Penn State men’s soccer took on James Madison University on Tuesday when it beat the Dukes 2-0. This was the first victory Penn State has had over James Madison since 1998. Coming into the match, JMU lead the series with 3-1-2 advantage over the Nittany Lions, but that meant nothing as Penn State came out firing early. With leading scorer Connor Maloney out for the game, the men’s team had to rely on some of its other talent to get past James Madison, and the team stepped up.

How It Happened

The Nittany Lions persevered and maintained a good amount of offensive pressure. Mac Curran stepped up to the plate, in Connor Maloney’s absence, scoring the first goal of the game. He led the team in shots and was the main proponent for the Penn State victory. Midfielder Brian James also contributed to the win with an impressive free kick to extend the lead to 2-0. On the other side of the pitch, a solid defensive performance for the home team helped clinch the win as well.

Penn State goalie Matt Bersano recorded a beautiful shutout, taking his record as a starting goalie for the season to 2-1-1. It was a very physical game and the Nittany Lions had to work to gain the upper hand. A scrappy performance from freshman Austin Maloney, the younger brother of Connor, seemed to represent the general attitude and play of the team as a whole. Tonight was a strong, unified win and Penn State looks to carry this momentum into conference play this weekend.

Player Of The Game

The player of the game was Mac Curran. With Connor Maloney being out, Curran had to carry the offensive load. He did this stupendously with beautiful plays that constantly kept the James Madison goalie on his toes. With a goal in the game, he passed Maloney as the leading scorer of the team. With multiple shots, he could have easily had a couple more goals, and don’t be surprised if he continues to up his play until Maloney is back.

What’s Next?

Penn State looks to extend its winning streak against Indiana this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Jeffrey Field. This is the start of B1G play, so the intensity level of games is about to reach another level. However, if the Nittany Lions play the way they played tonight they have a chance to do very well this year.