Sept. 10, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A lightning fast start to its home opener against regional rival Bucknell (2-1-0) was not enough to secure victory for the No. 15 Penn State men's soccer team (2-1-0), as the Nittany Lions dropped a spirited 2-1 decision to the Bison on Friday evening at Jeffrey Field in opening day action of the 2010 Penn State Classic. The setback was PSU's first regular season home defeat since Sept. 28, 2008.
Freshman forward Jordan Tyler (Rochester, Mich.) accounted for Penn State's lone tally, scoring his first collegiate goal just 1:14 into the game. Junior midfielder Mackenzie Arment (Manheim, Pa.) earned his second assist of the season on the play. Penn State outshot Bucknell, 22-11, including a game-high 10 by junior forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.), but the Bison held a 6-3 advantage on shots on goal.
The quick strike scoring play started near midfield when junior defender Mark Fetrow (West Chester, Pa.) targeted Hertzog with a dump pass into the near corner. Fighting with a defender for possession, Hertzog and the Bucknell player went down, leaving the ball uncontrolled. Arment charged into the fray, possessed the ball and made a run towards the end line. Just before heading out of bounds, Arment centered a pass that found the foot of Jordan Tyler on the far post, who then grounded it past the Bucknell keeper across his body and into net.
Penn State and Bucknell battled back and forth for the much of the rest of the first half with neither team able to gain a decisive advantage. That trend ended in the 37th minute and the result was a game equalizer.
Off a free kick just outside the Penn State box, Bucknell's Ryan Sappington fired a shot that made it through the Nittany Lion wall and onto goal. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Warren Gross (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) made a diving stop of the attempt but could not control it. The ball glanced off his hands and then off the foot of a Penn State defender, floating into the Nittany Lion goal.
Bucknell used another set piece to take the lead in the 77th minute. Awarded a corner kick, Tommy McCabe booted an arcing pass into the box that connected with the head of Brendan Burgdorf, who launched the ball past the hands of an outstretched Gross and into the upper 90 of the net.
Penn State fought back strong in an attempt to the tie the game, earning excellent scoring chances in the final minutes. The first came with just under 12 minutes remaining off a corner kick by Drew Cost (West Chester, Pa.). Positioned deep in the box, Corey Hertzog got a head on Cost's corner but his shot flew high, just inches above the crossbar.
Jordan Tyler nearly earned his second goal of the game and knotted the contest at 2-2 with back-to-back prime scoring opportunities in the 87th minute. Tyler had an up close shot blocked by the Bucknell goalkeeper, which resulted in the ball sailing high above the goal, producing a corner kick for Penn State. Senior midfielder Matheus Braga's (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) ensuing corner attempt eventually came to Tyler, who was stationed in the box with his back to the goal. Holding the ball up, Tyler quickly spun and rocketed a left-footed shot that sped just high of net.
The Nittany Lions will conclude play at the 2010 Penn State Classic on Sun., Sept. 12 when it faces Binghamton, which fell to Ohio State, 1-0, in tonight's tournament opener, at 2:30 p.m. at Jeffrey Field. Preceding the Penn State-Binghamton clash, Ohio State will take on Bucknell (12:00 p.m.). Admission to the Penn State Classic and to all home men's soccer games is free.