Oct. 3, 2010
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Junior forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.) scored his Big Ten-leading 10th goal of the season and the Penn State defense held Michigan (5-2-3, 1-1-0 Big Ten) to just six total shots but it was not enough, as the Nittany Lions fell to the Wolverines, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon at the U-M Soccer Stadium in Ann Arbor. The setback was Penn State's first on the road this season and the two goals tallied by Michigan represent the first scores allowed by the Lions away from home.
Hertzog, the NCAA leader in goals and points heading into the contest, won his head-to-head battle with Michigan's top scorer, freshman Soony Saad, but Penn State dropped to 0-2-0 in the Big Ten and 6-3-0 overall with the loss. The Nittany Lion defense surrendered the two goals but held the Wolverines well below their season average in shots (25.44) and Saad, the conference's shot per game leader (7.56), to zero.
Penn State got off to a slow start, leading to a Michigan goal early on in the game. Sophomore Hamoody Saad netted his third goal of the season in the 12th minute, scoring near post after receiving a midfield pass from his brother Soony Saad.
The score remained the same through the final 38-plus minutes of the first half despite Penn State accumulating a 7-4 shot advantage.
The Nittany Lions came from the break strong, determined to get back in the game. That resolve paid off in the 53rd minute when Penn State gained the equalizer. Freshman midfielder Grant Warming (Omaha, Neb.) won a ball in the midfield and drove forward. He then flipped a pass to junior midfielder Mackenzie Arment (Manheim, Pa.), who was making a run into the box from the right wing. A Michigan defender rode Arment down, earning the Nittany Lions a penalty kick. Hertzog took the kick and roped a shot into net to knot the game at 1-1.
Michigan answered back, gaining the game winner in the 76th minute when senior forward Justin Meram combined with senior defender Chase Tennant. For Meram, the goal was his third of the season overall.
Penn State will return home to begin a three-game home stand, starting on Wed., Oct. 6 when Villanova (6-3-1, 2-0-0 BIG EAST) comes to Happy Valley for a 7 p.m. non-conference contest at Jeffrey Field. The Nittany Lions hold a 7-1-1 all-time record versus the Wildcats, including a 1-0 Halloween victory in 2007 in the teams' last meeting. Marquee showdowns with No. 11 Michigan State (Sun., Oct. 10) and No. 1 Akron (Wed., Oct. 13) will finish out the home stretch.