April 14, 2008

By Matt Brown Email Daily Collegian

April 14, 2008

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA (UWIRE) --

Penn State goalie Drew Adams admitted his team may have overlooked winless St. John's on Saturday.

That overconfidence contributed to the Penn State men's lacrosse team (4-6, 1-4 ECAC) losing its third-consecutive game, as the Red Storm won their first game of the season, 11-7, in Queens, N.Y.

"We just didn't have it," Adams said. "They didn't have a good record, but they weren't a bad team. We just didn't come in focused."

St. John's was able to attempt 41 shots in the game, and Adams recorded 12 saves in goal.

Despite Penn State coach Glenn Thiel's praise, Adams was critical of his own performance in goal and shouldered much of the blame.

"I've been in a slump over the past few games," Adams said. "Instead of focusing on what I need to do personally, I've focused too much on other parts of the game."

Thiel said St. John's controlled the ball for much of the game and the Penn State defense didn't get enough pressure on the Red Storm attack.

The Red Storm (1-9, 1-4) also capitalized on extra-man opportunities, scoring four goals in five man-up chances.

Prior to Saturday's game, the Penn State defense had not allowed double-digit goals in a game since giving up 17 goals March 8 at Ohio State, a team that averages 13.29 goals per game. St. John's, on the other hand, scores just 6.4 goals per game.

But the Red Storm took care of the ball and prevented the Lions from gaining possession, and Thiel said the Penn State defense allowed too many broken plays and too many easy shots.

While the defense had a rare down game, the Lions' offensive scoring struggles continued. They made 5-of-15 shots in the first half but could only net two goals in the second half on 16 shot attempts.

"We're certainly generating enough shots," Thiel said. "There just were not enough possessions, and we didn't win faceoffs."

Rob Gannon led St. John's with three goals, while Justin O'Donnell recorded five points with two goals and three assists. For Penn State, junior attackman Max VanArsdale scored two goals and was the only player on the team with multiple points.

Despite the three-game losing streak, Adams said the team is trying to remain positive and forget about what has happened in the past, especially with only two days to prepare for tomorrow's game against No. 11 Bucknell.

"We have the talent but haven't put it together," Adams said. "As bummed out as everyone is about the last couple of games, we're looking forward to making a statement at the end of the season."

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