Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 3/5/22
From Press Release
North Carolina native James Shipley made the most of his homecoming on Saturday afternoon, scoring the game-winning goal with one second left in regulation to lead the University of Pennsylvania men’s lacrosse team past Penn State, 10-9, at Memorial Stadium as part of the 2022 Crown Classic in Charlotte.
The No. 6/5 Quakers (2-1) won their second straight one-goal contest and snapped a four-game losing streak against the Nittany Lions (2-4).
Dylan Gergar led the offensive attack for the Red and Blue with four goals while Sam Handley netted his first hat trick of the spring.
Saturday’s game was back and forth throughout with the score being tied seven times. The final game-tying goal was scored by sophomore Mark Sickler (Hershey) to know the score at 9-9 with 4:55 to play.
Penn’s game-winner came on its only shot of the final 5:30 of play. Penn State took five shots in the final 3:29, two of which were saved and three that went wide. The Lions forced a turnover and received a ground ball from Sam Sweeney with 1:56 to play and called timeout. Penn goalie Patrick Burkinshaw made a save on a shot by Jeb Brenfleck (Academy of the New Church), but Will Peden (Malvern Prep) picked up the ground ball and the Lions called timeout again with 1:13 left on the clock. They got one more shot that went off target before turning the ball over with 24 seconds left.
Penn called a timeout after the clear following the late-game turnover. Shipley came through with the last-second heroics out of the timeout.
Quaker Notemeal
*Each of the last three meetings between the Quakers and the Nittany Lions have been decided by one goal.
*The win was Penn’s first against Penn State since March of 2016.
*Dylan Gergar has scored four or more goals in seven straight games dating back to the 2020 season.
*Sam Handley had three goals and he is now second on the team in both goals (5) and points (7) while leading the squad with four assists.
*Patrick Burkinshaw made 14 saves in goal to earn the win. It marked his sixth straight game with 10 or save dating back to the 2020 season.
*James Shipley scored with under five seconds remaining in regulation for the second game in a row as his tally against Duke last weekend forced overtime.
How It Happened
Penn State opened the scoring at the 2022 Crown Classic a little more than 90 seconds into the contest.
Seven minutes later, Jack Schultz evened things at one with a goal in transition off a nice feed from BJ Farrare.
Penn State took another one goal lead before Dylan Gergar capped the scoring in the opening frame with his 11th marker of the season. Gergar buried a pass from Cam Rubin as the in-state rivals went into the second quarter tied at two.
Penn State scored the first two goals of the second to build its largest lead of the game. The Quakers responded three unanswered goals to take a 5-4 lead into halftime.
Sam Handley brought the Quakers to within one with his third goal of the season in the second and Gergar followed with a pair of unassisted tallies to give him his third straight hat trick to open 2022. His third of the day came with less than a minute remaining after the Red and Blue won a faceoff and called a timeout.
Dylan Gergar’s fourth goal of the day gave Penn a two-goal edge early in the third quarter before Penn State responded with back-to-back markers to knot things at six. With 5:58 left in the frame, Sam Handley converted a feed from Gabe Furey to give the Quakers back a lead.
Penn State battled back to tie it at seven with 2:39 left in the third. Off the ensuing faceoff, James Shipley scored an unassisted tally to give Penn a one-goal edge at 8-7 heading into the fourth.
Penn State tied the game at eight just under six minutes into the fourth quarter and one minute later, Sam Handley’s third goal of the day gave Penn a 9-8 lead.
For Penn State, junior Mac Costin (Haverford School) scored a pair of goals. Dan Reaume tallied a goal and an assist, while Brenfleck, Jack Kelly, and Luke Mercer each scored once. Peden and Ethan Long contributed one assist apiece.