What a run.

After a Big Ten regular-season championship, a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, and a Final Four appearance, Penn State men’s lacrosse closed the 2023 season ranked No. 4 in Inside Lacrosse’s weekly poll.

The Nittany Lions fell behind their Final Four competitors Notre Dame, Duke, and Virginia in the final poll.

The Nittany Lions’ season ended on May 27 in the NCAA Tournament semifinal against No. 1 Duke. A controversial overtime decision granted the Blue Devils the opportunity to move on with a 16-15 sudden-victory win in Philadelphia and concluded Jeff Tambroni’s remarkable season.

Penn State entered the tournament straight off a first-round loss in the Big Ten Tournament to Michigan but landed a No. 5 seed. It opened the competition against No. 10 Princeton and took care of a 13-12 victory at Panzer Stadium.

The Nittany Lions moved on to the tournament quarterfinal and met No. 11 Army in Annapolis, Maryland. Penn State manufactured another one-point win and took the game 10-9 and headed for the Final Four in Philadelphia.

The stout Blue Devil team awaited Penn State at Lincoln Financial Field fresh off a regular-season ACC championship. TJ Malone scored six goals and forced Duke to an overtime battle but a questionable goal in the sudden-victory period clinched the title game for the Blue Devils and ended the Nittany Lions’ season.