Nov. 13, 2008
MADISON, Wis. - The Penn State men's soccer team's season drew to a gut-wrenching close on Thursday afternoon when the fifth-seeded Nittany Lions suffered a 2-1 double overtime setback to No. 4 seed Northwestern in a first round match-up at the 2008 Big Ten Championship in Madison, Wis.
"I thought our kids battled hard and we gave it a very good effort," said Penn State head coach Barry Gorman. "It wasn't a pretty game with conditions and knowing what was at stake. At the end of the day, I think our inexperience and immaturity cost us, especially on their tying goal. But when you consider the number of young players we have in the line-up, that is probably to be expected.
"It's been a tough disappointing season, but the kids have kept their spirits high and battled right to the end. And when you consider how highly ranked Northwestern is, it's a valiant effort. But, in the end, we came up short."
Junior forward Jacobo Vera (Pamplona, Spain) chose the right time to notch his first goal of the season, giving Penn State the lead early in the second half. Freshman MacKenzie Arment (Manheim, Pa.) earned his third assist of the season on the play. Redshirt freshman Warren Gross (Greenfield Center, N.Y.) started in goal for the fourth consecutive game, recording four saves.
Penn State outshot Northwestern by a 13-12 margin for the game, marking the 12th time this season that the Lions have totaled more shots than their opponents. Junior midfielder Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) led the team with five shots.
MacKenzie Arment recorded his third assist of the season versus Northwestern |
Fighting gusting winds and chilly temperatures, neither team could mount much offense in the first half. Sophomore forward Treavor Gelsinger (Shady Grove, Pa.) had chances to put Penn State on the scoreboard early on, but a header attempt was stopped by the Northwestern goalkeeper and a promising shot opportunity from the top of the box was blocked by the Wildcat defense.
Warren Gross made a big save late in the first half to keep the game at 0-0. An uncontrolled roller found its way to Northwestern's Carl Pett near the six, but the freshman keeper came out aggressively and smothered the shot.
The Nittany Lions wasted little time in claiming the lead in the second half. In the 52nd minute, MacKenzie Arment connected with Jacobo Vera on a pass near the top of the box. Vera got around pressure supplied by two Northwestern defenders, gained a clear look at the goal, and fired a skimming laser to the far post. The goal was the sixth of Vera's career.
Penn State held Northwestern off until the 86th minute when Northwestern netted the equalizer. Oliver Kupe started the play by winning a ball in the far corner. He then passed it to Matt Eliason, who skipped a far post shot from eight yards out that found net.
The Wildcats netted the golden goal on a controversial play in the 104th minute. After a floating Matt Eliason shot hit the crossbar, Warren Gross' was hindered in his attempt to clear the ball in the ensuing rush to the net, leaving it uncontrolled. The ball then bounced to an unmarked Carl Pett, who headed it in for the game winner.
With the tie, the Nittany Lions are now 14-3-1 in first round games and own a 22-12-4 all-time record in Big Ten championship play.