The Nittany Lions are on the move. After a gritty 10-6 victory over Army in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Penn State men's lacrosse is heading to the next stage—and they're bringing the heat.
It wasn't a flawless performance, but it was effective. Hunter Aquino sparked the offense with a hat trick and an assist, providing the energy boost the team needed on an otherwise quiet afternoon. Meanwhile, goalie Preston Hawkins was a wall in the cage, making 12 saves on 18 shots to keep Army at bay. With a 10-5 record, this team is proving they can grind out wins when it counts.
Next up? A showdown with Princeton for a spot in the Final Four. The game is set for Sunday at noon on ESPNU, and if you're looking for a reason to believe, look no further than the Nittany Lions' 13-7 win over the Tigers back on February 14. History is on their side, but every game is a new battle.
On the women's side, the season ended on a tough note. The Kayla Treanor era's first campaign concluded with a 7-5 loss to Stanford in the NCAA Tournament's first round. The game was knotted at 5 heading into the fourth quarter, but the Cardinal defense locked down, silencing Penn State's attack. Emma Kelly scored twice in the loss, showing fight until the final whistle.
Switching to the diamond, the baseball team had a mixed week, taking two of three games from Washington before falling to Pitt on Tuesday. The highlight came Sunday, when Isaiah Shayter, Ben Demell, Dimond Loosli, and Mason Horwat combined for a shutout in a 4-0 win over Washington. It was the team's second shutout of the season and their first in Big Ten play—a sign of growing chemistry on the mound.
Penn State also opened their final conference series with a bang, beating Maryland 13-3 in game one. They'll face the Terrapins two more times (Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m.) to close out the regular season. While the Nittany Lions have already been eliminated from Big Ten Tournament contention—only the top 12 teams qualify—they're playing for pride and momentum heading into the offseason.