Penn State Returns to Philadelphia for NCAA Men's Lacrosse Semifinals

Chasing their first NCAA title, the Lions face top-seeded Duke at Lincoln Financial Field.

Bill Streicher/USA Today Sports

The last time Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field hosted the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships, Penn State was there. The Lions return four years later to face No. 1 Duke in the semifinals, seeking their first NCAA title in school history. The game is scheduled for a noon start Saturday on ESPN2.

Penn State defeated Army West Point 10-9 on Sunday to secure its second NCAA semifinal appearance in five seasons. In 2019, the top-seeded Lions fell to fifth-seeded Yale in the semifinals. This time, the fifth-seeded Lions take on top-seeded Duke for a shot at their first NCAA final. And they will do so at Lincoln Financial Field, where they already have made a semifinal appearance.

Penn State (11-4) is making its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth since 2013. But the Lions had not won a tournament game until 2019, when they won twice to make reach the semifinals in Philadelphia. This year, Penn State rebounded from a first-round loss to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament to win a pair of NCAA games, including Sunday's victory over Army West Point.

After falling behind 2-0, Penn State scored six consecutive goals and staved off Army's late rally, which brought it within one in the last four minutes. Penn State goalkeeper Jack Fracyon's nine goals allowed set a program record in NCAA Tournament play. Fracyon, the Big Ten specialist of the year, was named to two All-America teams after leading the Big Ten in goals-against average and save percentage during the regular season. He is among five Lions named All-Americans by Inside Lacrosse.

Penn State has never beaten Duke, bringing an 0-9 record to the semifinal meeting. The teams last played in 2010, when the Blue Devils won 20-11. The Lions are making their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Jeff Tambroni.

The boys are hyped for Saturday and you should be to! #WeAre 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/qUsElxqstZ

— Penn State Men’s Lacrosse (@PennStateMLAX) May 26, 2023

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.