Penn State (4-7, 3-3 ECAC) will host St. Joseph¡¯s (4-10, 4-3 MAAC) in the final home game of the 2007 season. The Nittany Lions and Hawks will tangle at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night at Jeffrey Field. St. Joe¡¯s hosts Wagner on Wednesday before visiting Penn State.

Head coach Glenn Thiel¡¯s team enters the game coming off a tough 0-2 week that saw the team lose two games by a combined three goals, including one in double overtime. The Nittany Lions dropped a tough 7-5 game at No. 12 Bucknell on April 17 and then fell 8-7 in two overtimes at ECAC foe Rutgers on Sunday, April 22.

Gil Pearsall and Brian Boyle lead Penn State in scoring thus far this year, with each Nittany Lion tallying 18 points. Pearsall as 14 goals and four assists while Boyle has nine goals and a team-best nine assists. Pearsall and Rob Forster each have 14 goals to lead the team as well. Pat Heim checks in with 16 points off 13 and three. Sophomore keeper Drew Adams has a stellar 7.68 goals against average with 138 saves and 73 ground balls.

St. Joe¡¯s will host Wagner on Wednesday afternoon before closing out its regular season at Jeffrey Field on Saturday night. The 4-10 Hawks are coming off a 13-7 loss to MAAC leading Siena on Saturday. St. Joe¡¯s was led by Steve O¡¯Brien and Laurent Dionot, who each had two goals in the game.

FIVE OF PENN STATE¡¯S SEVEN LOSSES BY TWO GOALS OR LESS
In a season full of near-misses and close calls, the snake-bitten Nittany Lion lacrosse team has seven losses, six of which have been by two goals or less. The Lions have lost to Loyola by one, Ohio State by two, UMass by one in overtime, Bucknell by two and Rutgers by one in two OTs. Penn State¡¯s other two losses include a three goal defeat to Notre Dame and a five-goal loss to Denver. On the other hand, all of Penn State¡¯s wins have been by three goals or more.

HEIM AND FORSTER EACH SCORE TWICE IN 2 OT LOSS AT RUTGERS
Pat Heim scored twice in regulation¡¯s final minutes to send the game into extra time but Penn State dropped an 8-7 double-overtime thriller at ECAC foe Rutgers nonetheless. Rob Forster also had two goals in the game as well.

LIONS DROP HEART-BREAKER AT NO. 12 BUCKNELL
The Nittany Lions lost a hard-fought 7-5 decision at No. 12 Bucknell on Tuesday, April 17, never trailing by more than a goal until BU scored the game¡¯s final goal with 5:00 left. Bubba Scott and Rob Forster each had two goals in the game.

ADAMS STRONG IN NET; SPARKS PENN STATE TO 9-5 WIN OVER ST. JOHN¡¯S
Sophomore goalie Drew Adams continued to shine in the net for Penn State, collecting 14 saves against 19 shots on goal for a stellar .737 save percentage as he led Penn State to a strong 9-5 ECAC win over St. John¡¯s on Saturday. Adams allowed only five goals against the Red Storm, including none in the first period and none in the fourth. Adams also had 12 ground balls in the contest and raised his season total to 70. Adams now has a superb 7.79 goals against average with 114 saves.

SALTSMAN AND ADAMS ANCHOR DEFENSE IN 12-7 WIN OVER HOBART
Senior defender Dan Saltsman anchored a Nittany Lion defense that held the nation¡¯s fifth-ranked offense to only one second half goal (and only seven overall) in Penn State¡¯s 12-7 ECAC win over Hobart on 4/7. Saltsman kept HC¡¯s offensive leader to just one goal on four shots while Adams collected 15 saves, including five in the fourth quarter.

FORSTER NETS HAT TRICK IN WIN OVER HOBART
Sophomore Rob Forster scored three goals in Penn State¡¯s 12-7 win over Hobart on 4/7, his first hat trick of the year and Penn State¡¯s fourth as a team.

ADAMS SUPERB IN OVERTIME LOSS AT UMASS
Sophomore goalie Drew Adams had a season-high 20 saves in Penn State¡¯s 6-5 overtime loss at UMass on Saturday, March 31. Adams faced 26 shots on goal and shut down the Minutemen at a superb 77% clip. He also had two ground balls in the contest. His superb performance lowered his already stellar GAA to 8.31 and upped his save total to 85.

ADAMS NAMED ECAC LACROSSE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (3/28)
Sophomore goalie Drew Adams was named ECAC Lacrosse League Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending March 25. Adams, the reigning ECAC Goalie of the Year, collected 13 saves against 20 shots on goal in Penn State¡¯s 10-7 ECAC win over No. 12 Fairfield. Adams also led Penn State with 11 ground balls in the game, which was Penn State¡¯s second straight win. The Springfield, Pa., native has an 8.72 goals against average and has a team-high 46 ground balls.

HEIM A FINALIST FOR 2007 LOWE¡¯S SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Pat Heim has been named a finalist for the 2007 Lowe¡¯s Senior Class Award, a newly formed award given by Lowe¡¯s for the first time this year. The honor is presented to an NCAA Division I men¡¯s senior lacrosse player who excels both on and off the field. Candidates were selected based on personal qualities that define a complete student athlete. While the on-the-field performance during their collegiate lacrosse careers is a factor in determining candidates and the eventual winner, their personal character and off-the-field achievements in the classroom and community are major areas of focus. The winner will be announced during the weekend of May 26 during the 2007 NCAA Lacrosse Championships in Baltimore, Md. Head coach Glenn Thiel¡¯s team (2-4, 1-1 ECAC) will visit UMass this Saturday for a 12 p.m. ECAC Lacrosse League contest.

PEARSALL NETS HAT TRICK, 5 POINTS, TO LEAD PSU OVER NO. 12 FAIRFIELD
Senior Gil Pearsall scored a hat trick and totalled five points to lead Penn State to a convincing 10-7 win over No. 12 Fairfield on March 24. Pearsall¡¯s five point outburst (three goals, two assists), combined with four points from Brian Boyle (two goals, two assists) helped Penn State grab its first home win of the season.

PENN STATE¡¯S GAME AT STONY BROOK ON 3/17 CANCELLED
Penn State¡¯s March 17 game at Stony Brook was cancelled due to a winter storm that blew through the Northeast. No make up date for the contest has been set as of yet.

SHEA¡¯S FIRST HAT TRICK LEADS LIONS TO WIN OVER COLGATE
Freshman Brian Shea scored three goals for Penn State in its 7-4 win over Colgate on March 13. The rookie¡¯s first hat trick helped Penn State garner its first win of the year in a game played at Georgetown Prep in Maryland.

MADDEN IMPRESSES HIS ALMA MATER
Junior Devin Madden, a transfer from St. John¡¯s and a graduate of Georgetown Prep in North Bethesda, Md., sparked the Nittany Lions¡¯ 7-4 win over Colgate in a game played at Georgetown Prep. Madden won 10 of 15 face-offs in the victory to help spark PSU to the neutral site win.

LIONS FALL IN FINAL SECONDS TO ECAC FOE LOYOLA
The Penn State lacrosse team watched a late fourth-quarter lead disappear as Loyola¡¯s Shane Koppens scored with just :04 seconds remaining to give the visiting Greyhounds a 10-9 win in the ECAC opener for both teams. The goal was Koppens¡¯ second of the game. Pat Heim had three goals to lead Penn State.

HEIM NETS HAT TRICK VS. LOYOLA
Senior Pat Heim scored three goals in Penn State¡¯s tough 10-9 loss to Loyola on 3/3. It was Heim¡¯s first hat trick of the season and the first for Penn State during the 2007 campaign. Heim¡¯s last game with three or more goals was against Bucknell on 4/22/06.

ADAMS AND HEIM NAMED TO TEWAARATON WATCH LIST
Two members of the Penn State Nittany Lion men¡¯s lacrosse team have been named to the 2007 Tewaaraton Trophy Preseason Watch List. The list, compiled by the Tewaaraton Award Foundation, includes all those considered early contenders and players to watch for the post-season award. Sophomore Drew Adams and senior Pat Heim both on the list of nearly 50 individuals considered preseason contenders for the 2007 Tewaaraton Trophy, given each year to Division I¡¯s player of the year. Adams, a sophomore goalie for the Nittany Lions, was the 2006 ECAC Lacrosse League Goalie of the Year, ECAC Lacrosse League Rookie of the Year and was a member of the 2006 All-ECAC first team. He ended last year with an 8.25 goals against average and a .603 save percentage. Heim, now in his fourth year as a starter for Penn State, is one of Penn State¡¯s captains this season. He entered this year with 44 goals and 23 assists for his career and has quickly added three goals and an assist in Penn State¡¯s first two games this campaign. Heim was a first team All-ECAC pick last year as well. Both he and Adams were USILA honorable mention All-Americans in 2006. The list will be voted upon by coaches and narrowed down as the season progresses, ultimately reaching a final list of five players who will constitute the award¡¯s finalists.

HOGAN HAS SOLID COLLEGIATE DEBUT
Freshman middie Chris Hogan had a solid collegiate debut, scoring two goals to lead Penn State in the Nittany Lions¡¯ 10-5 loss to Denver on 2/17. Hogan took five shots, connecting on two of them for a team-best .400 shot percentage. He also collected three ground balls.

HEIM, MULQUEEN AND SALTSMAN NAMED 2007 TEAM CAPTAINS
The Penn State Nittany Lion men¡¯s lacrosse team, under the direction of veteran head coach Glenn Thiel, will rely upon a trio of veteran leaders in 2007. Seniors Pat Heim, Dan Saltsman and Matt Mulqueen have been named captains for the 2007 campaign. Heim returns for his final go-round with the Nittany Lions after earning his second straight first team All-ECAC nod in 2006. The midfielder had 22 points off 17 goals and five assists last year and posted a .254 shot percentage. He also had 28 ground balls. Over three years as a starter, Heim has 67 points off 44 goals and 23 assists. ¡°Pat is the backbone of our offense,¡± Thiel said. ¡°He will team with Gil Pearsall to give us great leadership on attack.¡± Heim was also an honorable mention All-American last year. Saltsman emerged as a defensive anchor for Penn State in 2006. He started all 13 games in the backfield and had 28 ground balls. Saltsman was honored as a first team All-ECAC pick. He has played in 40 games at Penn State. Mulqueen also played in 13 games last season, starting eight of them. He was third on the team with 38 ground balls as he helped anchor the defense with Saltsman. Mulqueen has played in 33 games over three seasons as a Nittany Lion. ¡°Defensive captains Saltsman and Mulqueen are Penn State prototypes,¡± Thiel said. ¡°They are hard working, intense and physical defenders.¡±

HEIM NAMED INSIDE LACROSSE PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICAN
Penn State Nittany Lion lacrosse player Pat Heim (Wayne, Pa.) has been named a second team pre-season All-American by Inside Lacrosse magazine. Heim is a senior co-captain on head coach Glenn Thiel¡¯s squad. Heim is a three-year starter at midfield for Penn State. A two-time first team All-ECAC pick, Heim has 67 career points off 44 goals and 23 assists. He has played in 41 games for Penn State through three seasons with the Nittany Lions and was a 2006 USILA honorable mention All-American. A trio of Nittany Lions were named to the Inside lacrosse honorable mention list. Senior co-captain Dan Saltsman (Concord, N.H.), senior attacker Brain Boyle (Derry, N.H.) and sophomore goalie Drew Adams (Springfield, Pa.) were all on the pre-season HM list.

GEORGETOWN LEADING ECAC SQUADS IN NATIONAL POLLS
ECAC foe Georgetown is the leading ECAC schools in the national rankings. The Hoyas are No. 4 in the coaches poll with Loyola checking in at No. 13. Rutgers is receiving votes. Georgetown is No. 4 in the media poll, with Loyola checking in at No. 13 and Rutgers and UMass receiving votes.