Bryce Clay entered Michigan’s home contest against Penn State with six goals through four games. He nearly scored that many in one game with five goals to pace Michigan’s 14-12 win over No. 16 Penn State (1-4).

Sophomore Josh Zawada added four goals and one assist, John Kircacofe made a career-high 17 saves and Nick Rowlett won 17 of 28 faceoffs to help the Wolverines (1-4) enter the win column for the first time this season. It was the program’s first Big Ten. victory since April 26, 2019, against Ohio State.

Mac O’Keefe didn’t take long to etch his name in the record books, again. The Penn State fifth-year attackman scored the first goal of the game, and in doing so, he became the third NCAA Division I player to score 200 career goals.

Welcome to the history Mac O’Keefe.

The @PennStateMLAX attackman is now just the third player in Division I men’s history to score 200 career goals.pic.twitter.com/pAsKg5nMk0

— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) March 20, 2021

O’Keefe led all scorers for Penn State and had his highest point total in any game this season with three goals and one assist. The Nittany Lions were ahead 7-6 at halftime, but Michigan mounted a four-goal run by with four different scorers in the third quarter to build an 11-8 lead.

Mark Sickler’s transition goal, his first of the year, with 4:34 to play in the fourth quarter cut the Wolverines’ lead to one goal, but Clay again had the answer. He dodged underneath his man and fired home a low-angle bounce shot for his 11th goal of the season with 2:17 remaining.

He led the team in singing Michigan alma mater “The Yellow and Blue” after the win.

#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/MT8FzlSrbR

— Michigan Men's Lacrosse (@UMichLacrosse) March 20, 2021

Delaware Needs OT to Extend Winning Streak

Towson’s defense held Tye Kurtz scoreless through four quarters, but he managed to find the back of the net when it counted most. Kurtz, who averaged four goals per game entering Saturday’s contest, beat his short stick defender topside then launched a bouncer past Shane Brennan to win with 2:44 remaining in overtime.

Comeback Complete

Tye Kurtz with the OT winner as @DelawareMLAX scores the final three goals of regulation to force the extra period.

The Blue Hens remain undefeated in CAA play. pic.twitter.com/n2T8DkfMwg

— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) March 20, 2021

The goal clinched a comeback victory and the Blue Hens’ first win over Towson since April 16, 2016. It also extended Delaware’s winning streak to five games after a season-opening loss and improved its record to 3-0 in CAA play.

Towson (2-5) held on to a 12-9 advantage midway through the fourth quarter after Brody McLean scored his second goal of the game off James Avanzato’s fifth assist. Avanzato finished with seven points.

No. 20 Delaware, however, scored the final three goals in regulation. The first two came from freshman midfielder and Hill Academy product Cam Acchione, who had a hat trick. Fifth-year senior attackman Charlie Kitchen (three goals, one assist) then tied the score at 12 with 1:05 remaining after he forced his way to the goal with an inside roll dodge then absorbed a late, heavy hit.

He’s cooking

Charlie Kitchen ties it for @DelawareMLAX in a CAA battle against Towson.

pic.twitter.com/N0j4QpXxUl

— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) March 20, 2021

The Blue Hens overcame a 9-5 halftime deficit after Towson outscored them 7-3 in the first quarter.

Attack Powers No. 6 Syracuse to Dominant Win

Last week, every one of Syracuse’s first-line midfielders — Tucker Dordevic, Jamie Trimboli and Brendan Curry — found his name on the initial Tewaaraton Award Watch List for 2021. None of the Orange’s starting attack earned the same distinction. Saturday afternoon, they made a good argument for some much-needed additions.

Chase Scanlan scored seven goals, Owen Hiltz registered six points on one goal and five assists and Stephen Rehfuss, who entered the game as the team’s leader in points, tallied two goals and two assists. The explosive performance by the attack was a testament to the offense’s versatility and propelled the Orange to a 15-6 win over Holy Cross in the first-ever meeting between the programs.

Like several games this season, it came together on the fly after the squads’ previous contests (Syracuse vs. Hofstra and Holy Cross vs. Army) were postponed after their original opponents paused activities due to COVID-19 protocols.

Scanlan’s seven goals matched a career high that he previously set on Feb. 6, 2020, in a 21-14 win over Colgate. That was his first game playing for the Orange after transferring from Loyola.

Syracuse outshot the Crusaders 65-20. A.J. Fox’s 18 saves, including 11 in the first half, prevented an even more lopsided score. The Orange host Duke next Thursday.

Notable

• Richie Connell outscored Bellarmine by himself. The sophomore attackman for No. 19 Richmond registered a program-record seven goals with two assists in the Spiders’ 17-5 win over the Knights. Connell, however, did not lead his team in points. That distinction belonged to his linemate, senior Ryan Lanchbury, who scored a hat trick and dished nine (yes, nine) assists to tally 12 points. The total is a program record, a SoCon record and the highest single-game mark so far this year in NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse.

• Logan Wisnauskas continued his prolific start to the season for the undefeated No. 2 Maryland Terrapins. The senior attackman registered seven points on four goals and three assists in No. 2 Maryland’s 16-8 win over No. 14 Ohio State. The Terrapins’ attack unit that also features Jared Bernhardt and Daniel Maltz combined for 16 points.

• No. 7 Rutgers defeated No. 15 Johns Hopkins 15-9 and rebounded from their 19-12 loss to Maryland a weekend ago in large part because of the production of their veteran attack. Kieran Mullins led the way with five goals and three assists. More on that game from Patrick Stevens.

• TJ Haley is quickly becoming one of the best distributors in the game. The freshman attackman from Shady Side, Md., dished six assists in No. 4 Georgetown’s 14-9 win over Providence. It’s the second time Haley has hit that mark in 2021. He has 24 assists through six games. The Hoyas rebounded after a 13-7 loss to No. 9 Denver on Tuesday. Sophomore midfielder Graham Bundy Jr. scored four goals and Jake Carraway had a hat trick.

• Chris Gray — and No. 3 North Carolina — look unstoppable. The No. 3 Tar Heels have not lost a game since Gray transferred from Boston U. after the 2019 season. Carolina (8-0) continued its winning streak by dispatching Air Force 15-5. Gray tallied two goals and six assists. It was his sixth game this season with seven or more points.

• No. 12 UMass’ Matt Knote made 20 saves in the Minutemen’s 13-7 win over Drexel.

• Kevin Lindley scored seven goals to help No. 13 Loyola top Bucknell 24-10. Four players for the Greyhounds scored at least three goals.

• Tehoka Nanticoke scored six goals and added three assists during Albany’s 19-7 win against Binghamton. Nanticoke has 11 goals through three games after missing the Great Danes’ first contest due to COVID-19 protocols.

Nike/US Lacrosse Top 20

No. 2 Maryland 16, No. 14 Ohio State 8
No. 3 North Carolina 15, Air Force 5
No. 4 Georgetown 14, Providence 9
No. 6 Syracuse 15, Holy Cross 6
No. 7 Rutgers 15, No. 15 Johns Hopkins 9
No. 8 Virginia 14, Robert Morris 12
No. 10 Notre Dame 19, Cleveland State 5
No. 12 UMass 13, Drexel 7
No. 19 Richmond 17, Bellarmine 5
No. 20 Delaware 13, Towson 12 (OT)

Holy Cross at No. 5 Army, PPD
No. 17 Navy at Lafayette, PPD

OTHER SCORES

Albany 19, Binghamton 7
Boston U. 16, Colgate 11
Canisius 12, Siena 10
Hobart 13, Mount St. Mary’s 9
Long Island U. 13, Sacred Heart 8
Manhattan 11, Detroit Mercy 7
Monmouth 13, St. Bonaventure 12
Saint Joseph’s 9, Merrimack 7
Stony Brook 16, UMass Lowell 9
UMBC 13, Hartford 10
Vermont 17, NJIT 2

Marquette at St. John’s, PPD
Siena at Quinnipiac, PPD
St. Bonaventure at Canisius, PPD