Aug. 31, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State men's soccer improved to 3-0-0 with a 1-0 victory over Duquesne at Jeffrey Field Friday night in front of more than 4,000 fans. The win gives the Nittany Lions the team's best start since the 2000 squad opened its season 6-0-0. With the loss, Duquesne drops to 1-2-0.
Penn State travels to Washington, D.C., to take on No. 21 Georgetown at 1 p.m. Sunday in the team's first road test and first regular-season contest with a ranked opponent. The squad returns home to face West Virginia at 7 p.m. Thursday in the first of a three-game stretch at Jeffrey Field.
Senior Minh Vu's (Tuscon, Ariz.) header in the 51st minute was the difference for the Nittany Lions. Vu made up for a missed header opportunity in the first minute by connecting on John Gallagher's (Pine Bush, N.Y.) corner kick in the second half to give Penn State its only goal of the game.
The Lions controlled possession for much of the first 70 minutes, not allowing a shot on goal until Duquesne's Isaiah Noreiga's attempt in the 77th minute, the Dukes' only of the game. Senior goalkeeper Emmanuel Martin (Cormontreuil, France) earned the win after logging just over 62 minutes in the goal for Penn State. Andrew Wolverton (Snellville, Ga.) recorded a save while playing the final 27 minutes in his first appearance this season.
The Nittany Lions were not without chances in the second half, requiring Duquesne keeper Sam Frymier to stop four shots and end multiple crossing opportunities, including an impressive stop of Daniel Burnham's (Boise, Idaho) mid-air shot in the 68th minute. Just seconds before Burnham's attempt, senior Julian Cardona (Lincoln, Neb.) clanked a shot off the right post, nearly extending Penn State's lead.
Penn State finished with advantages in shots, 11-5, corners, 2-1, and shots on goal, 6-1.