the Duke Blue Devils on Memorial Day weekend.

In a rematch of last spring's championship game, Notre Dame revenged its loss by beating Duke 12-7 in the inaugural Sunshine Classic in Jacksonville, Fla. this past weekend.  All-American senior midfielder Zach Brenneman (East Hampton, N.Y.) continued where he left off last spring by scoring three goals and adding two assists to lead the Fighting Irish over the Blue Devils.

Brenneman was named the Big East Offensive Player of the Week for his career-high five points.

Notre Dame returns an enormous amount of firepower on offense and veteran experience on defense.  If the team's handful of young starters - at key positions like the face off and in the net - play well, the Fighting Irish are poised to make another post season run.

At the midfield, senior David Earl (Simsbury, Conn.) complemented Brenneman with a goal of his own against the Blue Devils.  Junior Max Pfeifer (Crozet, Va.) ran along side Brenneman and Earl on Notre Dame's first midfield line.

Notre Dame's second midfield was led by Pat Cotter (Olney, Md.).  The sophomore midfielder scored one goal and added an assist.  Senior long stick midfielder Andrew Irving (McLean, Va.) scored two goals, picked up two ground balls and caused one turnover.

Freshman face off midfielder Liam O'Connor (Haverford, Pa.) was 7-10 in his first start for the Fighting Irish.  Senior Jake Marmul (Livonia, Mich.) was 6-11 at the face off against Duke.

Notre Dame's attack was led by Sean Rogers (New Hyde Park, N.Y.).  The junior scored two goals on two shots.  Rogers' line mates, junior Nicholas Beattie (Columbus, Ohio) and sophomore Ryan Foley (Glen Ridge, N.J.), failed to score, but they generated six shots on goal, combined.  Reserve freshman attackman Westy Hopkins (Newton, Pa.) scored two goals for the Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame returned two starters on defense and held Duke's offense to only seven goals on 32 shots.  Senior Kevin Ridgway (Kensington, Md.) earned honorable mention All-American honors last season.  Senior Sam Barnes (Branford, Conn.) earned honorable mention All-American honors in 2009 before missing the 2010 season with an injury.  Junior Kevin Randall (Penfield, N.Y.) also earned the start.

Sophomore goalie John Kemp (Potomac, Md.) made 10 saves as the Notre Dame starting goalie.  He made two starts a season ago in relief of All-American goalie Scott Rodgers.

In order to beat the Fighting Irish this weekend, the Nittany Lions must contend with Notre Dame's strong and athletic midfielders.  The defense will also have to corral a crafty attack unit that capitalizes on teams that slide quickly to Irish midfielders like Brenneman and Earl.

On offense, Penn State must score early on the sophomore Kemp.  The attack must prevent the young goalie from gaining any confidence behind Notre Dame's experienced and decorated defense.

Come out and support the Nittany Lions on Sunday at 1 p.m. as they look to knock off the third-ranked team in the country!


Will Donley, Senior Attackman, Penn State Men's Lacrosse Team, GoPSUsports.com

By Kyle G. Arslanian, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Pen State Lady Lions will host the Purdue Boilermakers Thursday night at the Bryce Jordan Center.  Purdue brings a solid 18-10, 8-7 Big Ten, record to the game to face the 21-7 Lady Lions who have a 10-4 conference record, which is good for second place in the Big Ten.  Penn State has had a week off before their final two regular season games before the Big Ten Tournament.  The Lady Lions will look to finish off the regular season strong and that will start with getting a victory over Purdue on Thursday.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions:
A large factor in success for Penn State this season has been their ability to make good decisions with the basketball when they are on offense.  Making the right pass or choosing to take a good shot has been integral for the Lady Lions as they have progressed through the season.  The team got away from making good decisions against Ohio State last Thursday and it led to turnovers.  While Coach Washington would like to see the team make good decisions that can lead to victories, she says it can be hard when team plays an up-tempo style like Penn State does.

"We have had games where we do a good job of making good decisions and then we have games when we don't make good decisions, said Coach Washington.  "One of the biggest reasons is that we are sometimes a high-risk team and we play fast and we play up tempo. So there are going to be some nights when were playing fast and making decisions in a fast pace game that maybe those aren't the best decisions."

One hallmark of the Lady Lions this season has been their resiliency and ability to learn from their past games; coach Washington is confident the team will bounce back with better decision making against Purdue and going forward.

"When you commit to being a fast past team you know there are going to be nights when you turn the ball over and that has happened to us a handful of times," said Coach Washington.  "The good thing is that we generally bounce back from it so I'm optimistic that we'll play smarter and make better decisions tomorrow night."

Purdue Round Two:
This will be Penn State's second game against Purdue this season; the Lady Lions fell at Purdue earlier in the season and hope some home cooking will give them the advantage.  In their previous meeting, four Lady Lions scored in double figures as the team made a second half run that wasn't enough to earn a victory.  This time out, Penn State knows what to expect from Purdue and will be ready for them.

"We know that people want to try to slow down our transition so really making sure we get into the spots we need to in transition," said Julia Trogele.  "Also they were extremely physical with us the first time we played them so, matching that and exceeding that and just being ready for it, we know how they play.  We are on our home court, we have the crowd behind us, now we have the home court advantage so we just have to show up and play our game."

When the Lady Lions play their game, they get contributions from all over the court and play smart basketball.  By cutting down on the turnovers and controlling the pace of the game, Penn State should finally end their 10 game losing streak to Purdue and add another quality win to their already impressive resume this season.

Lone Senior:
Penn State is a fairly young team this year, its leading scorer is a freshman and they get key contributions from a handful of sophomores.  But the team's undeniable leader is their only senior, Julia Trogele. Trogele is a player who does all the little things that don't always show up on the stat sheet, as well as put up the numbers that make her a key starter on this team.  She is one of the hardest working players on the team and always hustles during games and practice.  Coach Washington has seen Trogele grow as a player during their four years together and sees her putting it all together in her final season.

"She has always had a pretty good basketball IQ, had a nose for the ball and a knack for making some good plays," said Coach Washington.  "But this year she has really just taken her leadership and her will to excel to a whole new level and it has really rubbed off on the team.  She has taken ownership of this team as a senior and as a captain."

As the one player her teammates have to look to as leader, Trogele has excelled and taken the responsibility head on.  Her leadership is certainly a big factor in the success of the team this season.

"The coaches have really helped me a lot with giving me the confidence and ability to lead the team and my teammates have been gracious enough to follow me," said Trogele.

Now, with just two games remaining in the regular season, the Lady Lions are poised to follow their leader into postseason play.

By Will Donley, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With the second weekend of the season on the horizon, seniors Matt Bernier and Matt Shankoff are set to continue their fourth and final season as college lacrosse players.  It has been a long road for these two seniors.  Bernier suffered a knee injury last year and has battled back through countless hours of rehab and treatment to be ready this spring.  Shankoff, a walk-on as a freshman, has earned every second of playing time during his Penn State career.

Each senior's journey has earned him the respect of his teammates and coaches.  Alongside junior Matt Mackrides (Newtown Square, Pa.), Bernier and Shankoff have been selected captains for the 2011 season, an honor that represents their work ethic and dedication to Penn State lacrosse.

Senior Spotlight: Matt Bernier

Quick Hits
Bernier (Drexel Hill, Pa.) has started nearly every game for the Nittany Lions since walking on to campus three years ago.  With his strong work ethic and his insatiable appetite for success, Bernier has become Penn State's most capable defender.  As a freshman, he played in all 14 games for the Nittany Lions.  He picked up 31 ground balls and added an assist.  Bernier started all 14 games a sophomore.  He scooped up 34 ground balls, good for third best on the team.  Last spring, Bernier picked up 23 ground balls and scored one goal before injuring his knee in a late season game against Towson.  He was named second team All-CAA for his efforts.

A four-year letterman at Malvern Preparatory School in Malvern, Pa., Bernier helped lead his team to league titles in 2005 and 2007.  In 2006, Malvern Prep won a state title behind Bernier's efforts.  He also lettered in football.

Bernier is the third member of his immediate family to attend Penn State.  His brothers, Charles and Brian, are Penn State graduates.  Bernier is a psychology major.

Moment To Remember

Bernier scored his first career goal last spring against Bucknell University by capitalizing on a Bison defensive error in transition.

What To Watch For This Season

Since his freshman season, it has been obvious that, no matter the opponent, Bernier has always been one of the most athletic players on the field.  On top of that, Bernier has enhanced his defensive capabilities this spring under defensive coach Peter Toner.  Expect him to be one of the most effective defenders in the CAA this season.

Quotable
On being a Penn Stater:

"Being able to call myself a Penn Stater is such an honor.  I know how influential it was for my brothers to come here, and I know it was for me.  The school has given me so much. I just hope I can represent it on and off the field in a manner that is deserving."

Senior Spotlight: Matt Shankoff

Quick Hits
Always a vocal and physical presence, Shankoff (Flemington, N.J.) walked-on to the Nittany Lion lacrosse team as a freshman.  Immediately, Shankoff utilized his athleticism to become one of the team's top short stick defensive midfielders.  He tallied two points off a goal and an assist and picked up 22 ground balls during his freshman season.  As a sophomore, Shankoff picked up 18 ground balls and added an assist while playing in all 14 games for Penn State.  Last spring, he scored one goal and added three assists and picked up 10 ground balls.

As a senior at Hunterdon Central High School, Shankoff captained his team to a third-straight state title in lacrosse.  He earned second team All-State and first team All-Conference honors for his efforts on the field.  Shankoff also captained and quarterbacked the Hunterdon Central football team to a state title his senior year.

Shankoff is a finance major in the Smeal College of Business.

Moment To Remember
Generally a defensive stalwart, Shankoff scored his first career goal as a freshman in 2008 in a game against St. Joe's University.  The Nittany Lions went on to beat the Hawks 10 - 6.

What To Watch For This Season
When attending Penn State men's lacrosse games this spring, close your eyes and just listen.  More than likely, the voice you will be hearing above all others belongs to Shankoff.  As one of the most vocal Nittany Lions, Shankoff will bring necessary energy to the playing field while resuming his role as a physical defensive midfielder.

Quotable
On being a walk-on:

"When I decided to come to Penn State, I did not know whether I was going to be a part of the Penn State lacrosse team.  Coach Thiel gave me the opportunity to walk-on, and it has turned out to be the greatest thing that ever happened to me."


Will Donley, Senior Attackman, Penn State Men's Lacrosse Team, GoPSUsports.com

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lion men's basketball team (14-12, 7-8) travels to Welsh-Ryan Arena for a 9 p.m. (Big Ten Network) clash with Northwestern (16-10, 6-9).

GoPSUsports.com sat down with assistant coach Lewis Preston in the South Gym of the Bryce Jordan Center earlier this week for a video scouting report of Northwestern.  Watch to see what Coach Preston has to say leading up to Thursday's critical game in Evanston.

By Jeff Sattora, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With both the Penn State men's and women's track teams preparing for this weekend's Big Ten Championships one look at the NCAA and Big Ten rankings will tell you they are ready to go.

The 10th ranked Nittany Lion men, the second ranked team in the Big Ten only behind Indiana, have six athletes and two relays in the top 20 nationally.  The shot putters lead the way for the team as they have two athletes, Joe Kovacs and Blake Eaton, ranked in the nation's top 10.

The Nittany Lion women have three women ranked in the top 20 nationally five events.  The group is led by sprinter Shavon Greaves who is ranked that high in three events.

The men's Big Ten Championships will be at the University of Illinois while the women's championships will be held at Purdue University.

The individual rankings can be found on http://www.tfrrs.org/ and the team rankings can be found on http://www.ustfccca.org/. 

Men in the Rankings (as of Feb. 21, 2011)

Women in the Rankings (as of Feb. 21, 2011)

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The theme prior to Tuesday's practice, the first since Sunday's game at Wisconsin, for the Nittany Lions was finding a way to win on the road.

Head coach Ed DeChellis talked to the media about it during his weekly press conference.  Several players also addressed the subject during interviews on the floor before practice.  It is no secret that the Nittany Lions (1-8) need to win on the road in the final two weeks of the season to boost their tournament resume.

When asked what the mindset is heading into the final three games of the regular season, Talor Battle quickly answered: "Win."  The team is hungry to finish the season with some steam heading into the Big Ten Tournament.

Watch Tim Frazier and David Jackson prior to practice for more as the Lions prepare for a trip to Northwestern on Thursday.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With the Nittany Lions off this week to prepare for the Big Ten Championships in Evanston, Ill., associate head coach Cody Sanderson wanted to switch things up on This Week in Penn State Wrestling.

Sanderson wanted to take the camera and be the interviewer for a change of pace and put GoPSUsports.com's Tony Mancuso on the hot seat for Penn State wrestling questions.  Take a look.

By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 11 Nittany Lion men's volleyball team took two more matches under their belt this weekend to improve their overall record to 11-3 this season while Penn State head coach Mark Pavlik reached a milestone 400th career win.

Penn State hosted non-conference opponent Mount Olive on Friday night, and swept the Trojans 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-21). The win gave Pavlik one more to add to his 399-116 overall record, giving him 400 career wins in his 17 years with the Nittany Lions.

The next night, Penn State welcomed Lees McRae to Rec Hall and battled with the Bobcats in a five-game match that the Nittany Lions won 3-2 (24-26, 25-12, 25-23, 22-25, 15-9). However, the team was not pleased with the outcome of the match.

High and Lows: Young Talent Steps Up, But Needs to Stay Focused
The youngest players on the Nittany Lion roster continued to lead Penn State to victory this weekend as sophomore Tom Comfort led the team offensively both nights, tallying 14 kills against the Trojans and 19 more on Saturday against Lees McRae. Junior Ryan Wolf followed accordingly each night with nine kills on Friday and 15 the next night.

While 11th-ranked team was pleased to celebrate Pavlik's 400th on Friday night after a dominating sweep of Mount Olive, the Nittany Lions were less than satisfied with the outcome of Saturday night's match against the Bobcats.

Penn State took a while to get into the match against Lees McRae, and let them take the set 26-24. The Nittany Lions came back to win sets two and three, but again lost focus in the fourth game and had to go into a fifth set where it was not until mid-way through the final set that the team really seemed to have it together.

Wolf said that he didn't really think the night's match should be counted as a win for him and his teammates.

"We all kind of feel like we lost tonight and it shouldn't get to that fifth game where it takes a block in the fifth game to get everyone excited," said Wolf. "We need to come out ready to play from the beginning."

Pavlik agreed with his Nittany Lion, and said that thankfully the sport of men's volleyball is one where hard work and aggression can get a team back into a match.

"I tip my hat to Lees McRae," said Pavlik. "They never let us off the hook and like I said earlier the beauty of men's volleyball is guys are physical. You know you don't face a team that can't bounce balls off your block and out of bounds and that's what makes every team dangerous. I think we were at a point where we let them think that they could hang with us and it really wasn't until about 5-5 in game five where I thought we started to really just take control of the match."

Penn State will look to improve their competitive maturity in their next few matches, and have now seen what happens when it lets a team stick around for too long.

Nittany Lions Participate in THON, Welcome Four-Diamonds Families
On Saturday night, Penn State invited a few of their newest friends from The IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon over the Rec Hall to take part in the opening ceremonies of the Nittany Lions' match against Lees McRae. Each Penn State starter walked out onto the court with two or three THON children by their side as the team showed them what it was like to be a collegiate volleyball player.

After each child shook hands with the Bobcats before the start of the match, Pavlik met them courtside for a big high-five and thanked each of them for coming. The Penn State head coach said that he was more than happy to have the kids come out that night.

"I just think that any time you have situations like this where you know certainly THON is nationally known and you get people on campus and they want to spend some time with you at your match and you're able to maybe make them have a little bit more enjoyable situation, there's not too many kids that can go through the line next to Edgardo or Ian and shake hands with the opposition," said Pavlik. "The fact that they came to our gym to do that, I wanted to thank them for it."

The Nittany Lions go on the road to face EIVA opponent Saint Francis on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. Penn State will play visiting team for their next six consecutive matches.

By Alexis Morgan, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Lady Lions might have 21 wins this season but the real victories are won behind the scenes at practice. The coaching staff simulates tough challenges and physical game conditions by using an all-male practice squad when preparing the Lady Lions for game day.

Freshman guard Maggie Lucas is used to playing basketball with her two older brothers. Because Lucas is used to the physical nature of males, it has helped her adjust to practices everyday defending taller, bigger, stronger male guards.

"It's (pretty) much the same, it does remind me a lot of practicing with my brothers," Lucas said.

"It's really good because it brings a lot of physicality that we see on the road. It prepares us and gives us an insight on what to expect."

With a 10-man rotation, the squad's purpose is to replicate offensive and defensive schemes of future opponents to prepare the Lady Lions for any possible conditions they might face.

Assistant coach Maren Walseth believes it's a key asset to improve each players individual skills.

"It's constantly challenging them to play different, think different, work on different aspects of their own skill set," Walseth said.

As a former Lady Lion, Walseth said she enjoyed the challenge of practicing with males over females.

"Especially as a female, playing against your teammates gets old. You're like 'I know what you can do, not that you're not making me better, but I'll always do the same thing (against you)'. When you get a constant rotation of guys, they're different. When you have 6-6 Pete, you'll have to play differently than you do against 6-2 Scott".

The Penn State coach responsible for the scouting report on the upcoming opponent has a set of plays the practice squad learns and mimics. The practice team members also wear numbers according to which opponent they are assigned to imitate.

"We give them a player profile of who they are in addition to the offense or style of defense they're trying to run," Walseth said.

The Lady Lions' mentality improves at games when they see things they've worked on at practice.

"The guys are stronger, (more) physical, and can jump higher. If (a player) can succeed against the guys then (they) can succeed against the girls," Walseth said.

Penn State senior, Dylan Lyons, has been on the male-practice team since last summer. He said that the competition between the men and women squads gets increasingly tough at practice.

"It's very competitive. We've got guys that are (bigger); our guards are bigger than their guards, our centers are bigger than their centers, but whenever we play a scrimmage and we're running against them, it's always competitive," Lyons explains.

Balancing practice, being a student, and having a social life for a practice player gets difficult at times.

"Time is definitely hard to manage; you've got to be good at it. The practices are usually three hours long. Right after practice I come back and get some work done. By that time, it's time to get some sleep," Lyons said.

He says, in the end it's worth it.

"College is the next step to the real world, you have to focus on what's important."

Being a part of the practice team and giving 100 percent at every practice is very important to the former high school basketball player.

"(I) have a commitment to the team, to other people and to the coaches. (I've) got to do things the right way. I like the organization, the team, the camaraderie that comes with it. I mean it's one of the best feelings in the world to be a part of something that's bigger than yourself. That makes it special and unique, especially with this group that we have this year."

Lyons is happy to have this experience after choosing not to play college basketball at a smaller school.

"I (thought I) was finished playing basketball in high school. A lot of (the practice squad players) had division two, division three looks but we wanted to go to a bigger school," Lyons said.

"We knew sacrificing that meant that our basketball careers were probably going to be over. Luckily being a part of this team, it gives me and everyone else an opportunity to be a part of something bigger than just running around at the IM building with no referees and no coaches. It's something that I never thought I'd get a chance to have again."

Although the time commitment and dedication is tough, there are also some perks of being on the practice squad.

"We get to schedule early because we're considered student athletes. Prioritized scheduling is really good for us because of time management and being able to schedule our classes earlier in the morning," Lyons said.

"Occasionally the coaching staff will take us out to dinner."

Many people are not aware of the all-male practice squad, but coaches and players say their contributions are not overlooked.

"It takes a very special person to be a practice player. The girls are really appreciative of the guys and they turn out to be really good friends," Walseth said.

Even though there are gender differences between squads, Lyons says if they ever played against each other outside of practice, it'd be a pretty even match-up.

"I would never bet on us to win. I would hope that we would win just because the competitive nature that everyone has against each other. Nobody looks to lose but it's always fun."

Lucas on the other hand has a different opinion.

"I think we'd win," she said smiling.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Two crucial weeks remain on the Big Ten men's basketball schedule before the conference tournament in Indianapolis.

The long list of NCAA Tournament-type games for the Nittany Lions (14-12, 7-8) continues on Thursday night in Evanston when the Lions look for a season sweep of the Northwestern Wildcats.  Coming off a 10-point setback to No. 10 Wisconsin on Sunday, Penn State needs a road win on its resume.

After defeating the Wildcats handily in the BJC, Thursday's game is one the Lions will approach as a must win.  Granted, every game is crucial at this point in the season, but Thursday's is vital for the Lions' NCAA Tournament hopes to remain alive.

Taking a look at the RPI, Penn State is currently No. 60 after the Wisconsin game.  The Lions rank No. 6 in schedule strength out of 345 teams.  As for the Big Ten standings, the Nittany Lions are tied for sixth with Michigan with three games to play.

Penn State is one of four teams with seven victories in the standings.  The top five teams earn a bye in the Big Ten Tournament, and the Lions are a half game behind Illinois (7-7) and Michigan State (7-7) in fourth.  Ohio State (12-2), Purdue (11-3) and Wisconsin (10-4) have the top three spots locked down heading into the final two weeks of the season.  If the season ended today, the Lions would play Indiana in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.

Behind the top three teams, Penn State could finish anywhere from fourth to ninth in the standings, depending on how things play out.  Needless to say, Thursday's in Evanston will play a critical role in Penn State's postseason plans.

Frazier Continues Hot Streak

Tim Frazier is an unsung leader on the Nittany Lion basketball.  What he brings to the table at the point guard spot is invaluable to the team's success.  Frazier has consistently been a superb on-ball defender throughout the season.  He has also been a terrific ball handler and facilitator of the offense.  In the past three games, Frazier has brought another consistent element to his game.  After scoring 12 points on Sunday, the sophomore guard is averaging 10.7 points per contest in the past three outings.  Frazier has shown a great deal of confidence shooting the basketball in recent games.  He is also averaging 6.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds in that span.

When he scores consistently, Frazier is a very difficult matchup.  Battle and Brooks are the top two scorers on the team, but the Lions need Frazier to play at a high level to win during the stretch run of the season.

Next up is Northwestern on Thursday night at 9 p.m. (Big Ten Network).

By Will Donley, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - There is nothing grittier than a team that fights to win a 9-7 game at home.  Well, maybe a team that fights to win a 9-7 game at home on the back of a hot face off midfielder and strong team defense is a bit grittier.

There was nothing pretty about Penn State's win Saturday against Binghamton on Bigler Field.  Still, a win is a win, and there were flashes of brilliance that showcased the potential of the Nittany Lions this season.

Nittany Lion lacrosse fans did not have to wait long to celebrate Saturday.  Following a face off violation by Binghamton's Jeff Donigan (Skaneateles, N.Y.), Penn State's Danny Henneghan (Beverly Hills, Mich.) dished the ball off to sophomore Nick Dolik (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) who scored nine seconds into the game.  Junior attackman Matt Mackrides (Newtown Square, Pa.) scored on the Nittany Lions' next possession to make the score 2-0 in less than a minute of play.

The Bearcats would not be denied, however.  Sophomore attackman Matt Springer (Hamburg, N.Y.) netted back-to-back goals to tie the game 2-2 at the end of the first quarter.  Springer finished the day with four goals on seven shots to lead Binghamton.

With what proved to be a lethal combination, Penn State relied on a young but potent offense, strong face off play and great team defense for the rest of the game to grind out the win.

Freshmen Shane Sturgis (Downingtown, Pa.) and Tommy LaCrosse (Canandaigua, N.Y.) each netted a goal for the Nittany Lions.  Sophomore Kyle Van Thof (Penfield, N.Y.) added an extra-man goal in the fourth quarter.

Seniors Billy Lloyd (West Chester, Pa.) and Colton Vosburgh (Kennett Square, Pa.) each scored a goal, too.  Mackrides finished the day with four points off three goals and one assist.

Henneghan proved that he would have no trouble filling in for his older brother, Charley, at the face off this spring.  The sophomore face off midfielder went 16-19 on Saturday with a .842 winning percentage.  Henneghan also finished the game with four ground balls.

The Penn State defense shined on Saturday despite giving up a handful of goals on the crease.  The Nittany Lions held the Bearcats to only 20 shots and seven goals.  Freshman goalie Austin Kaut (Morton, Pa.) finished the day with 10 saves.

Proficient Division I lacrosse defenses strive to give up only six to eight goals per game.  The Penn State defense stayed within that range by playing strong one-on-one defense.  Short stick defensive midfielders Matt Shankoff (Flemington, N.J.), Ryan Link (Englewood, Colo.) and Joe Celano (Farmingdale, N.Y.) all excelled Saturday, each consistently winning their one-on-one battles.

The Nittany Lion defense also drastically improved on its goals per game average from last season.  Last spring, Penn State gave up 12.5 goals per game.  Under new defensive coordinator Peter Toner, the Nittany Lion defense improved upon that number by more than five goals.

Penn State is back in action Saturday against Notre Dame.  The game will take place at 1 p.m. on Bigler Field.

Will Donley, Senior Attackman, Penn State Men's Lacrosse Team, GoPSUsports.com

By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State wrestling team hosted the Wisconsin Badgers on Friday night in Rec Hall for the last scheduled regular-season match of the year and celebrated senior night in front of a sold-out crowd.

The Nittany Lions defeated the Wisconsin Badgers with a commanding dual score of 30-12 and won eight of the ten individual bouts against the Badgers with five decisions, one major decision, one win by fall and one technical fall.

After honoring the senior Nittany Lions with gifts and flowers, the lone senior of the starting line-up stepped onto the mat to get things started.

Penn State senior Brad Pataky had only wrestled nine other opponents this season before he met Wisconsin's Tom Kelliher at center-mat at 125 to start off