Aug 20, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's soccer team battled No. 2 Maryland to a 1-1 draw in an exhibition Tuesday night at Jeffrey Field in University Park, Pa. The Nittany Lions close out preseason play against Navy in Annapolis, Md. Saturday at 6:00 pm.
Freshmen Mark Wadid (Mississauga, Ontario) and Connor Maloney (Harrisburg, Pa.) wasted little time in their first unofficial minutes on Jeffrey Field, connecting for a goal in the seventh minute. Maloney played a menacing long ball to a streaking Wadid, who then beat goalkeeper Zack Steffen from 18 yards out.
Returning eight of 11 starters from last year's national-leading offensive squad, Maryland nearly found the back of the net in the second minute, but junior goalkeeper Andrew Wolverton (Snellville, Ga.) thwarted the Terrapins with a fantastic point blank save.
The Terrapins continued to threaten in the first 30 minutes, and were finally rewarded in the 37th minute when Patrick Mullins was fouled in the box. The 2012 MAC Hermann Trophy winner buried the penalty kick to square the game, 1-1.
In addition to Wolverton, the center back tandem of Akil Howard (Queens, N.Y.) and Martin Seiler (Stuttgart, Germany) held a sturdy line at the back end for Penn State. The junior keeper made a critical save in the 84th minute, denying a Mikias Eticha header to preserve the draw.