Oct. 29, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's soccer team (4-9-3, 1-3-0 Big Ten) went toe-to-toe with the No. 2-ranked team in the nation for 110 minutes, matching evenly with Akron (13-1-3, 5-0-0 MAC) to earn a 1-1 tie on Wednesday evening at Jeffrey Field.
Freshman defender Mark Fetrow (West Chester, Pa.) accounted for Penn State's score, netting the first goal of his collegiate career late in the second half. The goal was the first allowed by Akron in five games and just the fifth it has surrendered all season. Junior forward Jacobo Vera (Pamplona, Spain) tallied his first assist and point of the season on the play.
In just his third career start, redshirt freshman goalkeeper Warren Gross (Greenfield Center, N.Y.) was superb, anchoring a Penn State defense that held the high-powered Akron attack, which had scored 31 goals during its 10-game unbeaten streak, to just one. Gross recorded six saves and thwarted several other Akron scoring chances with his aggressive play.
The Nittany Lion defense was also buoyed by the return of sophomore Andres Casais (Caracas, Venezuela), who missed the last eight games with a fractured cheekbone, and the play of converted forward freshman Patrick Krispin (The Woodlands, Texas), who contributed off the bench in the second half and the overtime periods.
Early in the first half, Penn State weathered an early push by the Zips' attack and began to answer back by putting together offensive chances of its own. The Lions nearly staked themselves a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute when senior midfielder Ryan Badaracco (Wexford, Pa.) caught the Zips off guard and snuck a pass through into the box to where sophomore forward Treavor Gelsinger (Shady Grove, Pa.) was stationed. From six yards out, Penn State's leading scorer got off a sliding shot but Akron goalkeeper Evan Bush was in position and made a solid save.
More of the same came from Penn State just five minutes later. Deep in the Akron end, Gelsinger fired a shot that was blocked but not cleared. Sophomore midfielder Drew Cost (West Chester, Pa.) was in the right place at the right time, received the ball, and ripped a shot from 10 yards out. Bush caught the back end of the shot and the ball squirted through his hands and tight-roped the goal line, only to be cleared by an Akron defender.
Penn State outshot Akron 9-8 in the first half but neither team could convert on opportunities.
Akron drew first blood shortly into the second half, scoring the go-ahead goal in the 51st minute. Freshman Teal Bunbury froze Gross with a surprise shot from 12 yards out that hit the post and bounced into net. The goal was his sixth of the season.
Warren Gross was superb in goal versus Akron, recording six saves |
Akron continued to act as the aggressor and, in the 62nd minute, Warren Gross made two consecutive diving saves on up close shots by Matt Tutich and Blair Gavin to keep Penn State alive.
The Nittany Lions maintained their attack as well, earning several excellent scoring chances. With just under 25 minutes remaining in the game, freshman defender Justin Lee (Derwood, Md.) crossed a pinpoint pass into the box from near midfield looking to connect with Casey Derkacz (Hamburg, N.Y.). The service was on target and the sophomore defender connected, heading a perfect shot towards goal. However, Bush was in position again and stopped the shot.
Seven minutes later, Jacobo Vera almost knocked in his first goal of the season and the game's equalizer. Off a free kick near the top of the box, Vera's shot tipped off the head of one of the defender's manning the wall and skidded just to the left of a wide-open goal.
Penn State finally broke through in the 80th minute, converting on a second ball opportunity. Mark Fetrow started the play by hitting the post with a shot. Uncleared, the ball went to Vera who found Fetrow unmarked directly in front of the goal. The freshman then punched it in to knot the game at 1-1.
Akron mainly controlled possession in the overtime periods, outshooting Penn State 6-1. The Zips' best chance to escape with a win came in the first overtime when Darlington Nagbe got loose for a one-on-one opportunity. However, Gross stepped up again, making a brilliant save to preserve the 1-1 tie.
The Nittany Lions finish out their brief two-game home stand this weekend when Big Ten rival No. 17 Indiana (9-4-3, 2-2-0 Big Ten) travels to Happy Valley for a 7 p.m. match on Sat., Nov. 1. Penn State has taken three of the last five match-ups from the Hoosiers, including the teams' previous meeting in University Park in 2006, a 1-0 victory. Senior Night will be celebrated with Ryan Badaracco (Wexford, Pa.), Andy Machi (Upper St. Clair, Pa.), and Barkley Miller (New Freedom, Pa.) being honored in a special ceremony.