Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1366480
now passed since his debut, and it's fair to say that no one in NCAA history has shot the ball better. At the very least, no one has ever scored as proficiently as O'Keefe. On April 16, the Syosset, N.Y., native be- came the NCAA's all-time goal-scoring leader, setting the record in a 14-13 over- time victory against Michigan. O'Keefe broke the record, which had previously belonged to Duke's Justin Guterding, in the second period, and he had another highlight-reel moment in overtime, scor- ing the decisive goal with just three sec- onds remaining. "I sort of blacked out in the moment, to be honest," O'Keefe said after finishing with six goals against the Wolverines. "But it was very special. There's been a lot of build-up. I haven't tried to let it affect me too much, but to do it now, and after the game to reflect a little bit and watch those videos from all those people con- gratulating me – it's really awesome, and I'd like to share this moment with my family and all my teammates and move on from there, and hopefully win some games after this." Heading into the Big Ten tournament, O'Keefe had 219 career goals – not bad for a player who began his lacrosse career as a goalie and didn't start turning heads as an offensive prospect until his last two seasons at Syosset High. Following his spectacular collegiate debut in 2017, O'Keefe continued to shoot and score at an unprecedented pace, set- ting a school single-season record with 51 goals as a freshman and following that performance with 35 goals as a sopho- more and a Big Ten-record 78 as a junior, leading Penn State to the NCAA semifi- nals the latter season. Even during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, O'Keefe managed to find the net 28 times. After the shutdown, he opted to take advantage of the NCAA's decision to grant an extra year of eligibility to athletes in the spring sports who had their seasons cut short. O'Keefe told ESPN.com re- cently that he was in Tambroni's office at 8 a.m. the day after the NCAA announced that seniors would be allowed to come back, assuring his coach that he wasn't finished with college lacrosse just yet. The 2021 season hasn't gone the way he and his teammates might have hoped, with the Nittany Lions at 4-6 heading into the Big Ten tourney. But in the vic- tory over Michigan, O'Keefe, who was re- cently nominated for the Tewaaraton Award, experienced the kind of moment that transcends the ups and downs of a single season. "It was a storybook kind of ending today for both us and him – to be able to do this at home, to be able to do this on Senior Day, to be able to score a game- winner," Tambroni said. "I think these kinds of moments favor the hardworking young men or women of the world. It's no surprise that that young man has put himself in the position to be here today and then took advantage of it. A lot of us might be in this position and be over- whelmed by the moment. So I don't think it could have gone any better, but I also think it couldn't have been any more ap- propriate for the young man." ■ Behind clutch performances from pin hitters Cal Fisher and Brett Wild- man, eighth-ranked Penn State claimed its 32nd EIVA tournament championship with a 3-1 victory over No. 13 George Mason on April 24 at Rec Hall. With the win, Penn State (21-3) clinched its 9rst conference crown and automatic bid to the NCAA tour- nament since 2017. The Lions were set to face Belmont Abbey on May 3 at Ohio State in their NCAA opener. "I think it came down to the team that 'streaked clean' last would win," coach Mark Pavlik said. "[Cal Fisher] put on his Superman cape and carried us for that 9nal stretch run there. I'm really proud of these guys. Our work is not over. We're looking forward to playing a national championship that all of men's volleyball missed for the last 15 months." Fisher turned in an outstanding in- dividual performance with a career- best 27 kills while still hitting .440 on 50 total attempts. He also had eight digs and a block and was named the tournament's MVP. On the other side for the Nittany Lions, Wildman had 22 kills to go with four aces and three blocks. The Fisher-Wildman duo combined for 49 of Penn State's 59 kills on the night. The Nittany Lions had advanced to the championship match by sweeping Saint Francis two nights earlier at Rec Hall. ■ M E N ' S V O L L E Y B A L L Lions claim EIVA tournament crown Penn State Athletics

