Penn State men’s soccer (2-4, 0-1-0 Big Ten) fell to Michigan (5-0-1, 1-0-0 Big Ten) to open up Big Ten play in Ann Arbor.

The Nittany Lions held their own in the beginning before a defensive lapse allowed Michigan to the the first half lead. Penn State came back from the break looking a bit shaky, but Morgan Marshall pulled together a play for Aboubacar Camara to smash into the back of the net. After a penalty goal for put the Wolverines in the lead, Penn State never truly came back and struggled to find its footing to secure an equalizer, especially after going down to ten men.

How It Happened

Michigan got the first chance early on, breaking down the right wing and crossing the ball into the middle but failed to fill the box and Penn State goalie Andrew Cooke easily grabbed it.

Penn State grabbed its first shot of the game in the seventh minute after a beautiful cross from Caden Grabfelder to Camara, who hit it with the outside of his foot wide of the net.

The first 10 minutes were evenly matched, with Penn State and Michigan sharing possession and neither claiming a shot on goal.

In the 14th minute, Penn State won a free kick a few yards outside the penalty area. Michigan lost the ball on defense and Michigan defender Jason Bucknor took out a Nittany Lion. Grabfelder stepped up for Penn State curling the ball to the far post but Penn State just couldn’t get a foot on it and Michigan cleared it out for a corner kick. The corner then went off of Liscum and over the goal, returning possession to the Wolverines.

The Nittany Lions had a moment of lapse on defense and immediately paid for it as Michigan raced in, with an unmarked man attempting to head an open cross into goal but missing by just inches.

Michigan finally earned its first corner of the night in the 23rd minute but failed to capitalize on the chance and the pace settled down.

The Nittany Lions brought on Freddie Bell for Michael Hewes, attempting to find a breakthrough.

Michigan drew first blood in the 33rd minute after poor Penn State defending and the inability to clear the ball. The Wolverines ran down the sideline, sending the ball into the box where it deflected off of Nittany Lions defender Jack Bonas. Michigan picked it up, with Penn State’s defense in shambles, and tapped it back to Bryce Blevins who pulled the ball around the defense and buried it past Cooke into the corner.

Penn State looked sluggish after the goal, with Michigan taking control of the tempo and getting off back-to-back shots with about five minutes left in the half.

Chase Oliver found a bit of a spark for Penn State at the end, drawing a Michigan turnover and attempting to chip Wolverines keeper Isaiah Goldson, but it just wasn’t strong enough. The half ended with the Nittany Lions trailing 1-0.

Penn State started the second half with the ball, looking for a breakthrough to equalize. Sam Ovesen took on a Michigan attacker, stopping the charge with the Wolverines looking for a foul that did not come.

Penn State struggled to find a real flow but found its breakthrough in the 53rd minute. Marshall received a through ball into the top of the box, sending it to the penalty spot for Grabfelder. A Michigan defender messed up the pass, but the ball fell right next to Grabfelder to Camara, who smashed it straight past Goldson to tie the game.

Nicholas Cassidy got a shot off for Michigan, hitting the post. Cassidy attempted a bicycle kick off the rebound but it fell right into the hands of Cooke. Duilio Herrera won the ball immediately back for the Wolverines, going on a breakthrough and getting clipped by Bonas inside the box, winning a penalty kick.

Blevins stepped up for the penalty kick, drilling it into the top of the net to put Michigan up 2-1 in the 56th minute.

Herrera went on yet another breakaway, sending the ball to the edge of the box for another Michigan attacker, who whiffed the ball and it rolled back to the Nittany Lions. They struggled to find any real set of passes as the Wolverines played an aggressive line.

Michigan stopped a Penn State counter but paid the price, receiving a yellow card. The play paused for a Michigan injury with the player coming off the field. The break gave Penn State a mini reset and it went on the attack, able to break into the box. The Wolverines easily intercepted though and went back on the counter, wasting the chance with their effort going far wide of the net.

With 15 minutes left to play, Penn State brought on Kojo Dadzie and Ben Madore for Ben Liscum and Sam Ovesen, hoping for some fresh legs to bring a much-needed spark.

Being unable to maintain possession, Penn State was playing chippy and causing many goals. Malick Daouda lashed out after his teammate got fouled and there was no call, picking up red card through a second yellow. The Nittany Lions were down to only 10 men searching for an equalizer for the final ten minutes in Ann Arbor.

Penn State got the ball in the back of the net with seven minutes to play, but there was confusion over offsides and the referee turned to VAR. After a lengthy review, the goal was waived for offsides.

The Nittany Lions won a free kick outside the box and brought everyone besides Cooke up, searching their hardest for the last-minute equalizer. Michigan intercepted the kick and sent it downfield, where Cooke easily scooped it up and sent it right back down.

Takeaways

• This was a foul-heavy game, disrupting the flow and hurting Penn State most of all. The Nittany Lions gave away 13 fouls while the Wolverines gave up 12, but the fouls meant Penn State was getting chippy at their lack of possession and lashed out instead of searching for a reset. The fouls also added up as Daouda picked up a second yellow card, punishing Penn State to only 10 men for the end of the game. This was the second game this season that Penn State has a player pick up two yellow cards, causing them to go down a player for the closing minutes of the game. Penn State needs to work on its control and composure instead of lashing out and punishing the team.
• It seems Penn State is still searching for its true offensive weapon to take over from last year’s leading goalscorer Peter Mangione. While Grabfelder is its most creative outlet, he is not making the true difference needed up top and doesn’t have someone waiting up top for his passes. Figuring out the true team dynamics and system is a must for Penn State in the coming days.
• To put it simply, this was not Penn State’s best game. It wasn’t looking much like the team that finished second in both the Big Ten conference and tournament last season. While five starters left in the offseason, there were enough returners and talents where Penn State fans can expect more out of this team. A big change in needed in the next few games if they want to have a chance at a title this year.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will return to Happy Valley to continue Big Ten play and take on Ohio State. Kickoff will take place at 6 p.m on Tuesday, September 17, at Jeffrey Field. Folks can watch the game on the Big Ten Network.