Penn State men’s lacrosse had three players recognized on Apr. 3 with midseason All-American honors by Inside Lacrosse. Senior defenseman Alex Ross was named to the first team, senior short-stick Jon King earned third team honors, and sophomore faceoff Reid Gills received an honorable mention.
These selections highlight individual defensive performances for the Nittany Lions, despite their offense ranking first in the Big Ten and among the top ten nationally in goals per game and points per game. The offensive unit did not receive any midseason recognitions.
Ross currently ranks second in the conference and 25th nationally for caused turnovers per game, averaging 1.78. He recently surpassed 100 career groundballs. Analytical metrics show Ross as one of the nation’s leading defenders: his defensive expected goals added ranks in the 99th percentile, while his caused turnovers per penalty are at a perfect rate since he has not received a penalty this season. His groundball win rate is also among the best nationally.
King was recently named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after a win over Maryland and is tied for second among short-stick defensive midfielders with 11 caused turnovers this season. His advanced statistics place him near the top of national rankings for both defensive impact and groundball recovery rates.
Gills stands out as one of college lacrosse’s top faceoff specialists, ranking eleventh nationally and third in the Big Ten with a faceoff win percentage of 61.2 percent. He also averages five groundballs per game, which is second-best in conference play.
Looking ahead, Penn State will play another ranked opponent when they travel to Baltimore to face No. 16 Johns Hopkins at Homewood Field on Saturday, April 4 at noon. The match will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
