NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The No. 5-ranked Yale University men's lacrosse team plays its first road contest this season as the Bulldogs head to University Park, Pa., to take on Penn State. Gametime is set for noon and will be streamed on Big10+.
The Bulldogs moved up a spot in the latest USILA rankings thanks to a win its season opener at Reese Stadium against then-No. 20 Villanova, 17-14. The Elis used a second-half comeback and got six points from Tewaaraton nominee Matt Brandau on five goals and an assist.
Brandau was locked in vs. the Wildcats, as he registered seven of his nine shots on goal while nine different Bulldogs scored. First year attackman Leo Johnson netted a hat trick in his collegiate debut while Will Cabrera was second on the team with four points on two goals and two assists.
Goalie Jared Paquette earned the start and the win as he made nine saves and saw a strong defensive effort Jack Stuzin, who made his collegiate debut, with a game-high five caused turnovers in addition to a team-high five ground balls and a goal.
Stuzin combined with Tewaaraton nominee Chris Fake to help anchor a defensive effort that held Villanova to just one goal in the third quarter.
In the faceoff circle, it was first-year Machado Rodriguez that stepped up in the second half as his victories led to Yale taking control in the third. He went 10-of-17 against Villanova as the Bulldogs finished strong with 5-of-6 wins in the fourth.
About Penn State
The Nittany Lions will be hungry for a victory on Saturday as they are off to a slow start with a 1-3 overall record and three-straight losses. Those defeats have come by a combined nine goals with a one-score loss against Villanova and a two-goal defeat at Saint Joseph's in their last game. Penn State opened the season with a 20-15 win vs. Lafayette and lost in week three to Vermont, 16-10.
Jack Traynor leads PSU with 21 points on a team-high 13 goals and eight assists. Will Peden is second on the squad with 15 points with 10 assists.
On the defensive side, Bratt Funk, Grant Haus and Brayden Peck each have five caused turnovers while Hudson Bohn has seen the majority of the time in the circle with a .471 win percentage and a team-high 19 ground balls.
Up Next
Yale returns home to Reese Stadium next week and takes on (rv) UMass, Saturday, March 5 at 1 p.m., on ESPN+
