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Sept. 18, 2016
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Penn State men's soccer team fell 3-2 in its fourth overtime match of the 2016 season to No. 4 Maryland at Ludwig Field Sunday, Sept. 18.
The Nittany Lions (3-3-1, 1-1-0 B1G) took the lead twice in the match but penalty kicks and an overtime goal would push the Terrapins (5-0-1, 2-0-1 B1G) past Penn State in the Big Ten Conference match up.
Sophomore Dayonn Harris (Milton, Ontario) led the Blue and White, scoring both goals of the night for the Nittany Lions. The sophomore forward had three breakaways and netted goals on two to give Penn State the lead twice in the match. Freshman goalkeeper Arie Ammann (Round Hill, Va.) suffered the loss in net allowing two goals to score on penalty kicks and making four saves on the night.
Gordon Wild scored two goals for the Terrapins, forcing the match into overtime on a penalty kick before tallying the game-winner five minutes into overtime. Aman Sejdic scored the first goal of the match for UMD on a penalty kick following a Penn State goal. Cody Niedermeier earned the win in goal and allowed two goals in the match.
A long pass up the field from Connor Maloney (Harrisburg, Pa.) to Harris on a counter attack looked to give the Blue and White an early advantage in the first half as Harris was alone in the box against the keeper. Niedermeier did not allow Harris to take a shot, forcing the sophomore forward to the right of the net and out of bounds.
Maryland managed to take four shots but neither team landed anything on net in the first 45 minutes of play at Ludwig Field as they headed to the locker room scoreless at halftime.
The Terrapins saw two quick opportunities 10 minutes into the second half when a shot attempt 18-yards out went wide before a header off a corner kick was saved by Ammann to keep the match scoreless.
For the second time in the match Harris would find himself alone against the keeper when he got the ball on a long pass up the field in the 56th-minute. Dribbling the ball down the right side of the field, Harris took the ball wide into the box before shooting it into the bottom left corner past Niedermeier for his first goal of the 2016 season.
Maryland had a penalty kick go in its favor in the 70th-minute of the match from Sejdic to knot the score at 1-1.
The Terrapins did not have an answer for Harris as he netted his second goal of the match in the 80th-minute when he found himself having to get by just one defender on the left side of the field. Harris took the ball into the box and drove it into the back of the net for his second goal of the game to give Penn State the 2-1 advantage with 10 minutes left to play.
Minutes later UMD was awarded its second penalty kick of the match and its second chance to knot the score after a Harris goal. This time Wild took the shot from the right side of the net. Ammann guessed the correct way but was unable to knock the ball out as Wild tied the score at 2-2 with a shot into right corner of the net.
Neither team was able to find the golden goal in the closing minutes of the match, sending Penn State into its fourth overtime match of the season. Five minutes into the overtime period, Wild netted his second goal of the night that would allow Maryland to take a 3-2 overtime victory over the Blue and White.
The Nittany Lions return to Jeffrey Field Friday, Sept. 23 for a 5:30 p.m. match against Wisconsin. The match is set to be featured on Big Ten Network.