The Penn State men’s soccer team rebounded from a tough loss to Michigan to win both of their games this past week. Overcoming adversity was the theme, as the Nittany Lions battled tough weather conditions against Villanova on Wednesday and faced a first-half deficit against Michigan State on Sunday.

The Nittany Lions did not let the rain bother them in a 1-0 victory against Villanova. Senior Drew Cost scored in the 20th minute, which turned out to be all the scoring Penn State needed. The teams combined for only 20 shots, and both defenses played well.

The weather was not a factor in Penn State’s match-up with Michigan State on Sunday. Instead, the problem for the Nittany Lions was scoring. Penn State outshot Michigan State 7-2 in the first half, but the Spartans converted one of their chances to head into the break with a 1-0 lead. Penn State switched to a more offensive formation in the second half, and it paid off. Senior Matheus Braga scored his third goal of the season in the 67th minute to tie the game. He was involved in the game-winning goal as well. In the 85th minute, he sent in a cross that junior Corey Hertzog finished to win the game 2-1. The goal was Hertzog’s 11th of the season.

The Nittany Lions are now 8-3 overall and 1-2 in the Big 10. Even in the three loses, Penn State has dominated their competition in shots. They will have to be efficient and convert their chances if they hope to win this Wednesday against top-ranked Akron. Akron is undefeated this season, with their worst result being a 2-2 tie with Ohio State. They will surely provide a stiff challenge.

Upcoming schedule:

Wednesday: vs. Akron, 7 p.m.
Sunday: at Northwestern, 2 p.m.