Penn State men’s soccer (3-5-0, 1-2-0 Big Ten) beat Michigan State (2-4-2, 1-1-0 Big Ten) 2-1 at Jeffery Field Friday night.

It was a back-and-forth game from start to finish, but a late goal from Malick Daouda gave the Nittany Lions the upper hand for their first conference win of the season.

How It Happened

Sporting their throwback black and pink kits, the Nittany Lions took the pitch under a setting sun at Jeffery Field for their annual THON match.

The first five minutes were controlled by Michigan State, but it couldn’t form any true scoring opportunities. A foul on Josh Adam set up a free kick near the box for Penn State in the sixth minute, but the blue and white couldn’t capitalize.

In the eighth minute, the Spartans entered the Penn State box for the first time, but the defense made a stop before booting it down the field. Aboubacar Camara took that clearance and the first shot of the game for the Nittany Lions, which was saved easily by Zac Kelly.

Moments later, Sam Ovesen received an airborne pass past midfield and dribbled it into the box, but the ball went past the end line for a Michigan State goal kick. The Spartans worked down the field and set up their first corner kick of the game but didn’t get a shot off.

In the 15th minute, the Nittany Lions made some good passes around and inside the box but were unable to bury a goal. They had their first corner kick a minute later, but the lofting pass didn’t connect for a header.

Two minutes after that, Camara had another good look at the net, but his rolling shot was scooped up by Kelly. Then, in the 23rd minute, Michigan State cleared and quickly passed it toward the Penn State goal, but Daouda stepped in to take it back for the Nittany Lions.

Richie Ludwig took a shot for the Spartans in the 25th, but the Penn State defense crashed again to deflect it away, and neither team generated any sustained offense for the next several minutes.

Penn State had its second corner of the game in the 31st minute, but it was headed out of the box. Shortly after that, Caden Grabfelder forced a turnover to create another offensive opportunity for the Nittany Lions, but they came up empty again.

With seven minutes remaining in the first half, Grabfelder had a chance in the box, but his header was saved by a diving Kelly. The goalkeeper punted it down the field for Michigan State to set up its offense.

Shion Soga sent a pass to Jonathan Stout, who stood just outside the top left of the box. Stout let the ball rip with his right foot, and it hit the crossbar and went into the back of the top left corner of the net to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead in the 39th minute.

Less than two minutes later, Penn State quickly entered the box, where there was contact around the penalty mark, which the home fans thought was enough for a penalty kick. After the referees reviewed the play, they said no foul was committed and awarded the ball to Michigan State.

There was no offensive action in the last four minutes, and the teams went to the locker rooms with the Spartans holding on to the 1-0 lead they picked up late in the first half.

Sean Kerrigan had a shot attempt to begin the second half, but Andrew Cooke went low for a diving save in the left corner.

Penn State took it down the field, and Christian Dionne dribbled down the end line through the box and found Camara in front of the right post. Camara tapped it past Kelly and into the net for his second goal of the season, tying the game at 1-1 in the 49th minute.

CAMARA EQUALIZES

48' | PSU 1, MSU 1 pic.twitter.com/qtz0EhRcCy

— Penn State Men’s Soccer (@PennStateMSOC) September 21, 2024

There wasn’t much action for the next five minutes until Matthew Henderson opened up space for himself on the left side of the box, but he sent a cross over everyone, giving Michigan State a goal kick.

In the 58th minute, Dionne put a shot on goal that was punched out by Kelly onto the foot of Henderson, but he again booted it well over the crossbar. Grabfelder had a look from the same spot at the top left of the box, but it was saved again by Kelly, and the ensuing corner kick was unsuccessful for the Nittany Lions.

With 25 minutes to play, the Penn State offense slowly worked the ball around during a possession that lasted over two minutes. However, after scrambling for that time, the Spartans stayed strong and eventually took it away.

Each team had offensive chances in the 72nd minute, but couldn’t work around their marks to put a shot on goal. More time went on with the ball staying around midfield as defense continued to be the emphasis for the two squads.

In the 83rd minute, Camara nearly netted his second goal of the game off a cross, but it sailed over the net. After the Nittany Lions and Spartans battled it out, an opportunity arose in the 87th minute.

Cristiano Bruletti was whistled for a yellow card, giving Penn State a free kick that was taken by Henderson. He lofted it into the box and Daouda was the first to get to it, getting his right foot on it and beating Kelly to the bottom right corner to give the Nittany Lions a 2-1 lead.

@PennStateMSOC takes the lead in the final minutes

Malick Daouda finishes it off the set piece #B1GMSoccer on @BigTenPlus pic.twitter.com/9KTbfGZUAA

— Big Ten Soccer (@B1GSoccer) September 21, 2024

Despite some late opportunities for the Spartans, Penn State’s defense held off a late equalizer, and left Jeffery Field with a 2-1 win, energizing the fans and snapping a losing streak.

Takeaways

• Penn State’s defense looked significantly better than it did in the 5-0 loss to Ohio State from Tuesday, as the unit constantly overcommitted and mistimed steps in the game against the Buckeyes.
• Captain Ben Liscum was subbed out in the 35th minute, a much earlier exit than in Tuesday’s match, which he left in the 61st minute.
• Camara continues to see increased playing time in each game and made a big difference tonight with an equalizer early in the second half.
• Daouda was the hero, using his speed to win the race to the ball to score the game-winner.

What’s Next?

Penn State will travel to the Big Apple for a 7 p.m. matchup on Tuesday, September 24, to take on St. John’s.