April 4, 2011
By Will Donley, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - This time around the Nittany Lions were prepared for the added intensity and pressure of an overtime game. They were prepared for the added importance of each play and the increase in the pace of the game. It did not hurt that, this time around, the overtime period only lasted four seconds.
The Penn State men's lacrosse team rode a late-game, three-goal run to tie and eventually win its game 8-7 against Lehigh on Saturday.
The Nittany Lions' first overtime opportunity this spring ended in a triple-overtime loss to Ohio State on March 5. A month later, Penn State used the added time to beat Lehigh in dramatic fashion Saturday.
Penn State's Danny Henneghan (Beverly Hills, Mich.) won the overtime face off and took advantage of a Lehigh defense that was reluctant to slide to the sophomore face off midfielder.
In defense of the Mountain Hawks, who is more dangerous - the Nittany Lion attack unit that combined for five goals or Henneghan?
Well, Henneghan took it upon himself to answer that question. He drove through the heart of the Mountain Hawk defense and took a left-handed shot that found its way behind Lehigh's goalie Dan Carr to end the game.
Henneghan was 9-19 at the face off Saturday for a .474 winning percentage against Lehigh's Ryan Snyder. Snyder boasted the nation's seventh-best winning percentage at .645 through nine games this season.
Penn State's attack unit led the way Saturday against Lehigh. Freshman Shane Sturgis (Downingtown, Pa.) paced the unit with two goals and two assists. Junior Jack Forster (Jenkintown, Pa.) added a goal of his own. Junior Matthew Mackrides (Newtown Square, Pa.) scored two goals, including a game-tying goal with 1:38 left to go in regulation.
Freshman midfielder
Gavin Ahern (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) tallied a man-up goal in the second quarter. Ahern's classmate Tommy Lacrosse (Canandaigua, N.Y.) scored a goal and added an assist on the afternoon.
Goalie Austin Kaut (Morton, Pa.) continued his stellar freshman campaign with 14 saves.
Nittany Lion Head Coach Jeff Tambroni now has a full week to prepare his team for its game against CAA foe Drexel. The Dragons are 5-5 on the year and 1-2 in the conference. With a win against Drexel, Penn State will move to 3-0 in CAA play and position itself to make a run in the postseason conference tournament.
This game will also have special meaning for the 16 Philadelphia-area players on Penn State's roster. These players will face many former teammates, and the winners of this game will be able to return home after the season with bragging rights.
The game will be played at 1 p.m. on Saturday. If the weather cooperates, the Nittany Lions will host the game at Jeffrey Field for the first time this season.
Will Donley, Senior Attackman, Penn State Men's Lacrosse Team, GoPSUsports.com
