Penn State men’s soccer (8-2-3, 4-1-1 Big Ten) drew James Madison (9-5-2, 4-1-1 CAA) 1-1 after the match was disbanded due to inclement weather in the second half. Aaron Molloy had the goal for the Nittany Lions, who extend their unbeaten run to four matches.

Tom Judge had the first half goal for JMU, taking the lead with a calm finish. The draw was Penn State’s first match played with a Top 25 rank since 2015, after receiving a No. 19 rank earlier in the afternoon.

How It Happened

It took only 20 seconds for JMU to impose its attacking prowess, however a drive to the end line proved indecisive for the Dukes. Penn State immediately responded, using Sload and Butt’s arial presence in an attempt to surprise the visitors early via crosses whipped into the box.

A few minutes later, reigning Top Drawer Soccer Player of the Week Aaron Molloy took advantage of a defensive error, but goalkeeper TJ Bush was up for the early challenge.

Early on, it was evident that the contest would be an attacking affair, with both defenses looking vulnerable.

In the 17th minute, Tom Judge found himself free at the top of the box after two nice switches opened up the Nittany Lion defense. The JMU defender slotted the ball around Levine’s outstretched hand to give his side the lead 1-0. The goal was the first for the Dukes since an October 12 win against Delaware.

Cook’s 4-4-2 hinges on the fullbacks pushing up the field, and the Dukes’ goal exposed the risky hyper-aggressive formation. Left back Jalen Watson was late tracking back, allowing Judge to walk into the box relatively unmarked. On the flip side, Watson provided most of the offense for the Nittany Lions throughout the middle of the first half.

A sustained period of possession from the Nittany Lions finally paid off with four minutes remaining in the opening period. A ball whipped in from Dax Hoffman found Molloy, who fired a ball in from point blank range to thwart Bush for the equalizer. Molloy’s strike was the seventh in his illustrious 2019 season. With the goal, the Dublin, Ireland native claimed the sole lead in the team’s goal scoring category.

In the first 45 minutes — despite the level score — Penn State outshot JMU nine to two.

The Dukes were lucky to not concede 10 minutes after the restart. Englishman Callum Pritchatt cut inside of the JMU left back, but his shot hit the left post; Butts and Reedy were unable to bundle away the rebound. Reedy had a head of steam following the offensive outburst, nearly going the distance before seemingly picking up a penalty after Bush tripped the captain in the box.

Penn State had multiple shots for free kicks with the game reaching the hour mark. Butts was taken out near the top of the box, but referee Cesar Ibarra had no sympathy for the striker.

With a quarter of the game remaining, heavy fog began to roll into Jeffrey Field. After a Sload shot that went over the bar, Ibarra had enough with the impending weather, calling a stoppage to the game clock. After nearly ten minutes of deliberation with 18:45 left, the match was ended, with the 1-1 score remaining.

The Nittany Lions will feel hard done by the cancellation of the last 18 minutes, as they were the protagonists throughout the second half. The forwards once again looked strong, and may have snatched the win from the JMU Dukes if they were offered the rest of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime.

Player of the Match

Aaron Molloy|Senior|Striker

Hours after leading his side to a Top 25 ranking and earning Top Drawer Soccer Player of the Week award, Molloy provided the Nittany Lions with the equalizer and strong leadership on the field in an important match for his side.

Not only was Molloy threatening going forward, he played his holding midfield role well, thwarting the JMU offense on multiple occasions through the 71 minutes of play.

What’s Next?

Penn State will play its penultimate home match of the 2019 regular season on Friday, when the Nittany Lions welcome Appalachian State to Jeffrey Field. The match will kick off at 7 p.m.