April 18, 2011
By Will Donley, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lions have played in seven games this spring that have been decided by two goals or fewer. In front of an alumni-laden crowd Saturday night, Penn State earned a 7-6 conference win over Towson and sent the team's 11 seniors off with a win on Jeffrey Field.
Penn State trailed Towson throughout the first three quarters of Saturday's game. Trailing 4-2 at halftime and 5-2 with 13:05 left to go in the third quarter, the Nittany Lions amounted three third quarter goals to tie the game.
Junior attackman Matthew Mackrides (Newtown Square, Pa.) scored his second goal of the game 16 seconds into the fourth quarter to give Penn State a one-goal lead. That lead did not last, however. Towson's Alec Jernstedt, (Wilsonville, Ore.) tied the game with just over eight minutes left in regulation.
Having played in so many close games, the Nittany Lions were aware of what it was going to take to win: a gutsy play at the face off, an athletic play in transition or a confident shot on goal.
Who would have thought it would all happen in one play and by one player?
After struggling at the face off in the first half, sophomore Danny Henneghan (Beverly Hills, Mich.) won 7-8 face offs in the second half, including the face off following Jernstedt's goal with 8:10 to go.
Rather than substituting off of the field for an offensive midfielder, Henneghan dodged in transition and scored the eventual game-winning goal. The Nittany Lions ran the remaining eight minutes off of the clock to secure the conference win.
Henneghan finished the day 10-16 at the face off for a .625 winning percentage.
Henneghan and Mackrides were not the only two underclassmen to shine on senior night.
Sophomore Nick Dolik (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) scored the Nittany Lions' first goal of the game. Freshman attackman Shane Sturgis (Downingtown, Pa.) extended his point-scoring streak to nine games with a goal against the Tigers.
Senior midfielders
Colton Vosburgh (Kennett Square, Pa.) and
Billy Lloyd (West Chester, Pa.) each scored a goal. They were the only two seniors to tally a point against Towson.
Freshman goalie Austin Kaut (Morton, Pa.) recorded 13 saves - the 9th time he has recorded a double-digit save total.
With two regular season games remaining, the Nittany Lions are in a three-way tie for second place in the CAA. Penn State plays Delaware this Saturday at 7 p.m. in Newark, Del. The team finishes its regular season against Hofstra at 7 p.m. in Hempstead, N.Y.
Will Donley, Senior Attackman, Penn State Men's Lacrosse Team, GoPSUsports.com
