Sept. 5, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With just seconds remaining in regulation time, sophomore forward John Gray (Lemont, Pa.) had a header attempt go just wide of an open goal, ending a furious Penn State (1-2-0) comeback bid and dealing the Nittany Lions a tough 2-1 setback to No. 18 Tulsa (2-0-1) on Friday evening at Jeffrey Field.
Freshman midfielder MacKenzie Arment (Manheim, Pa.) initiated the scoring opportunity by serving a perfect entry pass from the left wing into the box where a cluster of players awaited the ball. As Gray out-jumped the group and got his head on it, Tulsa goalkeeper Tyrel Lacey crashed into him, forcing the shot off target.
The Penn State-Tulsa match-up, which was played in front of a boisterous crowd numbering 2,682 strong, was the finale of day one of the 2008 edition of the Nittany Lions' annual home tournament, the Penn State Classic. With the loss, Penn State now holds a 14-5-2 all-time record in its host tournament. Ohio State and Bucknell battled to a 1-1 tie in the opener earlier on Friday.
Unlike the first two games of the season, Penn State had trouble putting together offensive pushes and getting off shots in the first half. Tulsa controlled possession for much of the opening 45 minutes and outshot the Nittany Lions, 8-1.
The Golden Hurricane took advantage of an offensive chance and staked itself a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute. Ashley McInnes, off a free kick from the left wing, found an unmarked Jeovahnni Sandez in the box with a pass, which he promptly downward headed into net.
Penn State's fortunes did not change early on in the second half, as Tulsa doubled its lead when Eric DeFreitas netted his second goal of the season in the game's 63rd minute. Justin Chavez and Zach Nulisch earned assists on the play.
Down 2-0 but not beaten yet, Penn State fought back in the game's latter stages. With less than three minutes remaining, working hard to get through the Tulsa defense with the ball, John Gray was taken down from behind in the box by Golden Hurricane defender Chris Clements, resulting in a Penn State penalty kick. Sophomore midfielder Drew Cost (West Chester, Pa.) took the shot and went top shelf to beat the diving Tulsa goalkeeper. The goal was his first of the 2008 season and the third of his career.
In addition to Gray's last-second header, Penn State had other prime opportunities to pull closer to Tulsa, including open shots by both senior forward Barkley Miller (New Freedom, Pa.) and freshman forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.) that clanged off the post. The Nittany Lions earned a 13-5 shot advantage in the second half.
Redshirt sophomore Liam Fitzwater (Schuylkill Haven, Pa.) was terrific in goal for Penn State, helping keep the Nittany Lions in the game with clutch play. In just his second career start, he recorded six saves. While it did not show up in the box score, his most spectacular play came early in the second half when he thwarted a 2-on-1 Tulsa rush by coming out of goal and sliding to intercept a crossing pass.
The Nittany Lions conclude play at the 2008 Penn State Classic on Sunday afternoon when it meets Bucknell at 3:30 p.m at Jeffrey Field. A match-up between No. 10 Ohio State and No. 18 Tulsa will precede that contest. Both games will be broadcast live by the Big Ten Network. Fans can also follow all of the action of the 2008 Penn State Classic on the Internet with live stats and instant scoring updates from Gametracker. Find a link on the official website of Nittany Lion athletics, www.GoPSUsports.com.