Penn State goalie Jack Fracyon’s nine goals allowed in the Nittany Lions’ 10-9 win against Army in the NCAA quarterfinals not only set a program record for the fewest yielded in an NCAA Tournament game but the effort also helped Penn State clinch its spot in the NCAA semifinals.
No. 5 Penn State (11-4) will play No. 1 Duke (15-2) at noon on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia in the semifinal round. No. 2 Virginia and No. 3 Notre Dame meet in the tournament’s other semifinal contest.
It’s the Nittany Lions’ second semifinal appearance in program history. Penn State advanced to the semifinals in 2019, and lost 21-17 to Yale.
The Blue Devils advanced to the NCAA semifinals — the program’s 14th appearance — after dismantling Michigan, 15-8, in the quarterfinals. The Nittany Lions split two games against the Wolverines this season.
Penn State last played Duke in 2010, with the Blue Devils earning a 20-11 win. Historically, the Blue Devils are 2-0 against the Nittany Lions.
Penn State went 9-3 during the regular season and posted a 7-0 record in games at home at Panzer Stadium. The Nittany Lions were 7-1 during games against opponents ranked at the time of play. A 17-15 loss to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament ended the Nittany Lions’ chances at winning the tournament title.
The Nittany Lions opened the NCAA Tournament with a 13-12 win against Princeton to give the program its first win against the Tigers.
Penn State is 4-5 all-time in NCAA tournament contests.