Senior captain Greg Gurenlian had two goals and an assist to help Penn State grab a 14-13 overtime win at Ohio State.

Game Box Score and Season Stats

State College, Pa. ¨C March 11, 2006 ¨C The Penn State Nittany Lion men¡¯s lacrosse team, under the guidance of veteran head coach Glenn Thiel, earned a hard fought victory when junior Pat Heim (Wayne, Pa.) scored the game-winning goal in overtime to spur Penn State on to a 14-13 win at Ohio State. Heim¡¯s sixth goal of the game helped Penn State close out a four-game season-opening road swing with a 2-2 mark.

Heim was the bookend to Penn State¡¯s scoring today as the midfielder from Wayne, Pa., got the game¡¯s first goal just :40 in. Bubba Scott (Rockville, Md.) scored less than three minutes later to put Penn State up 2-0 early. Ohio State, however, answered back in force with four unanswered goals to lead 4-2 before Nittany Lion Greg Gurenlian (Springfield, Pa.) and Brian Boyle (Derry, N.H.) each scored before the first period ended to knot the score at 4-4 after the first 15:00 of play.

Ohio State¡¯s Andrew Bender assisted on two Buckeye goals early in the second period, one to Justin Doran and another to Joel Delgarno, to move Ohio State back up by two, 6-4. Nittany Lion Andrew Mackrides (Newtown Square, Pa.) closed the game to 6-5. Each team would score twice more before the half, with Penn State getting goals from Gurenlian and Heim, giving Ohio State an 8-7 lead heading into the lockerroom.

Penn State tied the game quickly in the third period when John Eremus (Rosemont, Pa.) found the net at the 13:33 mark. Ohio State¡¯s Craig Nolan scored his fourth goal of the game to put OSU back up 9-8 but Heim answered off a Gurenlian assist to tie the game again at 9-9. Ohio State appeared to take control of the game with three straight goals to lead 12-9 with only 11:11 to play in the game.

But, after that initial Buckeye goal of the period, Penn State dominated the final stanza. Matt Radecic (Mission Hills, Kan.), Eremus and Heim each scored within four minutes of each other to tie the game at 12-12 with six minutes to play. Ohio State¡¯s Jason Lutz put the Buckeyes back up, 13-12, with 5:20 left, but the goal would be OSU¡¯s last. Boyle tied the game at 13-13 with a goal at the 1:55 mark, sending the game to overtime. Early in the extra stanza, Heim iced the win for Penn State with his game-high fifth goal.

Penn State out shot Ohio State 35-32 and, behind Gurenlian¡¯s presence, won 18 of 30 face-offs. Nittany Lion freshman Drew Adams (Springfield, Pa.) had nine saves to improve his record to 2-2 in his first full season of play. He also collected three ground balls. Penn State scored on three of five extra man opportunities, getting its penalty scoring in motion after a slow start to the season. Heim¡¯s five goals led the way for Penn State with Boyle adding two and Gurenlian adding two with an assist.

The Nittany Lions are now 2-2, 0-1 ECAC. Ohio State is 0-4, 0-0 in the Great Western Lacrosse League. Winners of two straight, Penn State will finally open up action at home when it hosts Stony Brook on Saturday, March 18, at 1 p.m. Action will either be at Jeffrey Field or in Holuba Hall in the case of inclement weather.

 
GAME SUMMARY: Penn State 14, Ohio State 13 OT SCORING (Goal - Assist): 1st: PSU (Heim); PSU (Scott); OSU (Nolan-Delgarno); OSU (Schell); OSU (Nolan-Bender); OSU (Buchanan); PSU (Gurenlian); PSU (Boyle) 2nd: OSU (Doran-Bender); OSU (Delgarno-Bender); PSU (Mackrides); OSU (Wittenberg-Lutz); PSU (Gurenlian); OSU (Delgarno-Wittenberg); PSU (Heim) 3rd: PSU (Eremus); OSU (Nolan); PSU (Heim-Gurenlian); OSU (Buchanan); OSU (Bender) 4th: OSU (DeCanio); PSU (Radecic); PSU (Eremus); PSU (Heim); OSU (Lutz-Wittenberg); PSU (Boyle) OT: PSU (Heim) KEEPER STATS: PSU (Drew Adams 60:22, 13 GA, 9 SV); OSU (Bill Curry 60:22, 14 GA, 10 SV) GROUNDBALLS: PSU 32, OSU 35 ¨C EMO:  PSU 3-5; OSU 2-3 SHOTS (SH-SOG): PSU 35-24; OSU 32-22 FACE-OFFS: PSU 18-30; OSU 12-30 SCORE BY QUARTERS: 1 2 3 4 OT F PENN STATE: 4 3 2 4 1 14 DARTMOUTH 4 4 3 2 0 13 RECORDS: Penn State 2-2, 0-1 ECAC; Ohio State 0-4, 0-0 GWLL UP NEXT FOR PSU: Penn State home vs. Stony Brook, Saturday, March 18, 1 p.m.