Oct. 6, 2007
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Penn State men's soccer team (4-5-1, 1-1-1) suffered its first Big Ten defeat of the season on Saturday afternoon, dropping a tough 1-0 decision to Ohio State (7-3-2, 1-1-0) at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus.
The lone score of the game came in the 70th minute. Off a long Ohio State throw in, Penn State goalkeeper Conrad Taylor (Colorado Springs, Colo.) got his hands on the ball but had it slip through for an own goal. The play marred an otherwise standout performance by Taylor, who recorded five saves against a barrage of 20 Buckeye shots.
Play in the scoreless first half was wide open with both teams acting the offensive aggressor. Penn State was outshot by Ohio State, 13-10, but four Nittany Lion shots made it on goal as compared to just one for the Buckeyes. Sophomore forward Jacobo Vera (Pamplona, Spain) lead Penn State with two shots on goal in the half. On defense, the Nittany Lions dodged a bullet in the game's 24th minute when a shot by Buckeye junior midfielder Geoff Marsh hit the post.
Penn State had opportunities to tie the game in its latter stages, with Barkley Miller (New Freedom, Pa.), Jon Davidsson (Reykjavik, Iceland), and Jason Yeisley (Allentown, Pa.) each recording shots on goal in the final eight minutes.
The Nittany Lions totaled 17 shots for the game with seven making it on goal. Junior midfielder Barkley Miller topped PSU with four shots, including two shots on goal.
Next week, the Nittany Lions have two games versus non-conference opponents on the schedule. On Wed., Oct. 10, Penn State will host Lafayette (6-1-3) of the Patriot League at Jeffrey Field in a 7 p.m. contest. The Lions will then venture north to Boston, Mass. where they will face America East member Boston University (5-4-0) in a match-up scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 13.