UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State women’s lacrosse takes on Johns Hopkins for second-straight game as the Nittany Lions open the 2025 Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday, April 23, in College Park, Maryland.
First draw between Penn State and the Blue Jays is set for 12 p.m. (ET) at Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex. This is the first time since 1997, with the exception of the COVID adjusted 2021 season, that Penn State will play the same opponent in consecutive games. The 1997 back-to-back games came against Maryland, which were a pair of losses (12-11, 6-2), in the final week of the regular season and the NCAA Tournament.
Game Info
Who: Penn State vs. No. 9 Johns Hopkins
What: Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals
Where: College Park, Md. – Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex
When: Wednesday, April 23 at 12 p.m. (ET)
Nittany Lions vs. Johns Hopkins
In a series dating back to 2002, Penn State owns a 17-11 advantage in the all-time series against the Blue Jays. Despite the all-time series leading toward the Nittany Lions, the Jays have won six of the last seven meetings. PSU’s lone win in the stretch was a 16-13 win at home last season.
JHU took last week’s meeting in an overtime battle, 12-11.
Johns Hopkins also holds a narrow edge in neutral site meetings, leading 3-2 in no-man’s land.
Scouting the Blue Jays
Johns Hopkins comes into the week ranked eighth in the IWLCA Coaches Poll, boasting a 10-4 overall record and 4-2 conference mark. The Blue Jays are coming off a shocking 13-2 loss to Michigan on Sunday after missing the presence of their number one attacker, Ashley Mackin.
Mackin, who leads the Blue Jays in goals, points, and free position goals despite only appearing in 12 games, has recorded at least four points in nine games this season, and at least four of those points came from goals in each appearance. In the potential absence of Mackin, Hopkins will look to Ava Angello to spark the offense. The junior is the Jays number two scorer, posting 52 goals and 19 assists in 16 games.
Star defender Reagan O’Brien, who ranks atop the Big Ten and number one nationally in caused turnovers per game, accounts for 4.19 disruptions per contest. She averages nearly a full turnover more than the second-ranked defender.
Last Time Out
No. 25 Penn State women’s lacrosse dropped a heartbreaker to conference No. 8-ranked Johns Hopkins Wednesday night in the Nittany Lions final game of the regular season. The Blue Jays, who scored the winning goal in overtime after trailing by as many as three in the fourth quarter, stole a 12-11 victory at Homewood Field. With the loss, Penn State falls to 7-8 (5-3 Big Ten), while JHU improves to 11-4 (5-2 Big Ten).
Erika Ho led the Nittany Lion attack with five points, scoring four goals on five shots and adding an assist. She also secured eight draw controls to eclipse her 100th of the season, caused a turnover, and scooped a ground ball. Kelly MacKinney followed with three points on two assists and a goal. Four other Nittany Lions tallied two points in the outing, including pairs of goals from Brooke Hoss and Ellie Wisch, two apples from Lauren Saltz, and one goal and one assist from Payton Wainman and Emma Kelly. Saltz and Kelly each added three draw controls apiece.
Sydney Manning tallied 12 saves for the Nittany Lions, giving her a save percentage of .500 or better for the third time this season.
All-Conference Honors
Penn State women’s lacrosse earned six All-Big Ten honors, the conference offices announce on Tuesday afternoon. The Nittany Lions posted the team’s most first-team recognitions since the 2019 season, when the team also had three honorees.
Seniors Ellie Hollin and Lauren Saltz, along with junior Erika Ho all earned first team nods. Redshirt freshman Lilly Spilker and freshman Brooke Long found their names on the All-Freshmen team, and senior Kate Dougherty was garnered Sportsmanship Honors.
Hollin enters the Big Ten Tournament as one of the conferences most consistent defenders. The Monkton, Maryland, native has posted 22 caused turnovers and scooped 31 ground balls so far this season. The former All-American has also won four draw controls.
Saltz, a two-way midfielder for Penn State, enters the conference tournament with 22 goal and 25 points so far this season. The points number matches her combined point total from her sophomore and junior seasons. Saltz has caused six turnovers in 2025 and vacuumed 20 ground balls. Also a staple in the draw rotation, the Westminster, Maryland, native have secured 40 wins for the Blue and White.
Ho is one of the nation’s top draw takers and has developed into a lethal shooter this season. The Frankfort, Illinois, native has 106 draw controls to date, becoming just the third Nittany Lion to eclipse the 100 wins mark. She sits just 24 wins shy of the all-time Penn State single season record set by Madison Carter in 2017. Ho ranks 24th nationally on draw controls per game, averaging 7.07. The tally ranks fourth in the Big Ten. Outside the draw circle, Ho leads the Nittany Lions in goals (44), points (53), free-position goals (13), and ranks third on the team in ground balls (24). Her goal total ranks top five in the Big Ten.
Spilker, after redshirting last season, has quickly grown into one of the Nittany Lions top defenders. The Annapolis, Maryland, native has posted eight starts in 12 appearances this year, causing 16 turnovers and securing nine ground balls. He caused turnovers per game mark of 1.33 ranks ninth in the Big Ten. She is the only freshman in the Big Ten to rank in the top 150 nationally in caused turnovers per game.
Long, a native of Melville, New York, has appeared in 14 of the teams 15 games this season as a two-way midfielder. The freshman has scored eight goals and added five assists so far this season, all coming in conference play. The rookie has tallied 13 ground balls and caused four turnovers and ranks fourth on the team in draw controls with 18 to date.
Dougherty, a defender from New Hope, Pennsylvania, was recognized as Penn State’s representative on the Big Ten All-Sportsmanship Team. The defender has posted 13 groundballs, 14 caused turnovers, and added four draw controls in the 2025 regular season.
(W)Ho’s Next Up
Junior Erika Ho posted four goals in Penn State’s upset win over No. 22 Southern California, helping the Nittany Lions earn a fifth-straight conference victory and break into the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll for the first time since week two of the 2025 season, but her scoring is just the tip of the iceberg.
On three separate occasions this season, Ho has won 14 draw controls (vs. Drexel, at Oregon, vs. USC). The 14 matches the second most by a Nittany Lion since at least the 2012 season. She now owns three of the top eight single-game spots in the PSU record books in at least the last 13 seasons. In the Nittany Lions last outing, Ho became just the third PSU athlete to eclipse 100 draw controls in a single season. Her 106 sits just 13 away from the second most wins in PSU history (119), and 24 shy of the all-time Penn State record of 130. Both Marks ahead of Ho were set by Madison Carter in 2017 and 2018.
Weekly Recognition
After toppling No. 22 Southern California, 16-8, Penn State had senior Lauren Saltz and freshman Brooke Long earn weekly conference honors on April 15.
Saltz, the Big Ten Midfielder of the Week, posted a goal and an assist on senior day in the upset win. She also scooped two ground balls, caused a turnover, and won three draw controls.
Long, the Big Ten Freshman of the Week, put up her first-career hat trick on just four shots in the win. Long also caused two turnovers and scooped two ground balls as a strong two-way midfielder.
The win over USC earned Penn State a spot back into the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Coaches Poll. The Nittany Lions entered the week at 25. After dropping the last contest to Johns Hopkins, PSU fell out of the weekly poll but continued to receive votes.
Preseason Nods
In the Big Ten preseason poll, the Nittany Lions were picked to finish fifth.
Senior Ellie Hollin raked in the preseason recognitions. She has been named a consensus preseason first-team All-American and earned a spot on the Tewaaraton watch list.
Hollin also earned nod from the conference offices, being named a Big Ten Player to Watch. She joined sophomores Sydney Manning and Kelly MacKinney on the list.
Getting Younger
Where the Nittany Lions returned 29-of-33 players from 2023 to 2024 roster, the 2025 roster boasts 24 sophomores and freshmen by class eligibility.
Manning and MacKinney highlight the group after their breakout seasons in 2024.
MacKinney returns as the fourth-leading scorer from last year. The then-freshman posted 39 points on 14 goals and 25 assists. The attacker ranked in top ten in the conference and led the team with her assist total and assist per game mark (1.32).
Manning was named the 2024 Big Ten Freshman of the Year last season. The then-freshman has started 16 games in her rookie campaign, making 100 saves. She also scooped up 24 ground balls. The netminder made 15 save in the upset victories over No. 1 Northwestern and No. 4 Maryland in 2024.
Fresh Faces
Penn State adds 12 freshmen to the 2024 roster: Dakota Cristo, Arden Jansen, Alexa Kairis, Brooke Lattanzi, Brooke Long, Allie Meyer, Maggie Rezza, Porter Rhoades, Ava Stummer, Victoria Tomonto, Grace Tullock, and Ellie Wisch.
In addition to the rookies, Penn State added transfers Lily Strohecker (Navy) and Delaney Radin (Florida).
On the Lookout
- Delaney Radin is seven points away from 25 on her career.
- Emma Kelly is one goal away from 50 in her career.
- Ellie Hollin is 18 caused turnovers away from 100 in her career.
- Kelly MacKinney hit the 25-goal mark in her career in the win over USC. She is 14 points away for 100 in her career.
- Sydney Manning is hit the 200 save mark in the win over Southern California. She has 212 heading into the Big Ten Tournament.
Up Next
The winner of the battle between PSU and JHU will face No. 1-seed Northwestern on Friday, April 25. First draw is yet to be determined, but the game will be streamed live on the Big Ten Network.