UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State men's lacrosse senior Nick Spillane was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and earned a spot on the USILA Team of the Week for his game-winning heroics in the 15-14 win over in-state foe the University of Pennsylvania.
Spillane, a native of Franklin Square, New York, scored both the game-tying and game-winning goals in Penn State's come-from-behind win over Penn.
Redshirt junior attackman Grant Ament found Spillane with 2:39 left to play in the game, and Spillane took the jump shot that found its way to the back of Penn's net, tying the game at 14-all.
Off the ensuing faceoff, Penn would find itself with the win and possession but redshirt junior Tommy Wright caused a Penn turnover and defensive middie Brian Townsend scooped up the groundball and charged into the Nittany Lions' offensive side of the field. The Nittany Lions called a timeout with 2:18 left of the clock.
Out of the timeout, Penn State was able to get the ball in Spillane's stick, and the senior middie sniped a rocket of a shot that found the back of the cage and gave Penn State the lead with 2:01 left to play, and that would seal the game.
He finished with a season-high 3 goals and added an assist for a season-high 4 points.
This marks Spillane's second career Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honor (3/8/17). He is the third Nittany Lion to earn the Offensive Player of the Week honor this season, joining Ament (2/5/19) and junior Mac O'Keefe (2/19/19). This also marks his second career USILA Team of the Week honor (4/17/18).
Penn State hits the road for the Crown Classic in Charlotte, N.C., where they will play No. 3 Cornell on Friday, March 8 at 8 p.m., and then will play Jacksonville at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 10.
