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Sept. 13, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Behind a season-high four goals, the Penn State men's soccer team remained undefeated in Mack Brady Matches picking up a 4-2 victory over Ohio State in its first Big Ten Conference match of the 2016 season Tuesday, Sept. 13 at Jeffrey Field.
The Nittany Lions (3-2-1, 1-0-0) notched their first win over Ohio State since the 2014 season when they took a 1-0 victory at Jeffrey Field in the second Mack Brady Match. The four goals in the match marked the first time Penn State has scored four goals since the 2012 season when it tied Northwestern 4-4 in double overtime on the road.
The Blue and White improve to 14-9-3 in conference openers since joining the Big Ten in the 1991 season. Moreover, the Nittany Lions are 8-4-2 at Jeffrey Field in conference openers.
"We've had three great focused days," said head coach Bob Warming. "The first thing when a team plays poorly-and it was really the team that played poorly in the last match-is everybody kind of has to have their say. We did that immediately after the match, and the practice the next day and the next day and the next day were just outstanding, absolutely outstanding. I'm really proud of them. Bad things happen. That's how you respond, and they responded really well."
Senior Mason Klerks (Corona, Calif.) paced the team with two goals on the night, scoring both in the first 26 minutes of action. The two goals were the first time a Penn State player has netted two in one game since Connor Maloney (Harrisburg, Pa.) had two against Maryland in the 2015 campaign. C. Maloney was the leader on the field for the Blue and White tacking on at least one point in each of Penn State's four goals. The senior captain assisted both of the goals from Klerks before netting his fourth goal of the season on a penalty kick and adding an assist on junior Aymar Sigue (St. Alberta, Alberta, Canada)'s goal.
In goal, freshman Arie Ammann (Round Hill, Va.) picked up his third win of the season for the Nittany Lions and saved a big penalty shot early in the first half to keep OSU off the scoreboard. The freshman keeper tallied five saves on the night and gave up two goals in 90 minutes of action.
Ohio State capitalized on Penn State fouls as Austin Bergstrom scored on a free kick and Abdi Mohamed netted a goal on a penalty kick in the second half of play. Despite outshooting the Blue and White 12-7, the Buckeyes were unable to get past the Nittany Lion defense in the evening match. Parker Siegfried suffered the loss in net, allowing four goals and making just one save.
Penn State wasted no time getting on the board against the Buckeyes as Dayonn Harris (Milton, Ontario, Canada) worked the ball out to C. Maloney. Maloney contemplated shooting before finding a wide-open Klerks, who was breaking toward the 18-yard box. Klerks took the one-timer with his right foot and drove the ball into the bottom corner of the net to give the Nittany Lions a 1-0 lead in the first minute of the match.
An Ohio State foul in the 26th-minute proved detrimental for the visitors as C. Maloney placed a free kick right on the head of Klerks, who notched his second goal of the night to give Penn State the 2-0 lead. Less than a minute later Pierre Reedy (Kutztown, Pa.) was fouled eight-yards out and set up a penalty kick for C. Maloney. The senior captain ripped the ball into the middle of the net to extend the Blue and White lead to 3-0 in the first half of play.
OSU found a penalty kick of its own in the 30th-minute that was denied by Ammann, coming up with a diving save to his left on a night to honor goalkeepers and keep the Nittany Lion three goal lead intact.
The Blue and White added one more goal to its tally in the first half when C. Maloney got the ball up the field to Sigue. Alone in the box against the keeper, Sigue made a move and put the ball into the bottom half of the net to allow Penn State to take a comfortable 4-0 lead into the half
Maloney closed out the half with one goal and three assists, while Klerks netted two goals and Sigue had one for the Nittany Lions.
Ohio State notched its second penalty kick of the night in the second half and this time Austin Bergstrom capitalized on the opportunity to bring the Buckeyes within three of the Blue and White with 25 minutes remaining in the match.
OSU continued to inch its way back into the match in the second half when a trip 26-yards out from Penn State led to a free kick goal for Mohamed and made it a two-goal contest with 22 minutes left to play.
Ohio State pressured Penn State in the closing minutes causing the Nittany Lions to foul but the defense and Ammann held on to secure the 4-2 victory in the B1G opener.
The Blue and White will be tested on the road in its first Big Ten Conference away match Sunday, Sept. 18 when it travels to College Park, Md. to play the Terrapins of the University of Maryland. Match time is slated for 5 p.m.