Oct. 17, 2007
AKRON, Ohio - The Nittany Lion men's soccer team (4-7-2) suffered a 3-0 setback to No. 23 Akron (9-2-2) on Wednesday evening at Lee Jackson Field in Akron, Ohio.
Penn State dug itself a 2-0 first half deficit, surrendering goals in the 31st and 33rd minutes. Steve Kalan and Ben Zemanski accounted for the Akron goals. The Nittany Lions countered with three shots during the contest's first 45 minutes but none made it on goal.
The Zips added a goal in the 82nd minute when Pablo Moreira netted his fourth score of the season, providing them with the final winning margin.
Penn State was outshot by Akron for the game, 17-8. Senior defender Grady Renfrow (Washington, D.C.) and sophomore midfielder Frank Costigliola (Dix Hills, N.Y.) led the Nittany Lions with two shots each.
Senior goalkeeper Conrad Taylor (Colorado Springs, Colo.) started his 77th consecutive game, recording five saves.
With injuries to numerous key players, including the latest to junior forward Jason Yeisley (Allentown, Pa.), the team's leading scorer, Penn State was forced to go with a young line-up, starting a season-high seven underclassmen.
The Nittany Lions return to Happy Valley to begin a two-game home stretch this weekend when they welcome Big Ten foe Wisconsin to Jeffrey Field for a 7 p.m. match-up on Sat., Oct. 20. Penn State is 11-8-1 in its series history with the Badgers and will be looking to avenge a 2-0 loss suffered last year in Madison. The Lions will conclude the short home stand on Tues., Oct. 23 when they host Ivy League member Cornell in a non-conference contest set for 7 p.m. Penn State owns an 8-2-3 all-time mark versus the Big Red, including a 2-1 victory in their last meeting in 2005 in Ithaca, N.Y.