Penn State men’s lacrosse lost to Michigan, 9-8, in a close game at Panzer Stadium on April 11. The deciding goal came in the final minute of play, dropping Penn State’s record to 6-5 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten Conference games. Michigan improved to 5-7 (2-2 B1G).
The outcome was influenced by turnovers, with Penn State committing 26 compared to Michigan’s 18. Redshirt senior Luke Walstrum led the Nittany Lions’ offense with two goals and an assist for three points. Redshirt senior Michael Faraone also contributed three points, scoring once and assisting twice. Sophomore Hunter Aquino returned from injury and scored two goals.
On defense, seniors Jon King and Will Costin each caused two turnovers alongside sophomore Lucca DiBartolomeo and redshirt sophomore Patrick Keenan. Junior Brendan Leary collected four groundballs while junior Colby Baldwin won eight out of nine faceoffs. Freshman goalkeeper Preston Hawkins made seven saves during the match.
The game saw Penn State take an early lead before Michigan responded with a series of goals to end the first quarter ahead. The Wolverines extended their lead into halftime but went scoreless through the third quarter as Penn State narrowed the gap. In a back-and-forth fourth quarter, Penn State took an 8-6 advantage before Michigan tied it up late and scored the winning goal with just seconds remaining.
A total of 2,008 fans attended the game at Panzer Stadium—the tenth highest attendance in its history. With this result, Penn State is now 1-3 against unranked teams this season but holds a stronger record against ranked opponents at 5-2.
Looking ahead, Penn State will finish its regular season on Friday night against No.19 Rutgers in Piscataway, New Jersey.
