PHILADELPHIA – Another Top 20 matchup is on the docket for the #10 University of Pennsylvania men's lacrosse team on Saturday, making the five-hour trip to University Park in a battle of Pennsylvania foes against #17 Penn State at 3 p.m.
 
Coming off a 14-12 loss to then-#10 Duke last Saturday, the Quakers look to bounce back against a Nittany Lions team who just knocked off #7 Yale over the weekend to launch into the national rankings for the first time in 2023.
 
Saturday marks the seventh straight season (excluding 2021) with a matchup between Penn and Penn State and for the first time on PSU's campus since 2019.
 
GAME 3: #10/10 Penn (1-1, 0-0 Ivy) at #17/17 Penn State (3-1, 0-0 B1G)
Saturday, Mar. 4 | 3 p.m.
University Park, Pa. | Panzer Stadium
Watch (BTN+) | Live Stats | Game Notes
 
Battle In Pennsylvania
*Everyone likes a little in-state rivalry, especially when it involves a pair of Top-20 programs. #10 Penn and #17 Penn State are facing off for the 21st time in the series history and for the seventh consecutive season (excluding 2021). The Quakers won in 2022, 10-9, down in Charlotte, N.C. for the Crown Classic in which James Shipley scored the game-winner with just one second remaining in regulation.
 
The Nittany Lions lead the all-time series, 12-8, including five of the last seven matchups and four of the last five. Penn is looking for its first victory on the road in University Park since a 12-6 victory on April 3, 1974.
 
Road Warriors
*It's been quite a long time since Penn's last regular season loss on the road, especially after emerging victorious to open the season at Georgetown. The Quakers' last defeat away from home was on Apr. 8, 2022 at #8 Yale in a 12-11 final.
 
You have to go back to Feb. 15, 2020 to find Penn's last road loss in non-conference play, where it fell 17-15 at #4 Maryland to open that season.
 
Almost Called it a Comeback
*The Quakers nearly pulled off another historic comeback on Saturday afternoon in the home opener against #10 Duke, but the 8-3 halftime deficit proved to be too much to overcome as Penn fell, 14-12, at Penn Park. Penn scored the first two goals of the contest to take an early 2-0 lead before the Blue Devils reeled off eight unanswered to go ahead, 8-2. Shipley fired away a shot at the second-quarter buzzer to tack on a third.
 
The Quakers began to chip away at the Duke lead, getting as close as two goals on a pair of occasions, but the Blue Devils held on for the win.
 
Cam Rubin notched his second consecutive hat trick with three goals and two assists, while Dylan Gergar scored three goals as well, adding a helper to finish with four points.
 
One Away
*Putting away three more on Saturday against Duke, Gergar is now just one goal away from joining the 100-career goal club. With four goals in the first two games of the season, the senior now has 99 for his career, one of only six players in program history have more than 100 goals, the last being Adam Goldner, who scored 115 from 2017-21.
 
Welcome Back, Kid!
*After missing the final two games of last season in the NCAA Tournament due to a season-ending injury suffered in the Ivy Tournament final vs. Yale on May 8, Tynan Walsh seems to have returned to form after his one-goal, two-assist performance against Duke on Saturday afternoon.
 
He converted on his only shot on goal of the game and also picked up a ground ball, doing so coming off the bench.
 
First Of His Career
*It took him over a year, but Casey Mulligan finally found himself on the scoresheet for the first time, notching his first-career goal against the Blue Devils Saturday at Penn Park.
 
He converted on his only shot of the contest, doing so in a big way, as the Quakers scored their third in a row, all in a span of two minutes late in the third quarter to cut the Duke lead to 10-6. Fellow sophomore Walsh assisted on Mulligan's tally, one of his pair for the game.
 
Point For Piper
*Also finding himself on the scoresheet for the first time in 2023 was senior Piper Bond, who recorded his first goal of the season with a super strike with 1:21 left in the third to make it 10-7 following Mulligan's goal.
 
Bond took it unassisted to bring the Quakers back within three heading into the fourth quarter. The fifth-year now has three goals for his career, all of which have come in the last two seasons.
 
Killer Cam
*Junior Cam Rubin has been one of the main keys to Penn's early-season success just two games into the new campaign. He's scored a team-high seven goals with two assists for a team-best nine points.
 
Rubin is ranked seventh in the Ivy League in goals per game (3.50) and has notched a hat trick in both contests so far.
 
Keeping The Streaks Alive
*Penn players have two notable scoring streaks going for them at the moment, both among the best in the nation.
 
Sam Handley increased his point-scoring streak to 35 straight games with his one goal and two assists against Duke Saturday. That number is good for fifth nationally. Handley has at least one point in every game he has played for Penn during his career.
 
Gergar's three goals against Duke upped his goal-scoring streak to 25 straight games, the third-highest amount in the nation. He's scored 83 goals during that streak, which staarted back on May 19, 2019 against Yale. His point-scoring streak is also sitting at 25, putting him just outside the 30-game threshold.
 
Penn in the National Stats
*The Quakers rank fifth in clearing percentage (.950).
 
*They are also ranked 10th in fewest turnovers per game (13.50).
 
*Penn heads into Saturday's matchup with Penn State ranked 17th in saves per game (14.00) and 25th in scoring defense (10.50).
 
Penn Players in the National Stats
*Carroll is currently 12th in the nation for save percentage (.571) and 13th in saves per game (14.00). He's also 24th in GAA (10.50).
 
*Rubin is 15th in goals per game (3.50) and 26th in points per game (4.50).
 
Penn in Ivy Stats
*The Quakers rank second amongst Ivy opponents in two categories—clearing percentage (.950) and saves per game (14.00)—heading into Saturday. Penn is also third in fewest turnovers per game (13.50) and fourth in man-down defense (.500) and man-up offense (.400).
 
Penn Players in Ivy Stats
*Carroll is second among Ivy goaltenders in save percentage (.571) and saves per game (14.00), as well as fourth in GAA (10.50).
 
*Chris Arceri ranks fourth in ground balls per game (4.50) and fifth in caused turnovers per gme (1.50), tied with teammate Ethan Till.
 
*Rubin is sixth in goals per game (3.50) and eighth in points per game (4.50).
 
Scouting The Nittany Lions
*Penn State is 3-1 to start the 2023 season and broke into the national rankings this week following a gutsy, 13-11 victory on the road at #7/5 Yale Saturday afternoon. Matt Traynor scored five goals, while TJ Malone also recorded a hat trick and Jeb Brenfleck captured his first-career multi-goal game (2). Chase Mullins went 14-for-28 in the faceoff circle and goalie Jack Fracyon made 15 saves.
 
The Nittany Lions also own victories over Lafayette (21-11) and Stony Brook (17-12) this year.
 
Follow Along
Saturday's game will be streamed live on Big Ten Network Plus (subscription required) with live stats provided as well. Be sure to follow @PennMensLax on Twitter for in-game updates.
 
Tickets ($10 for the men's/women's doubleheader) can be purchased at Panzer Stadium from the ticket window when arriving.