Penn State men’s soccer (5-7-2, 2-4-2 Big Ten) fell to Washington (5-4-5, 2-3-3 Big Ten) in Seattle on Friday night.

After going down in the first half, Penn State couldn’t find its footing against the Huskies. An Aboubacar Camara goal midway through the second half instilled some life in the Nittany Lions until Washington iced the game with a third goal.

How It Happened

The match started calmly with both teams playing the ball around the middle of the field, unable to make deep developments into each other’s halves. A foul by Freddie Bell in the seventh minute gave Washington a free kick, where the Huskies got a shot off from outside of the box that was ultimately deflected and cleared to safety.

Through 15 minutes, both sides remained stout defensively. A Washington throw-in in the sixteenth minute stealthily moved inside the box, but the ball skidded out for a goal kick. Penn State’s subsequent possession birthed a shot from Bell that just missed the left post.

In the 20th minute, Washington cooked up a volley shot that Andrew Cooke had to jump for. The ball flew over the bar, but the game began to open up offensively for both sides.

Five minutes later, the Huskies carefully crafted a series of passes on the left side, resulting in a cross to the middle of the box. Midfielder Peter Kingston got his head on it and beat Cooke to put Washington up 1-0.

In the 32nd minute, Bell tackled a Washington attacker in the box. The referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot. A short review confirmed the call, and Washington’s Charlie Kosakoff calmly slid the ball into the bottom right corner, sending Cooke the opposite way. The Huskies went up 2-0 with less than 15 minutes left to play in the first half.

Another Washington attack originating on the left flank zipped past the net as a result of a failed cross. Penn State immediately lost possession on the subsequent throw-in, and Washington tested Cooke with a low-driven shot.

A last-minute cross from the Nittany Lions showed a slight increase in offensive pressure, but halftime halted any possible momentum.

Five minutes into the second half, Washington timed a perfect run to create a clear chance for goal. The Washington attacker lifted the shot over the bar. The Huskies intercepted the ball immediately afterward, leading to another shot from Kosakoff. Cooke pushed the ball outside for a corner kick, where the Nittany Lions cleared the ball away.

A Washington shot from just outside the six-yard box spooked the Penn State defense again as it sailed off target. Washington continued to find holes in the defense and produce solid chances at goal.

The Huskies completely stuffed a Penn State attack at the hour mark, forcing a wayward shot from Malick Daouda. Chase Oliver unleashed a shot of his own on the next possession, but Washington keeper Jadon Bowton scooped it up with no issue.

Two minutes later, Morgan Marshall led the ball down the left side and sent a cross in for Aboubacar Camara. Camara faked out a Washington defender and struck the ball powerfully into the net to put the Nittany Lions on the board.

Right place, right time

63' | UW 2, PSU 1 pic.twitter.com/rWUAl4eHaT

— Penn State Men’s Soccer (@PennStateMSOC) October 19, 2024

A counterattack in the 66th minute caught Penn State completely off guard. Outnumbered two to one, Cooke jumped in front of the crossed ball before it reached the Washington forwards, preventing a third goal.

In the 69th minute, a Husky cross found Kingston, who scored an impressive goal on the volley by redirecting the ball and completely planting Cooke to his spot. The impossible ball zipped past to put Washington up 3-1, with tensions mounting for the Nittany Lions.

A giveaway from the Penn State defense produced another shot on target against Cooke, who extended to push it out for a corner kick. Daouda freed the ball from the Penn State box.

An attack in the 77th minute found Marshall, who uncorked a shot at the near post that was strongly stopped by Bowton. The Nittany Lions began to apply a higher press with time running down.

An 88th-minute shot off the foot of Chase Oliver was the final significant chance for the Nittany Lions. Washington passed the ball around to end the game.

Takeaways

• The Nittany Lions continue to struggle against Big Ten opponents, adding another loss to their record. Sitting in sixth place in the conference with two games remaining, Penn State has to earn good results to secure their spot in the Big Ten Tournament. Wisconsin and Northwestern are also on the bubble, so there is all to play for in the last pair of matches.
• Penn State bounced back offensively after not registering a single shot on target last week against Indiana. Even with the loss, the Nittany Lions put up four shots on target and 10 shots total.
• Penn State’s defense has let up two or more goals in each of the last four games. The Nittany Lions will have to work to avoid going down early in games and give themselves a shot to not play from behind in the second half.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions host Wisconsin in their final regular season home game and Senior Night at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 26 at Jeffrey Field. The game will stream on BTN+.