Sept. 9, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Following a lightning delay that extended the halftime break by a full hour, the No. 19 Penn State men's soccer team busted out for three second half goals to dispatch Saint Peter's (0-4-0), 3-0, on a rainy and humid Friday night at Jeffrey Field. With the win, the Nittany Lions improve to 3-0 at home in 2011.
Sophomore forward Jordan Tyler (Rochester, Mich.) led the Penn State offensive surge, notching two goals and one assist. Junior Hasani Sinclair (Coral Gables, Fla.) scored the game winner on his second goal of the season while junior Minh Vu (Tucson, Ariz.), the team's leading scorer with seven points, tallied two assists. Freshman goalkeeper Andrew Wolverton (Snellville, Ga.) recorded three saves en route to his fourth shutout of the season.
While the lightning subsided after the hour-long wait, the rains came as play began in the second half but it did nothing to hinder the Penn State attack. Just over one minute in, the Nittany Lions struck with the game winner. Following a Minh Vu corner, Jordan Tyler got his head on the ball, popping it up in the air behind him. Stationed near the top of the goalie box, Sinclair rose and headed the ball sharply into net past the diving Saint Peter's goalkeeper. The goal was Sinclair's second of the season.
Penn State (4-1-0) would then go on to up its lead to 2-0 in the 60th minute. After a flurry in front of the goal, Tyler cleaned up the garbage, banging in a loose ball from straight-on, eight yards out. Vu and junior midfielder Daniel Parr (Hummelstown, Pa.) earned assists on the play.
Tyler would put the game out of reach in the 75th minute with his second goal of the night. Vu started the play by feeding a cross-field pass to junior Daniel Burnham (Boise, Idaho) who was streaking down the near wing. With a 2-one-1 advantage, Burnham unselfishly passed the ball to Tyler, who took a touch and then slipped in a low liner to the far post.
Penn State's first half effort was marked by impatience and missed opportunities. The Nittany Lions were anxious to put on offensive pressure but overzealous runs by attacking players led to seven offside calls. Both Parr and junior John Gallagher (Pine Bush, N.Y.) had one-on-one scoring chances versus the Saint Peter's keeper but each saw their shots skip just wide of goal.
Penn State outshot Saint Peter's for the game, 14-8, and had an 8-3 advantage in corner kicks.
The Nittany Lions will remain in Happy Valley for their next game, as regional rival Saint Francis (Pa.) (1-1-1) visits Jeffrey Field for a 7 p.m. contest on Wednesday, Sept. 14. In 2010, Penn State outdueled the Red Flash in University Park in an offensive showdown, setting the Big Ten record for shots in a game (38) en route to a 4-3 victory.
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