UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men’s soccer program dropped its fourth Big Ten contest Friday evening, falling to the Ohio State Buckeyes at Jeffery Field. With the result, PSU dropped to 2-7 (0-5 B1G), while Ohio State is 6-2-2 (1-2-2 B1G).
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF
The Nittany Lions started the match on the right foot after kickoff, getting in the groove with momentum early on. Within the first minute, graduate Grant McIntosh saw an opportunity through the Buckeyes’ defense. The Plano, Texas, native took a shot to the bottom right corner of the net, but it was stopped by the OSU keeper.
Penn State continued to roll as it recorded its first throw-ins of the game, gaining possession up the field. In the 10th minute, Junior Etienne Reck saw a chance to break the deadlock, but the Buckeye keeper made another save.
After a constant seesaw between Penn State and Ohio State, the Blue & White secured a corner. With an opportunity to capitalize in the 33rd minute, McIntosh took possession of the ball and saw sophomore Joe Sheridan in the 18-yard box. Reck was hungry for the ball, and the Oundle, Germany, native took a shot that hit the top center of the back of the net to put the Nittany Lions on the board first.
Penn State was up 1-0 with just five minutes left in the first half. The momentum didn’t waver for the Nittany Lions, as Reck looked to score his second goal of the match off a shot to the bottom-left corner of the net, but was denied. Sophomore Moritz Webber took a chance on a goal outside of the 18-yard box, but the attempt was off-center.
The Nittany Lions finished the first half with a 1-0 lead and 10 shots on target over the Buckeyes entering the second half.
SECOND HALF
Penn State came onto the pitch to start the second half with the same level of intensity as the first . In the 53rd minute, Ohio State saw a breakaway, but freshman goalkeeper Daniel Peluffo-Wise was prepared for the shot and recorded his third save of the game.
Senior Morgan Marshall was able to switch possession later on, trying to spark a run for the Nittany Lions. The Lexington, Kentucky, native saw an opening in the center of the field and found the feet of senior Amandou Kone. The stands of Jeffery Field cheered in anticipation as Kone aimed for the bottom left side of the net, but the shot was captured by the Buckeyes' keeper.
Ohio State gained momentum on the pitch and attempted to even the playing field as the clock dwindled. In the final two minutes of the match, OSU won a corner kick that led to the game-tying goal. After a blocked shot by the Nittany Lion defense, the Buckeyes saw another opportunity to score. With just nine seconds remaining on the game clock, Ohio State scored the game-winner, securing a 2-1 win over its Big Ten rival.
OF NOTE
- Etienne Reck scored his third collegiate goal
- Reck recorded a career high five shots
- Penn State recorded its highest shot total so far this season, and added 14 shots on goal
UP NEXT
Penn State men’s soccer goes back on the road against Michigan for its next match on Friday, October 9. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. (ET) at University of Michigan Soccer Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., and will be streamed live on the BIG+ and Big Ten Plus app.
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Visit GoPSUsports.com for more information on Penn State men’s soccer. Fans can keep up to date with the Nittany Lion men’s soccer team on X and Instagram @PennStateMSOC, in addition to the team’s Facebook page at /PennStateMensSoccer.