Penn State Athletics Year in Review

With the track and field season wrapping up in Eugene, Ore. this past weekend, Penn State’s 2023-24 athletic schedule has officially concluded.

From upsets to big plays to dominating individual performances, there were plenty of key moments as the Nittany Lions saw success with the men’s soccer team, wrestling team, women’s hockey team and men’s volleyball team all clinched at least a share of their regular season conference titles with the latter three of those teams also winning their respective tournaments.

In chronological order, here's a look at 15 moments, performances and storylines that defined Penn State Athletics’ 2023-24 Calendar.

Lambert-Smith Roams the Country Roads on First Possession of Season

While plenty of events take place before the first football game, it's that first time in Beaver Stadium in the fall that unites the Penn State faithful after a long summer break.

After the Manny Diaz-led defense forced a punt on West Virginia’s first drive, Drew Allar marched onto the field for the first time as Penn State’s starting quarterback. The Medina, Ohio native handed the ball off twice to Nicholas Singleton before getting his first chance to throw in his sophomore season.

Following a nine-yard completion to KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Allar moved up in the pocket and while still on the run, found Lambert-Smith far downfield in one-on-one coverage. The Virginia native made the contested catch and took it the rest of the way for the 72-yard touchdown.

Although Allar did not flash his arm as many times as Penn State fans would’ve liked, the first-year starter finished with 2631 passing yards and one of the nation’s best touchdown-to-interception ratios at 25-to-2.

Shakes Makes Clutch Save to Clinch Berth in Big Ten Title Game

After going 86:20 of game time without a tally on the scoreboard, Penn State and Ohio State found themselves heading into a penalty shootout to decide which program would advance to the Big Ten Championship.

Peter Mangione, Femi Awodesu and Matthew Henderson each found the back of the net on their penalty kicks, but three of the first four Buckeyes did the same. On the fifth attempt for the Nittany Lions, Ben Liscum sunk his shot to give Jeff Cook’s squad the 4-3 advantage.

With the advantage, Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year Kris Shakes needed just one save to give Penn State a chance to fight for the title. That opportunity for Shakes came one-on-one against Luciano Pechota.

Pechota tried to sneak the shot to Shakes’ left, but Shakes had committed his dive that way and swatted the ball away with both hands to secure the victory for Penn State.

The fifth-year goalkeeper kept his success going as he went on to make five saves in the championship match, but it was not enough as Indiana won 1-0.

Transfers Hannah, Mruzik and Podraza Lead Upset Effort over No. 2 Wisconsin

Just one week after surrendering a 2-0 lead in a losing effort against No. 1 Nebraska, Penn State was given another crack at a monumental upset in the way of No. 2 Wisconsin.

After a disappointing result across campus at Beaver Stadium earlier in the afternoon, over 5000 spectators flooded into Rec Hall. The Nittany Lion faithful watched as the Badgers squeaked out a 25-23 in the first set.

But from there on out, it was all good things for Katie Schumacher-Cawley and her squad. It took a couple of extra points, but Camryn Hannah put the blue and white ahead 28-27 before an attack error by Wisconsin evened the match at one apiece.

The third set also came down to a two-point margin with Jess Mruzik finishing the set with a kill to give Penn State a 2-1 advantage. Mruzik and Hannah continued to rack up the kills before Gillian Grimes ended set four with a service ace as the Nittany Lions won the fourth set 25-18 and the match 3-1.

Hannah finished with 19 kills on a .375 hitting percentage while Mruzik had 16 kills to go along with 16 digs on the defensive side. The two transfers were helped by Mac Podraza, who transferred from Ohio State before the season, and her 51 assists, one shy of her season-high.

MacBean’s Clutch Gene Carries Women’s Soccer to National Quarterfinal

There may have been a little foreshadowing when Kaitlyn MacBean tied the 2022 Big Ten Championship game with a 38th-minute goal in a game that the Nittany Lions went on to win.

That foreshadowing had to do with her knack for the clutch. MacBean, who entered the 2023 campaign with three goals in 19 career games, scored five game-winning goals for Erica Dambach’s team.

In just the third match of the season, MacBean scored in the 85th minute to propel Penn State over West Virginia in a rematch of the 2022 NCAA Tournament Second Round. Three days later, the Minnesota native followed that with another game-winning goal against No. 16 TCU in the 77th minute.

MacBean went on to record game-winning goals in the 26th minute against Michigan State, the 88th minute against Ohio State and the 4th minute against Santa Clara in the NCAA Tournament.

Her tally against Santa Clara in the second round accounted for two of her 12 tournament points as she registered four goals and two assists. The redshirt junior scored twice in the Sweet 16 against St. Louis, and she assisted on Payton Linnehan’s overtime winner.

After helping clinch Penn State’s 14th national quarterfinal appearance, the most by any Big Ten program, MacBean scored the lone goal, a game-tying goal, against Clemson to finish her season with 10 goals.

Marisa Surpasses 2,000-Point Plateau in Illustrious Career

Makenna Marisa scored her first career point in a season in which Penn State finished 7-23 overall and 1-17 in conference play.

Fast forward to the 2023-24 campaign and the fifth-year senior scored her 2,000th career point in a season in which the Lady Lions finished 22-13 overall, 9-9 in conference play and earned a No. 1 seed in the inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament.

The Pennsylvania native was a cornerstone in the turnaround that occurred in the Bryce Jordan Center for the Lady Lions. Marisa is atop the record books for games played, 145, and games started, 140, in a blue and white uniform.

Her longevity led her to 2,201 career points, third most in program history, as she crossed the 2000-point plateau in the third quarter of a victory over Northwestern in January. She joined Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes as the only active players in the Big Ten to surpass 2,000 points.

In University Park, her name appears in the top five of 30-point games (8), career three-point field goals (241), career three-point field goal attempts (700), season free throw percentage (.886) and career free throw percentage (.824).

Hicks Sinks 3-Straight Free Throws to Upset No. 12 Illinois in Return to Rec

Gritty not pretty.

That was the mantra of the old regime of Penn State Men’s Basketball, but that same three-word phrase could easily be used to define Mike Rhoades’ inaugural season as the bench boss for the Nittany Lions.

There were plenty of performances that could be used as the epitome of ‘gritty not pretty,’ including an 18-point come-from-behind victory against Ohio State in December and a four-point upset over No. 11 Wisconsin on a snowy January evening.

None, however, stick out like the night that saw the blue and white erase a 14-point deficit against the No. 12 team in the country inside its old home at Rec Hall.

Down by 10 with 2:30 to go in the second half, the Nittany Lions fought back with five-straight points from Zach Hicks, a three-pointer from Jameel Brown that he followed with a steal that led to a Puff Johnson layup and eventually Hicks getting fouled on a three-point attempt.

With under five seconds on the clock, Hicks went 3-for-3 at the line to pull Penn State ahead 90-89.

Illinois’ last chance shot failed and the blue and white faithful stormed the Rec Hall court following the second top-15 win of the season for the program.

Morin Completes Comeback with Overtime Winner in Upset Over No. 9 Yale

To keep the theme of full-team efforts going, it was a full-team effort by No. 12 Penn State to erase a seven-goal halftime deficit against a higher-ranked Yale squad.

The Bulldogs led 9-2 at halftime, but four different Nittany Lions combined for five goals within the first seven minutes of the third quarter to cut the deficit to 9-7. Yale outscored Penn State 4-1 over the next stretch of play to take a 13-8 lead before TJ Malone ended the quarter with a goal.

That goal from Malone served as a total swing in momentum as Mac Costin, Ethan Long, Matt Traynor and Malone helped outscore Yale 5-1 in the fourth and final quarter to force overtime.

After the Bulldogs won the opening faceoff, Jack Fracyon made a big save, his 17th of the contest, to keep the game going. Yale picked up the rebound off the save but Kyle Aldridge caused a turnover, which Penn State would give right back.

A pair of missed shots gave the Nittany Lions the ball to head down to the other side of the field, where Jake Morin leaped into the air to catch a Malone pass and buried the ball to complete the comeback effort.

DeSa Dominates CHA Tournament En Route to Second-Consecutive Championship

After spending the first half of the season as the backup to Josie Bothun, Katie DeSa sprung into action as the starter for the majority of the second half following a season-ending injury for Bothun.

DeSa earned herself CHA goaltender in February, her first month as the full-time starter, after going 5-1-2 with a 1.83 goals against average and .918 save percentage.

Two of those wins on the sophomore’s February stat line came in the semifinals of the CHA Tournament against RIT. The Connecticut native made 45 saves while allowing just one goal en route to a sweep of the Tigers.

Facing Mercyhurst with the championship on the line for the second consecutive season, DeSa posted a 24-save shutout to uphold Mya Vaslet’s first-period goal and give the Nittany Lions their second-consecutive CHA Championship.

After stopping 69 pucks while allowing just one to cross the goal line in the CHA Tournament, DeSa stood on her head in the NCAA Regionals against St. Lawrence. She made 43 saves to pull Penn State into overtime, although the Saints came away with the 1-0 victory.

Manning and O’Neill Create Pandemonium at Panzer as Nittany Lions Sink No. 1 Northwestern

They say teamwork makes the dream work.

With eight different goal scorers and two different goaltenders, Penn State used a full-team effort to force overtime against the top-ranked team in the country and a team that had the Nittany Lions number as of late. Dating back to 2019, the Wildcats had won six straight contests against the blue and white with the closest margin of victory being four goals.

With draw controls being everything, especially during overtime, Izzy Scane, who is generally regarded as one of if not the best player in the country, won the opening draw for Northwestern. Scane eventually took a shot, but Sydney Manning, who was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, made the stop.

Kristin O’Neill picked up the groundball that resulted from the save and on the other end was fouled by Northwestern resulting in a free-position opportunity.

O’Neill charged in from the 8-meter line and buried the ball into the upper left corner for Penn State’s first win against the No. 1 ranked team since 2005. It was the sixth goal of the evening for O’Neill and the 150th of her career.

Starocci Legs Out Fourth NCAA Championship on One Leg

After suffering a leg injury in Penn State’s final dual meet of the season against Edinboro, Carter Starocci took the mat in College Park, Maryland just to take two injury defaults, his first, and only, losses of the season.

Upon returning to State College before the Big Ten Wrestling Championships were over, the Pennsylvania native posted on X, “Looking forward to a new chapter. Thank you Penn State forever.”

Just a day later, Starocci’s X read nearly the opposite, “Big Ten title is cool but NCAA title is cooler. Next chapter: Kansas City.”

The senior wrestler earned an at-large bid to Kansas City in the 174 weight class as the No. 9 seed. Starocci, who was wearing a large brace on his right leg, defeated No. 1 Mehki Lewis (Virginia Tech) and No. 4 Shane Griffith (Michigan) among others on his way to a championship bout against No. 6 Rocco Welsh (Ohio State).

Starocci defeated Welsh 2-0 to become a four-time NCAA Champion becoming one of the Nittany Lions’ first two four-time NCAA Champions. His performance was one of many that helped Penn State clinch its 11th overall and third-consecutive team National Championship under Cael Sanderson.

Owusu Becomes First Lady Lion Drafted Since 2014

It was just one season in Happy Valley for Ashley Owusu, but it will be remembered by Penn State fans for a while.

The former Virginia Tech Hokie and Maryland Terrapin was drafted 33rd overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Dallas Wings after averaging 17.7 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game and 3.6 assists per game with the Lady Lions.

Owusu became the first Lady Lion since Maggie Lucas in 2014 to be drafted to the WNBA and the first since Carolyn Kieger took to the helm in April of 2019.

The 2021 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award winner as the best shooting guard in the women’s college game helped Penn State to its first postseason appearance since 2018 in the form of a No. 1 seed in the first-ever Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT).

Helped by Owusu’s 71 points in the tournament, the blue and white reached the semifinals after wins against George Mason, Belmont and Mississippi State inside the Bryce Jordan Center.

Kerr’s Second 31-Kill Performance Sends Penn State to EIVA Title Match

It is tough enough for a player to reach the 30-kill plateau in a match, but to do it twice in the same season is tougher.

John Kerr did just that.

After setting the tone early in the season, just the second match, with 31 kills in a five-set victory over No. 16 Lewis, Kerr carried that momentum into earning EIVA Player of the Year.

In the same week that the graduate student was recognized as the top player in the conference in part due to his 420 total kills, he posted his second 31-kill outing of the season against Harvard.

While the first of his 31-kill matches propelled Penn State to a ranked victory, the second one against the Crimson came in four sets and earned the Nittany Lions an EIVA Championship Match berth.

The next day, the Pennsylvania native had 19 kills, 12 digs and the match-ending ace en route to Penn State’s second-straight EIVA Championship and its 34th overall.

Brooks Books Tickets to Olympics One Month After Becoming 4-Time NCAA Champion

38 minutes after Starocci became the first four-time NCAA Champion in Penn State history another one of Penn State’s most decorated student-athletes joined him.

Aaron Brooks, who earned the top seed at 197 pounds after becoming a four-time Big Ten Champion prior, dominated the bracket en route to a championship bout with No. 2 Trent Hidlay (NC State).

The Nittany Lions’ fifth-year senior won by decision over Hidlay in the final match in Kansas City. His 5-0 performance earned him honors as the 2024 NCAA Championship Outstanding Wrestler as well as the 2024 NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler and the 2024 Hodge Trophy Winner.

Just about one month later and back in University Park, Brooks found himself wrestling with a chance to represent the United States at 86 kilograms in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Maryland native found himself wrestling former Nittany Lion and reigning Olympic gold medalist David Taylor in the finals following a 3-0 start to the trials. In front of a packed Bryce Jordan Center, Brooks upset Taylor twice, 4-1 and 3-1, as he became one of Penn State’s three Olympians and only trial champion.

Nemeth Leads Penn State To First NCAA Tournament Appearance and Win Since 2011

For the past five seasons, the names Bailey Parshall and Kylee Lingenfelter filled the circle time after time for Penn State. With a combined 87 wins graduating following the 2023 campaign, Clarisa Crowell needed someone to step up in the circle.

That individual was Bridget Nemeth, a first-year, two-way player from California.

From the first game to the final game, it was rare not to hear Nemeth’s name called, and rightfully so. In 40 appearances and 210.0 innings, the right-hander pitched to the tune of a 1.77 ERA and 1.06 WHIP while allowing just 53 earned runs, striking out 202 and walking just 49.

That dominance helped the California native secure 23 wins in her freshman season, breaking Penn State’s single-season record previously held by her predecessors Parshall and Kelly McCann. She earned Softball America Freshman All-America, D1Softball Freshman All-America, NFCA First Team All-Great Lakes Region, First Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.

It also helped Nemeth and the Nittany Lions earn one of the last at-large bids into the 2024 NCAA Tournament and a victory over UAlbany with the season on the line, both of which were firsts for the program since 2011.

Late Season Heroics Result in Long Stay in Omaha in Gambino’s First Season

It may have been a sign of things to come when Penn State opened its season, the first under new head coach Mike Gambino, with a two-run ninth-inning comeback that led to a 10th-inning walk-off win over Monmouth back in February.

Nearly three months later, the Nittany Lions found that comeback mentality yet again, not just in games, but in the Big Ten standings. Entering their final conference series of the season against Rutgers and Maryland, the Nittany Lions sat in 10th place needing to move up two spots to make the Big Ten Tournament.

Penn State rattled off walk-off wins to bookend the series against Rutgers before sweeping the 2023 Big Ten Champions in the Terrapins to clinch the eighth, and final, seed in Omaha.

Using the momentum gained by Grant Norris and Joe Jaconski’s walk-offs and the sweep on the road, the blue and white opened the Big Ten Tournament by upsetting top-seeded Illinois 8-4. One day later, as they trailed 5-3 against Michigan, Bryce Molinaro launched a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning to propel Penn State to another upset victory.

Facing the Wolverines again two days later, Adam Cecere hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the top of the 10th inning to help Penn State clinch a spot in the Big Ten Tournament for the second time in program history joining the 2000 Nittany Lions.

Gambino’s squad put up one last fight in the championship, but ultimately Nebraska came away with the 2-1 victory to end Penn State’s most successful season in quite some time.

Justin Ciavolella is a rising fourth-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jtc5751@psu.edu or justinciavolella@gmail.com.