Lacrosse team ranked No. 17 in initial poll

The Nittany Lion men's lacrosse team, under the guidance of veteran head coach Glenn Thiel, will enter the 2007 season ranked No. 17 in the Inside Lacrosse/Face-Off Magazine national pre-season rankings. The Nittany Lions open their season with two exhibitions in February.

Penn State is coming off an 8-5 season that saw it go 5-2 in the ECAC Lacrosse League and finish in second place, just missing out on its second straight ECAC Lacrosse title. The Nittany Lions return eight starters from last year, including captains Patrick Heim, Matt Mulqueen and Dan Saltsman as well as returning ECAC goalie of the year Drew Adams.

Defending national champion Virginia is No. 1 in the poll, followed by perennial power Johns Hopkins at No. 2. Syracuse follows at No. 3 with Princeton stepping in at No. 4. ECAC foe Georgetown leads the ECAC Lacrosse League's six entrants on the list with a No. 5 ranking.

Soccer players named second team NSCAA

Senior forward Simon Omekanda and junior goalkeeper Conrad Taylor have been named to the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Second Team for their 2007 seasons.

Omekanda, the two-time All-Big Ten First Team selection, lead Penn State in nearly every offensive statistical category in 2006, including goals (5), assists (4), points (14), shots (61), and shots on goal (28). One of his team-high three game-winning goals propelled Penn State past Northwestern in a double overtime Big Ten Championship opening round contest. Omekanda has totaled 20 goals as a Nittany Lion and his 26 career assists places him sixth on Penn State's all-time list. Owning speed and agility coveted by professional teams, he has been invited to participate in the 2007 MLS Player Combine in January in Florida.

Taylor, a First Team All-Big Ten honoree in 2005 and 2006, has started every game of his collegiate career, a streak of 64 consecutive contests. He has not missed a minute of playing time since earning a spot in the starting line-up in the first game of his freshman year, a total of over 6,143 minutes.