Aug. 13, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's soccer team played to a scoreless draw against Hartwick Monday night under the lights at Jeffrey Field in its preseason opener. The teams played through a trio of 30-minute periods.
The squad continues its preseason slate with a matchup against Drexel at 7 p.m. Thursday at Jeffrey Field before hitting the road for the preseason finale against Maryland Aug. 20.
Penn State finished with a 19-3 shot advantage, including a 6-2 lead in shots on goal, as the Nittany Lions' back line, which consisted of multiple player combinations throughout the contest, allowed few opportunities for the Hawks' attack. The teams both earned a pair of corners, while Hartwick led in fouls, 19-14. PSU goalkeeper Emmanuel Martin (Cormontreuil, France) recorded a pair of saves in 60 minutes of playing time.
The Nittany Lions led shots in the first period, 5-1, a stanza marked by plenty of midfield play. Penn State had its first scoring opportunity of the game in the third minute after junior Eli Dennis (Easton, Md.) launched a pass from midfield to senior forward John Gallagher (Pine Bush, N.Y.) at the edge of the penalty area. Gallagher's left-footed shot a few feet in landed squarely in Hartwick goalkeeper Mateo Munarriz's chest. Senior Minh Vu (Tuscon, Ariz.) placed a pair of shots just off target later in the period.
The second frame held much of the same for the teams as the Lions posted a 7-2 shot advantage. Gallagher's free kick from 20 yards out in the 49th minute found its way to junior Martin Seiler (Stuttgart, Germany) just outside the goal area. Seiler made solid contact on the ball, but could not slip the header past Munarriz. Ten minutes later, senior Daniel Burnham (Boise, Idaho) sailed a shot high from seven yards away.
The Penn State defense had its best period of the night in the final 30 minutes, preventing the Hawks from recording a shot. Burnham missed just high on a header from the center of the penalty area in the 63rd minute. Owen Griffith (Lewisburg, Pa.) had a chance of his own in the 73rd minute, receiving a pass from Julian Cardona (Lincoln, Neb.) but pushing a shot wide right from 19 yards. Cardona had his own shot blocked two minutes later before recording the final shot on goal of the game in the 78th minute.
Penn State head coach Bob Warming used the match to provide game experience to his large contingent of newcomers, as seven players saw their first action as a Nittany Lion. Freshmen Drew Klingenberg (Gibsonia, Pa.), Kelton Cheney (State College, Pa.), Shane Campbell (York, Pa.) and Christian Kaschak (York, Pa.) all saw the field, along with transfers Seiler, Martin and Dennis.