COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Penn State men's soccer team (4-1-1, 1-0-0 Big Ten) picked up a huge overtime victory on the road, knocking off Ohio State in extra time (5-2-0, 0-1-0 Big Ten), 2-1, Saturday evening at Jesse Owens Memorial Field.
"I would like to congratulate our team for an extremely hard-working performance to earn a hard-fought victory on the road in the Big Ten opener," said head coach Jeff Cook. "Our conference is very competitive and I would give Ohio State a lot of credit because they pushed us all the way to the end. I'm delighted with the way our team responded in overtime and scored a fantastic goal to win the game."
After a nearly 50-minute weather delay, the Nittany Lions came out hot, firing off two early shots in the first five minutes of play. Callum Pritchatt's shot was on target but saved by Ohio State goalkeeper Parker Siegfried.
Penn State goalkeeper Josh Levine made three saves in the first half after the Buckeyes started attacking their offensive zone in the middle of the half.
Overall, play was even in the first half, with the receiving-votes Buckeyes narrowly outshooting the Nittany Lions, 6-4, and earning three corners to Penn State's two.
Out of the break, Ohio State took four shots, but only one of them being on target that Levine was there for.
Penn State's first chance at the net in the second half came in the 51st minute after an Ohio State foul set up a free kick in which senior Aaron Molloy's strike was saved by Siegfried.
Levine made another huge save in the 54th minute out of a breakaway by the Buckeyes before Penn State countered to take the lead.
Freshman Andrew Privett stayed centered in the box and scored off the pass from Christian Sload for his first career goal to give the Nittany Lions the lead.
After rattling a shot off the right post just three minutes before, the Buckeyes' Xavier Green was able to knot the game at one in the 64th minute with a beautifully curved shot that just got past Levine.
The final 25 minutes of regulation saw terrific defense from both teams, leaving the game tied and forcing overtime.
In overtime, Penn State controlled possession, creating two early chances by Sload and Molloy before freshman Liam Butts called game in the 97th minute.
Levine finished with five critical saves for his first victory of the season in net.
The Nittany Lions return to Happy Valley to host the Michigan Wolverines (3-2-2, 0-0-1 Big Ten) on Friday, Sept. 27 at 6 p.m. at Jeffrey Field. The game will also be the Seventh Annual Mack Brady Match, honoring and celebrating the legacy of one of the Nittany Lions' biggest fans.
The matchup is scheduled to broadcast live on the Big Ten Network, the first of Penn State's three appearances on national TV during the regular season.
Game Notes:
- Penn State snapped Ohio State's five-game win streak.
- Penn State is now 16-11-2 in Big Ten openers since joining the conference in 1991.
- Head coach Jeff Cook is 2-0-0 in conference openers, with both wins coming over Ohio State.
- Penn State moves to 4-1-1 on the season, the best record through six games since 2014.
- The Nittany Lions are 2-1-1 in 2019 with teams that are ranked or receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
- Freshmen Andrew Privett and Liam Butts each scored their first career goals in the victory.
- Sophomore Seth Kuhn has recorded points in three straight games and senior Christian Sload has points in five consecutive games, both career highs.