UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- With eight games under their belt for the season, the Nittany Lions are on the brink of having a big win. Although Penn State faced an unwanted outcome against No. 5 Michigan State Wednesday night at Jeffrey Field, falling 1-0, they've already made a dent in Big Ten play.
The Nittany Lions beat a talented Ohio State team 3-1 and had a draw at No. 21 Michigan just last week.
"It's a long season," goalie Josh Levine said. "I think this team has a lot of potential and there is a bright future for this team, especially for this season. I think each game has gotten better, but there are always more things to work on."
Levine was faced with a quick-paced Michigan State offense on Wednesday, but was able to finish the game with eight saves on goal. Levine made five incredible saves in the first half to keep the game tied at 0-0 heading into the break.
"I think my only mindset was trying to come up with a big play," Levine said. "I put myself in a good position and got into my set position early. I think as long as the goalkeeper is in the right spot, we have a good opportunity to make a big play and because of that it turned into a simple save."
Levine made sure to give credit to the players in front of him like Ryan Gallagher, Brandon Hackenberg, Brennan Ireland, and Austin Maloney. Levine shared that they really bailed him out of a lot of tough situations and made big plays.
"We think there is always something positive to take out of our games," Levine said. "Especially when the consistency of the performances has just been getting better and better. I think the key moments in the game are going to continue to fall our way. I think Sunday is going to be a great match-up and we are going to be fully prepared."
Penn State will travel to Bloomington, Ind. to take on No. 2 Indiana on Sunday. The game will begin at 1 p.m. and the Nittany Lions are looking to build the program's Big Ten success so far this season.