UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's soccer team (3-2-1, 0-0-0 Big Ten) was ultimately topped by a very good Pitt team (4-2-0, 1-0-0 ACC), 1-0, Monday evening at Jeffrey Field after giving up an early goal to the 15th-ranked Panthers in the sixth minute.
"I'm very proud of our team tonight," said head coach Jeff Cook. "It was difficult to give away a goal so early – a little bit of a defensive miscue on our part – and then it gave Pitt a lot of momentum and as you could see for the first 25 to 30 minutes of the game or so they were very dominant in possession, but I thought towards the end of the first half we dug in and got a foot hold in the game and came back into it. The second half I thought was a great balance – 45 minutes with two good teams out there – and we were very close to breaking them down, creating some good offensive pressure. Couldn't quite get the last action, the last pass, or last shot on goal, but overall, I'm really encouraged. I never like to lose, especially here at Jeffrey Field. We had another fantastic crowd from the Park Avenue Army, really great energy, and I think our team gave everything tonight. So that's all you can ask as a coach, sometimes it doesn't go your way and we're disappointed to lose the game but as I just told the guys I'm really encouraged by what I just saw, particularly in the second half."
After both teams worked to establish the pace of play in the opening minutes of the match that was broadcast nationally on FS1, the visiting team passed a long ball down the right-side of the pitch in which Pitt's Jasper Löeffelsend beat out the Penn State defense and crossed the ball into the middle of the box to find the leading ACC scorer Rodrigo Almeida for the score.
The Nittany Lion defense tried to shake off the defensive miscue over the next 25 or so minutes as the Panthers dominated possession, holding them to just one shot on target in that time.
Pitt would end up outshooting Penn State, 8-2, after the first 45 minutes of action.
On the broadcast, Coach Cook told the broadcasters at the start of the second half that his team would need to be a little braver and get ahold of the ball for longer in which the Nittany Lions definitely did.
Penn State earned a corner kick within the first 30 seconds of action in which redshirt senior Brandon Hackenberg was able to eventually take a header shot that sailed just over the crossbar.
In the 55th minute, junior Alex Stevenson sent a ball into the box that seemed to be a cross but it had a nice curve on it and nearly found net before Pitt's keeper had to push it over the crossbar to keep it out.
The Nittany Lions continued to pressure the Pitt defense with another shot on target by sophomore Peter Mangione 10 minutes later.
Senior Danny Bloyou had a great run with the ball after a quick throw in, but the offsides flag went up as the striker was just a few steps early in the approach.
Penn State would fight until the last minute to find the equalizer, but the Pitt defense held strong for the eventual shutout.
UP NEXT
Penn State continues its three-game homestand as it opens Big Ten Conference play on Friday, Sept. 17 against Northwestern. Kickoff for the Ninth Annual Mack Brady Match is set for 7 p.m. from Jeffrey Field and will stream live on B1G+.