UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- For the third consecutive week, Penn State men’s lacrosse represented at least half of the Big Ten’s weekly honorees as the league office announced its award winners Tuesday afternoon. Penn State claimed three of the four weekly honors, as sophomore attackman Grant Ament was named the Offensive Player of the Week, senior defender Peter Triolo was tabbed Co-Defensive Player of the Week and freshman attackman Mac O’Keefe earned his third consecutive Freshman of the Week title.
Ament earned his fifth weekly Big Ten honor of his career following a 9-point game against Cornell on a career-best six goals and three assists. The 9-point performance was the best by any player in the Big Ten so far during the 2017 season and marked a career-best performance for the Doylestown, Pennsylvania, native. Ament’s nine points rank second nationally behind only junior Justin Guterding of Duke who posted 10 points against Cleveland State.
Ament co-leads the team in points (19) early in the 2017 campaign with 11 goals and a team-high eight assists. Ament’s 11 goals tie for fifth nationally, while his 2.67 assists per game rank second in the Big Ten.
Triolo garners his first career Big Ten weekly honor after being named Co-Defensive Player of the Week. Triolo earned the award for leading a Nittany Lions’ defensive effort that held Cornell scoreless for the first 17 minutes of the game, and just five goals in the first three quarters, in the 20-10 victory. He forced a turnover in the game as well.
Triolo is the lone senior on Penn State’s starting close defense. He leads the team with three caused turnovers and leads Penn State defenders in career starts with 28.
O’Keefe earned his third straight Big Ten Freshman of the Week award after a five-goal performance against the Big Red. Following the Cornell game, O’Keefe has scored at least four goals and tallied at least five points in each of his three opening games.
O’Keefe continues to be among the nation’s elite scorers early this season. With 16 goals through his first three games, the Syosset, New York, product leads NCAA Division I in goals scored. His 5.33 goals per game average ranks fifth in the country and leads the Big Ten, while his 6.33 points per game rank ninth nationally. He and Ament co-lead the Big Ten in points per game.