Penn State Stuns Notre Dame, Advances in NCAA Lacrosse Tournament

The Penn State men's lacrosse team advanced to the NCAA Final Four with a victory over Notre Dame on May 18, 2025, in a quarterfinal matchup at Navy Marine Corpse Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. The contest pitted the fifth-seeded Nittany Lions against the two-time defending national champions in a nationally televised showdown on ESPNU. Penn State's balanced attack proved too much for the Irish, as the University Park program secured its third NCAA Quarterfinals appearance in program history. The Nittany Lions reached the quarterfinals after a thrilling 13-11 first-round victory over Colgate on May 9, 2025. Penn State battled back from an early deficit, with six tie scores throughout the contest before the team engaged in a decisive 3-0 scoring run over the final five minutes to seal the win. The comeback victory showcased the resilience that would define Penn State's tournament run. Penn State's success this season has been built on elite defense and ball control. As a team, the Nittany Lions lead the Big Ten in multiple categories, including points per game (20.33), scoring offense (12.40), scoring margin (3.33), and man-up offense (.404). Nationally, Penn State ranks fifth in caused turnovers per game, eighth in scoring defense, and eighth in faceoff winning percentage (.601)—a comprehensive skill set that proves instrumental in tournament play. The winner of Penn State's quarterfinal matchup against Notre Dame advanced to face the winner of the Cornell-Richmond contest at the NCAA Final Four at Gillette Stadium the following weekend. The tournament appearance marked another significant achievement for Penn State lacrosse under head coach.