UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- No. 20 Penn State men's soccer battled in a competitive college soccer match against No. 1 Syracuse to result in a 1-1 score after 90 minutes of play. The Nittany Lions scored the go-ahead goal in the 88th minute but the Orange found the equalizer just seconds later.
A goal from Caden Grabfelder off an assist from Alex Stevenson gave Penn State the short lead.
Penn State's record moves to 1-0-2 overall while handing the defending National Champions their first draw of the 2023 campaign.
"Thank you to the fan for creating such a special environment for tonight's game," said head coach Jeff Cook. "I thought our team responded unbelievably well to the challenges that Syracuse presented. This will be an incredible learning experience. We are gutted to not hold onto the victory after scoring so late in the match. I think it is something that we can improve on in the future and turn these close ties against very high-level opponents into victories."
HOW IT HAPPENED
First half
The play opened up at Jeffrey Field in front of a 2,684 person crowd. Several free kick opportunities for the Orange gave them scoring chances in the early minutes of the game, but the Nittany Lions defense produced strong stops.
A set piece just outside the box for Syracuse threatened a lead for the Orange. Mateo Leveque was on the ball for Syracuse and sent it straight towards the net. A diving Kris Shakes nudged the ball to the post and his defense cleared it away.
The Nittany Lions offense continued to press with efforts from Butts to outrun the Orange defender and sneak the ball past Cuse's keeper. With an empty net, his shot was blocked by a player in Orange.
The score remained knotted at 0-0 after 45 minutes of play.
Second half
With his second save of the half after his first coming as a diving stop with his feet, Shakes' save in the 61st minute propelled him into the top-five all-time at Penn State in career saves. His performance between the pipes kept the Orange from scoring in the front half of the second period.
The Nittany Lions worked on both sides of the ball, coming up with massive defensive tackles. A stop from Peter Mangione in the 69th minute stopped a pressing Syracuse offense and flipped the script of the match.
After a red card was issued to the Orange keeper in the 70th, Syracuse was forced to play down a player for the remainder of the half.
Penn State's steady possession allowed the offense to move the ball up the field. With just over 10 minutes to play, a pass from Freddie Bell went wide to Stevenson on the right side. Stevenson cut behind the Orange defender and sent the ball in the air to Grabfelder who jumped above the Syracuse player, redirecting the ball into the top left corner of the net.
Syracuse managed an equalizer from momentum off the proceeding kick off. A shot from the Orange hit the post and went back to the opponents foot who found the back of the net.
The final score was 1-1 after a battle for 90 minutes.
OF NOTE
- Shakes moved into the top-five all-time at Penn State in career saves with his new career total of 2022. He slid past Tim Dantzig, a Nittany Lion from 1973-73.
- This game marked the highest attendance at Jeffrey Field in a men's soccer game since 2014 with 2,684 fans under the lights at Jeffrey Field tonight.
- Grabfelder has scored a goal in each of the last two games.
- This is the first time in program history that Penn State has earned a tie against a number one ranked opponent with a win against no. 1 Virginia coming in 2002.
UP NEXT
The Nittany Lions continue their four-game homestand against St. John's on Monday, Sept. 4 at 5 p.m.