Oct. 21, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's soccer team will embark on the second leg of its four-game road swing this weekend when it visits Columbus for a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee match with Ohio State (7-5-2, 2-1-0) at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
Penn State (7-6-2, 0-4-0) dominated pace and possession and utilized lockdown defense to claim their first road win of the season on Wednesday, downing America East frontrunners UMBC, 1-0. Junior forward Hasani Sinclair (Coral Gables, Fla.) scored the game winner, tying for the team lead with his third goal of the season, while junior midfielder Jacob Barron (La Mirada, Calif.) earned his first assist as a Nittany Lion on the play. The Penn State back line nullified the Retriever attack, holding it to as many shots (3) as it scored goals earlier in the season in a game against No. 3 Maryland.
The clash between the Nittany Lions and the Buckeyes will pit the Big Ten's top defensive team against one of the conference's most productive attacking units. Penn State leads the Big Ten in goals allowed (9), goals against average (0.58) and shutouts (9) while Ohio State is ranked No. 2 in goals (22), goals per game (1.57), and points (61).
Ohio State has gone winless in its last two games, falling at home to Northwestern, 3-2, on Oct. 9 and drawing, 0-0, with Valparaiso on the road on Oct. 16. The Buckeyes are 5-2-0 in Columbus in 2011 with two of its victories coming in overtime (Michigan and Bowling Green).
With a Big Ten leading eight goals, junior forward Chris Hegngi fronts the Ohio State attack. Sebastian Rivas (4 goals, 1 assist), Austin McAnena (2 goals, 2 assists), Parnell Hegngi (2 goals, 2 assists), and Omar Vallejo, the team leader in assists with four, have also been offensively productive for the Buckeyes.
The Ohio State defense, which allows an average of 1.29 goals per game, is headlined by senior David Tiemstra, the 2010 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and First Team All-Big Ten goalkeeper Matt Lampson. In 14 starts, Lampson has amassed a 1.26 goals against average and recorded three shutouts.
Sunday's Penn State-Ohio State match will be the 28th meeting between the teams, with the Nittany Lions leading the series 15-10-2. A year ago, Penn State downed the Buckeyes, 2-1, in an overtime thriller aired live on the Big Ten Network. Treavor Gelsinger made his final regular season game at Jeffrey Field an unforgettable one and sent the alums in attendance for Penn State's 100-year anniversary celebration home with a fond memory of the eventful day, as his golden goal in the 97th minute propelled the Nittany Lions to victory. Penn State is 4-6-1 all-time versus the Buckeyes in Columbus but has won just once (2005) in its last eight visits (1-6-1).
Fans can also follow all of the action of the Penn State-Ohio State match on the Internet with live stats and instant scoring updates from GameTracker. Find a link on the official website of Nittany Lion athletics, www.GoPSUsports.com.
Penn State remains on the road next week, traveling locally to Lewisburg to face regional rival and defending Patriot League champion Bucknell (7-6-1) on Wednesday, Oct. 26. The non-conference contest is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start at the Bison's Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium. The Nittany Lions have more wins against Bucknell than any other team in program history (58) but dropped a 2-1 decision to the Bison last year in Happy Valley.