Sept. 29, 2013
 3 PENN STATE (6-2-1, 1-0-0 Big Ten) | University Park, Pa. • Jeffery Field • Attendance: 1,252 |  1 WISCONSIN (5-2-1, 0-1-0 Big Ten) |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's soccer team won its Big Ten opener on Sunday afternoon at Jeffrey Field by defeating Wisconsin, 3-1. Martin Seiler (Stuttgart, Germany) and Eli Dennis (Easton, Md.) tallied strikes and the Badgers provided an own goal as Penn State won its fourth straight match.
"We usually only score about three goals in 270 minutes," Head coach Bob Warming said. "Today we scored three in about [80] minutes, and we could've had more. I was really pleased with the second half and the response of our players."
With the game deadlocked at one through 77 minutes, Shane Campbell (York, Pa.) beat his defender down the right wing and passed a ball to the near post to a running Jordan Tyler (Rochester, Mich.) The crafty redshirt-junior beat his defender and crossed a ball in front of the net that was knocked in by the Wisconsin defense for an own goal and a 2-1 Penn State lead.
Five minutes later Penn State (6-2-1, 1-0-0 Big Ten) salted the game away as Randy Falk (Tewksbury Township, N.J.) sent a beautiful cross to a running Dennis on the left side of the penalty area for the final 3-1 score line. The goal was Dennis' second of the year and Falk's first assist. Connor Maloney (Harrisburg, Pa.) set the play up as Falk made an overlapping run on the right wing.
Prior to the back-to-back Penn State markers, goalkeeper Andrew Wolverton (Atlanta, Ga.) made an important save of Wisconsin's Nick Janus in the 75th minute. Janus beat the Nittany Lion defense and had an open look at the goal from 12 yards out, but Wolverton stretched to his left to deny the Badger striker.
Earlier in the match during the 10th minute, Grant Warming (Omaha, Neb.) corner kick cleared by Wisconsin to Mike Robinson (Lansdale, Pa.) about 25 yards from net. Robinson flicked in a pass over the defense to Seiler who nodded the ball over Wisconsin goalkeeper Casey Beyers for the early lead. The tally was Seiler's second of the season and first since Sept. 6 at Rutgers.
Janus fought through much of the Nittany Lion defense on the left wing to toe one past Wolverton in the 31st minute. The tally was Janus's fourth of the year and the first for the Badgers since Sept. 20 vs. IPFW. Additionally, it was Wisconsin's first goal against the Nittany Lions since a 1-0 win at Jeffrey Field on Nov. 5, 2011.
Penn State improved to 15-11-2 all-time against Wisconsin and opened Big Ten play with a victory for the second straight year over the Badgers. The three goals were also a season high for the Nittany Lions, who last scored three or more goals in a match during a 4-4 double-overtime tie with Ohio State on Oct. 28, 2012.
Penn State has defended Jeffrey Field well this season, going 5-0-1 thus far in the season and out-scoring opponents 8-2. The Nittany Lions look to continue the winning ways at Jeffrey Field when Saint Francis (Pa.) visits on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.