Another meeting of two historical heavyweights, Penn State men's lacrosse and Princeton are set to meet on Sunday, May 17 at 12 p.m ET in Newark, Delaware. The 8-seed Nittany Lions and No. 1-seeded Tigers, which boast a combined 218 years of history, meet in the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Tournament quarterfinals, for the programs' eighth all-time meeting. The game will be broadcast live from Delaware Stadium on ESPNU.
PSU advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals for the second consecutive season following a 10-6 win over Army. The trip to Newark marks the first time in program history that Penn State has advanced to the quarterfinals in sequential seasons.
The game will be Princeton’s 11th game against an opponent ranked in the top 20 this season. Sunday will also mark PSU’s 11th ranked matchup of the season. Both teams are 8-2 when facing a ranked opponent.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
• Princeton shines on the stat sheet this season, boasting the nation’s second-most points per game (23.94), third-most assists per game (9.06), and the third best scoring offense (14.88).
• The Tiger’s are one of the most accurate shooting teams in the country, ranking second nationally and scoring on 34.3 percent of their strikes.
• If there is a place where the top team in the nation shows any, all be it minimal, weakness, it comes in the rope and ride. The Tigers allow opponents to clear at an 88.6 percent rate, which ranks just 59th among Division I teams. In their own clearing, Princeton advances possession just 87.1 percent of the time. Transition game could be a major factor in the matchup.
• Despite note clearing the ball effectively, the Tigers are otherwise sound at taking care fo the ball, committing just an average of 13.19 turnovers per game.
• Nate Kabiri, one of five finalists for the 2026 Tewaaraton Award, is one of the nation’s top assisters. He ranks eight in the country in assists per game dishing 2.56 per contest. His points per game number of 4.75 ranks eighth in the country.
• A two-headed beast on the offense, Chad Pulumbo tag teams the attack with Kabiri. The pair combined for 15 points in the first round game for the Tigers.
• Faceoff man Andrew Meekan wins draws at a 57.9 percent rank, but scoops a majority of his own pulls, grabbing 7.81 groundballs per game.
• Netminder Ryan Croddick allows an average of 9.54 goals per game, the 14th fewest goals allowed in the country. His save percentage of 57.8 is sixth-best nationally.
A WIN WOULD...
• Move Penn State to a 11-5 record this season.
• Mark PSU’s second consecutive year advancing to the NCAA Tournament semifinals. Penn State has never advanced to the semifinals in consecutive seasons, and has only appeared in the final four three other seasons (2019, 2023, 2025)
• Help Penn State close the gap in the all-time records, moving the series to 4-3 all-time in favor of the Tigers.
• Mark PSU’s third win in the series since it began in 1991. PSU took a victory over Princeton earlier this season when the Blue & White earned a 13-7 win over the Tigers.
• Move Penn State to a 69-49-1 record all-tine against all Ivy League opponents. PSU has faced off against all Ivy League programs except Brown.
• Mark Penn State’s 33rd win against Division I programs in the Garden State.
• Mark Coach Jeff Tambroni’s 10th win against Princeton. Tambroni is 9-5 all time against the Tigers, with only one contest of his career occuring at PSU. Tambroni’s only loss against Princeton while at Penn State came in the 2025 season when the Tigers took an 11-10 win in overtime at Holuba Hall.
BY THE NUMBERS
• The Nittany Lion defense ranks second best among teams still in the tournament. The team averages just 8.73 goals allowed per game. The mark ranks second in the Big Ten and seventh overall in the country.
• PSU's scoring margin is equally as impressive, as Penn State has outscored oppoenents by an average on 3.93 goals per game. That marks is best in the Big Ten and 10th best nationally.
• Penn State is the ninth most accurate shooting team in the country, scoring on 32.9 percent of its shots.
• In the words of sophomore attackman Hunter Aquino, “We don’t have one guy, we have ten.” Penn State has zero players ranked in the top ten in any offensive or defensive categories, per the NCAA statistical database. Still, the Nittany Lion offense ranks top-20 in the country. PSU has used this balanced attack and defenive approach to confuse opposing team all season. It’s impossible to know who to put a pole on if any guy can go off on any given day.
• Specialist categories are a different thing though, as Reid Gills ranks sixth nationally in face off win percentage, scooping 63.2 percent of his pulls. Freshman netminder Preston Hawkins has settled into his own this season, also ranking eighth in a national statisitcal category. The rookie allows just 8.53 goals per game, a mark that also ranks second in the Big Ten.
THE ASYLUM
Nittany Lions prepare for No. 1 Princeton
Another meeting of two historical heavyweights, Penn State men's lacrosse and Princeton are set to meet on Sunday, May 17 at 12 p.m ET in Newark, Delaware. The 8-seed Nittany Lions and No. 1-seeded Tigers, which boast a combined 218 years of history, meet in the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Tournament quarterfinals, for the programs' eighth all-time meeting. The game will be broadcast live from Delaware Stadium on ESPNU.
PSU advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals for the second consecutive season following a 10-6 win over Army. The trip to Newark marks the first time in program history that Penn State has advanced to the quarterfinals in sequential seasons.
The game will be Princeton’s 11th game against an opponent ranked in the top 20 this season. Sunday will also mark PSU’s 11th ranked matchup of the season. Both teams are 8-2 when facing a ranked opponent.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
• Princeton shines on the stat sheet this season, boasting the nation’s second-most points per game (23.94), third-most assists per game (9.06), and the third best scoring offense (14.88).
• The Tiger’s are one of the most accurate shooting teams in the country, ranking second nationally and scoring on 34.3 percent of their strikes.
• If there is a place where the top team in the nation shows any, all be it minimal, weakness, it comes in the rope and ride. The Tigers allow opponents to clear at an 88.6 percent rate, which ranks just 59th among Division I teams. In their own clearing, Princeton advances possession just 87.1 percent of the time. Transition game could be a major factor in the matchup.
• Despite note clearing the ball effectively, the Tigers are otherwise sound at taking care fo the ball, committing just an average of 13.19 turnovers per game.
• Nate Kabiri, one of five finalists for the 2026 Tewaaraton Award, is one of the nation’s top assisters. He ranks eight in the country in assists per game dishing 2.56 per contest. His points per game number of 4.75 ranks eighth in the country.
• A two-headed beast on the offense, Chad Pulumbo tag teams the attack with Kabiri. The pair combined for 15 points in the first round game for the Tigers.
• Faceoff man Andrew Meekan wins draws at a 57.9 percent rank, but scoops a majority of his own pulls, grabbing 7.81 groundballs per game.
• Netminder Ryan Croddick allows an average of 9.54 goals per game, the 14th fewest goals allowed in the country. His save percentage of 57.8 is sixth-best nationally.
A WIN WOULD...
• Move Penn State to a 11-5 record this season.
• Mark PSU’s second consecutive year advancing to the NCAA Tournament semifinals. Penn State has never advanced to the semifinals in consecutive seasons, and has only appeared in the final four three other seasons (2019, 2023, 2025)
• Help Penn State close the gap in the all-time records, moving the series to 4-3 all-time in favor of the Tigers.
• Mark PSU’s third win in the series since it began in 1991. PSU took a victory over Princeton earlier this season when the Blue & White earned a 13-7 win over the Tigers.
• Move Penn State to a 69-49-1 record all-tine against all Ivy League opponents. PSU has faced off against all Ivy League programs except Brown.
• Mark Penn State’s 33rd win against Division I programs in the Garden State.
• Mark Coach Jeff Tambroni’s 10th win against Princeton. Tambroni is 9-5 all time against the Tigers, with only one contest of his career occuring at PSU. Tambroni’s only loss against Princeton while at Penn State came in the 2025 season when the Tigers took an 11-10 win in overtime at Holuba Hall.
BY THE NUMBERS
• The Nittany Lion defense ranks second best among teams still in the tournament. The team averages just 8.73 goals allowed per game. The mark ranks second in the Big Ten and seventh overall in the country.
• PSU's scoring margin is equally as impressive, as Penn State has outscored oppoenents by an average on 3.93 goals per game. That marks is best in the Big Ten and 10th best nationally.
• Penn State is the ninth most accurate shooting team in the country, scoring on 32.9 percent of its shots.
• In the words of sophomore attackman Hunter Aquino, “We don’t have one guy, we have ten.” Penn State has zero players ranked in the top ten in any offensive or defensive categories, per the NCAA statistical database. Still, the Nittany Lion offense ranks top-20 in the country. PSU has used this balanced attack and defenive approach to confuse opposing team all season. It’s impossible to know who to put a pole on if any guy can go off on any given day.
• Specialist categories are a different thing though, as Reid Gills ranks sixth nationally in face off win percentage, scooping 63.2 percent of his pulls. Freshman netminder Preston Hawkins has settled into his own this season, also ranking eighth in a national statisitcal category. The rookie allows just 8.53 goals per game, a mark that also ranks second in the Big Ten.
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