Penn State men’s soccer (5-3-1) lost to Princeton (3-3-0) 1-0 Saturday afternoon on the road.

The Nittany Lions saw tough competition from Princeton, as the Tigers scored late in the first half and Penn State was not able to find the equalizer in the second. Although Penn State never found the back of the net, forward Liam Butts and center back Brandon Hackenberg pushed to try and equalize the score.

How It Happened

The Princeton Tigers played a tough first half, one that Penn State tried its hardest to put up a fight against. Princeton outshot the Nittany Lions six to two, rushing the ball through Penn State’s defense and pulling Penn State players away from the wings.

In the 43rd minute, Princeton took the leg up and scored the first goal of the match. Harry Roberts immediately followed up shots coming from a congested center and tapped the ball past Penn State’s Owen Elliott after an assist from Francis Akomeah-Sirleaf

Moving into the second half, Penn State pushed its attack as Liam Butts and Peter Mangione put pressure on Princeton’s backline. Princeton played with equal aggression and also sent several shots toward Penn State’s goal.

In the 57th and 66th minutes, Brandon Hackenberg tried for the equalizer with the help of Butts and Mangione, but was not able to sink a goal for the Nittany Lions.

In the 70th minute, Roberts had a great shot coming from out left, but Elliott had a beautiful save and punched the ball away with one hand, preventing the Tigers from scoring a second goal.

Player Of The Match

Brandon Hackenberg | Center Back

Hackenberg played a great game and supported the Nittany Lions defensively and offensively. He was aggressive and held the backline well, especially through Princeton’s breakaways that left Penn State’s defense outnumbered.

Offensively, Hackenberg had multiple shots on goal, nearly breaking Princeton’s defense and slipping past it’s keeper.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will head to East Lansing to play Michigan State on Friday, October 1, at 7 p.m. for their first away Big Ten matchup of the season.