COLUMBUS, Ohio- Penn State men's soccer blanks Ohio State 3-0 in Big Ten opener using a three-goal performance from Liam Butts. A season high six saves for Kris Shakes between the pipes led the Nittany Lions to their second shutout of the season.
Penn State moves to 3-1-2 overall, 1-0 Big Ten.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
An early opportunity for the Buckeyes just two minutes into play, put Kris Shakes to work in goal, forcing him to make a diving save.
An unassisted effort from Butts just over 10 minutes into the half gave Penn State a 1-0 lead. The fifth-year forward moved the ball past the Ohio State defense and found the bottom left corner of the net with no chance for the Buckeyes keeper to make a save.
Shakes once again was tested by the Ohio State offense but his quick reflexes were unstoppable. The keeper produced three saves throughout the period.
A red card was issued to the Buckeyes in the 30th minute forcing them to play down a man for the remainder of the game. The score after 45 minutes of play was 1-0 in favor of the Nittany Lions..
Second Half
The Ohio State offense produced an early surge, managing three shots.
Penn State regrouped and took over possession once again to push the ball in the Ohio State defensive half. A yellow card on the Buckeyes halfway to the distance of the net set up the Nittany Lions for a set piece. After the first Penn State shot was saved by the Buckeyes keeper, Butts lasered a rebound shot to the back of the goal for his second of the night in the 60th minute.
Just two minutes later, three Nittany Lions shots finally resulted in a goal off the foot of Butts for a third time to score complete a hat trick.
After maintaining steady possession for the remainder of the game, Penn State earned a 3-0 shutout win on the Buckeyes home turf.
OF NOTE
- Butts scored his first hat trick of the year and the first Penn State hat trick since Peter Mangione scored three goals against Villanova in 2021.
- Butts moves his career goal total to 25.
- Shakes earned his second clean sheet of the season and 18th of his career. He totaled six saves on the night, a season high.
- Diego Diaz made his collegiate debut, coming in off the bench as a substitute.
- The Nittany Lions move to 19-12-2 in Big Ten openers, winning the most recent six.
UP NEXT
The Nittany Lions host Maryland on Tuesday, Sept. 19 for their Big Ten home opener and Mack Brady Match. The contest is set to kick off at 6 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.