The No. 21 Nittany Lions may not be ranked for much longer. Penn State (4-2-2, 1-1-1) picked up its first Big Ten loss of the season, falling to Michigan (5-2-2, 2-0-1) 1-0 in a closely fought battle. It was a frustrating game for the Nittany Lions, who seemed to be on the cusp of a goal throughout the entire match, but never capitalized.

How It Happened

Penn State created a number of chances and corners, but weren’t able to put the ball into the back of the net, thanks in part to terrific goalkeeping from Michigan’s goalkeeper Evan Louro.

Michigan controlled the possession through the early portions of the first half, but as the half wore on, the Nittany Lions found themselves on the attack more and more. While Penn State actually outshot the Wolverines in the first half eight to four, Michigan’s William Mellors-Blair was able to find the net in the 36th minute to put the Wolverines on top 1-0 at the half.

Penn State continued to attack in the second half, but in the end it wasn’t enough. Despite once again outshooting Michigan seven to two in the second half, the Nittany Lions weren’t able to pick up a game-tying goal. In the final moments of the game, Penn State’s goalkeeper Matt Bersano cleared a ball that landed at the foot of Michigan’s Francis Atuahene, who was able to put home his sixth goal of the season and clinched a 2-0 Michigan victory in the 90th minute.

Player Of The Game

While it’s difficult to single out one player for Penn State, Connor Maloney attacked non-stop for 90 minutes and came close to netting goals on two occasions. In many other games, there’s a strong chance that one of those shots is a goal for the Nittany Lions.

What’s Next?

Penn State will next be in action on the road when it takes on Akron on Sept. 30 at 7 p.m.