Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/6/19
From Press Releases
The Penn State men’s lacrosse saw redshirt junior Grant Ament (Haverford School), junior Colby Kneese and freshman TJ Malone (Haverford School) honored by the Big Ten Conference office for their individual performances in the Nittany Lions’ 17-7 win over Villanova on Saturday.
Ament was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, Kneese was named Co-Specialist of the Week, and Malone picked up his first career honor as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week.
Ament returned to the field Saturday after missing all of the 2018 season. The attackman put together a career performance as he recorded a personal-best 10 points while dishing out a career-high seven assists and scoring three goals. His seven assists tied for fourth most in a single game for Penn State history. He also moved into eighth all-time in Penn State history for career assists with 71. This was Ament’s second career Big Ten weekly honor after earning the same honor on February 22, 2017.
Kneese was steadfast for the Nittany Lions in the cage, recording a career-best 19 saves and only allowing four goals in 53:04. He faced a total of 44 total shots and recorded an 82.6-percent save percentage and earned the win. This marks Kneese’s third career Big Ten Specialist of the Week honor (4/3/18, 4/4/17).
Malone – the 2018 Phillylacrosse.com Co-Player of the Year – recorded a hat-trick in his first collegiate game, including scoring one man-up goal to earn the Freshman of the Week honor.
Penn State returns to action as they host Robert Morris on Saturday, February 9 at 11 a.m.
Lehigh’s Chick earns Patriot honors
After posting nine groundballs and five caused turnovers in Saturday’s season opener vs. NJIT, senior Craig Chick of Lehigh men’s lacrosse has been named Patriot League Player of the Week, as announced on Monday. The weekly award marks the fourth of Chick’s career, and third defensive award (along with Rookie of the Week once in 2016). Chick led the Mountain Hawks to a 15-8 season-opening win over NJIT.
Chick helped spearhead a Lehigh defense which caused 19 of NJIT’s 30 turnovers on the day. Chick’s nine caused were just one from tying a career high, while with his five caused turnovers, he moved from eighth place in NCAA history for a career (118 entering the day) all the way to a tie for fourth (123). Chick needs 35 more caused turnovers to tie and 36 to break the NCAA record of 158 held by Detroit’s Jordan Houtby.
Chick and the Lehigh defense held NJIT scoreless for the game’s first 13:13 and to just three goals over the first 33:46. The Mountain Hawks won their fourth straight season opener, and ninth in the last 10 years.
Also recognized with honorable mention were senior Lucas Spence (two goals, career-high four assists), junior Conor Gaffney (14-of-20 facing off) and freshman Judah Hicks (four groundballs, two caused turnovers in collegiate debut).
The Mountain Hawks return to action on Saturday at 3 p.m. vs. Hofstra in the second game of a doubleheader with the Lehigh women.
Robertson (Duke’s LC) earns ACC honor
Duke sophomore attackman Joe Robertson (Duke’s LC) scored four goals and added an assist in the Blue Devils’ season-opening 17-9 win over Furman to earn this week’s Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week.
