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VARSITY VIEWS Penn State's lacrosse programs are going to get a state-of-the-art home field, thanks to a gift from a former Nit- tany Lion co-captain and his business partner. The university announced earlier this month that Ken Panzer, a 1982 Penn State graduate, and his longtime busi- ness partner at Douglas Emmett, Jordan Kaplan, have committed to give $3.55 million to launch construction of the new facility. Panzer has a longstanding history of giving to the Nittany Lions' program. His latest and largest gift will transform the current field into what the university described in a news release as a "world- class stadium." The new facility will be named Panzer Stadium. "Penn State has a tremendous opportu- nity to be among the premier men's and women's lacrosse programs in the nation," athletic director Sandy Barbour said, "and thanks to Ken Panzer and Jordan Kaplan, this stadium will be a catalyst to help get us there and maintain the excellence." Positioned within view of Beaver Stadium, the Bryce Jordan Center and the Multi-Sport Facility, the new stadium will join these landmarks as one of the top lacrosse facilities in the nation. Panzer Stadium will enable Penn State to host a variety of events, including the Big Ten tournament and NCAA championship preliminary rounds. The stadium, which will be con- structed in the same location as the Penn State Lacrosse Field, will feature stadium-style seating for up to 1,300 spec- tators, permanent conces- sions stands, more-accessible bathrooms, a ticket office and a press box with full broadcasting capabilities for television and radio, facilitating cov- erage on the Big Ten Network and ESPN. The project is expected to begin this summer. ■ I t didn't matter how much attention she received from defenders, Steph Lazo was going to get her points. She was either going to do the scoring herself, or she was going to use that defensive attention to her advantage, passing to an open teammate for the goal. Earlier this month, Lazo was named the Big Ten's Attack Player of the Year. The senior from Stevensville, Md., had amassed a league-leading 82 points during the reg- ular season, scoring 43 goals and adding 39 assists. In so doing, she became the first Nittany Lion attacker to receive a major conference award. "She just kept getting better and better every year," coach Missy Doherty said. "To have the year she had this year with some of the best defenders marking her throughout the season is a credit to her and the season she had." Thanks in large part to Lazo, the younger sister of former Penn State player Dani Lazo, the Nittany Lions fielded one of the higher-scoring offenses in the country this year. Heading into an NCAA quarterfinal game against Prince- ton on May 21, the Lions had already bro- ken a 31-year-old school record for most points in a season and were well within reach of the school record for most goals, needing only two against the Tigers to set a new single-season standard. Lazo had another strong game in the Lions' NCAA tournament opener against James Madison, tallying two goals and three assists in a 19-14 victory May 14 at Penn State Lacrosse Field. And she wasn't the only big point producer that day. PSU also got a career-high six goals from sophomore Madison Carter and four from junior Katie O'Donnell. The Lions' 19 goals were the most they had scored in an NCAA tourney game since a 23-7 victory over West Chester in 1999. Lazo, Carter and O'Donnell were All- Big Ten choices, and Lazo and Carter were among the 25 nominees for the Tewaaraton Award. Speaking to GoPSUSports.com earlier this month, Lazo emphasized the impor- tance of having a versatile attack that pre- vents defenses from fixating on one player. "I think it's a huge advantage for us," she said. "If you take one of us out, there are six other girls who can score and make plays on the offensive end. We're all a big powerhouse, all 11 of us on the field." ■ ON THE ATTACK Steph Lazo lights up the scoreboard for PSU's powerful women's lacrosse team | LACROSSE Gift earmarked for lax stadium project NEW HOME Panzer Stadium will hold 1,300 spectors when complete. Image courtesy of Penn State Athletics LAZO

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