No. 17 Penn State men’s soccer (2-1-1) took down American University (1-2-0) by a score of 3-1 Monday night at Jeffrey Field.

The Nittany Lions played an active first half with goals from Andrew Privett, Peter Mangione, and Danny Bloyou that were made possible by great play sequences.

The second-half pace was slowed significantly, but that’s not to say Penn State didn’t have its fair share of shots on American’s goal.

How It Happened

The Nittany Lions were quick to start the game with lots of possession and pressed forward hard on American’s goal. American met Penn State’s push with lots of aggression and proved to be a physically tough match.

In the 13th minute of the game, American’s aggression paid off and shook Penn State’s backline. Evan Schweickert’s pass to Mustapha Sowe landed the first goal of the match. Immediately after kickoff, it went in again as Zemi Rodriguez sprinted towards the goal for a second, only for Kris Shakes to shut down American’s opportunity.

That goal never should have happened. The Nittany Lions need to settle down and take good control of the ball at the back.

— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) September 6, 2021

American’s goal snapped the Nittany Lions back into the game, and they rushed the goal in the 20th minute. Tyger Evans swept the ball towards the goal box where Seth Kuhn was waiting for a shot that didn’t quite make it in, but Andrew Privett was there to make the goal for an equalizer.

Goalie Lorenzo Gordon seemed phased by the Park Avenue Army’s distractions and couldn’t save Peter Mangione’s shot to the top of the goal less than a minute later. Mangione was assisted by Femi Awodesu’s run down the line towards goal, making the score 2-1 with Penn State in the lead.

Mangione's heads-up back heel gives the Nittany Lions the lead from the 1-0 deficit, all within 41 seconds.

However, the sophomore's goal couldn't have happened if it wasn't for Femi Awodesu's great run down the right wing.

Deserved assist for Awodesu!

— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) September 6, 2021

A substitution change that added Pierre Reedy to the field shifted the attacking strategy for the Nittany Lions, and that strategy was a good move by head coach Jeff Cook. Reedy’s eagerness to land a third ball in the back of the goal and speed opened up lots of opportunities for Penn State to score, with a total of five shots on goal coming from the team with just ten minutes left in the half.

In the 55th minute, Kuhn sent a great ball from the left corner into the center, perfectly setting up an opportunity for Danny Bloyou to literally slide past the keeper and send a header into the goal for a two-goal lead.

55' | A header and a flip! What can't Danny Bloyou do

Penn State goes up 3-1! pic.twitter.com/fPypeEdObB

— Penn State Men’s Soccer (@PennStateMSOC) September 7, 2021

Penn State played lock-down defense the rest of the way, and left Jeffrey Field with the 3-1 victory.

Player Of The Match

Tyger Evans, Wingback

Evans’ speed and footwork throughout this match was a perfect example of playing a beautiful game. Kuhn’s goal in the 20th minute couldn’t have happened without the cross from Evans.

The duality of both his offensive and defensive playing styles was crucial in the Nittany Lions; ability to quickly shift from holding their backline to rushing the goal. His runs down the line to move the ball forward set up the three great goals scored by Penn State.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will travel to Philadelphia Friday, September 10 for a match against the University of Pennsylvania.