Penn State men’s soccer (1-2-1) lost to No. 23 Missouri State (2-1-0) 3-1 at Jeffrey Field on Monday afternoon.

Despite a strong start off the foot of midfielder Malick Daouda, Penn State quickly lost control of the game as the first half winded down. Missouri State capitalized on set piece opportunities and iced the game in the final minutes after a strong Penn State comeback attempt.

How It Happened

Kai Phillip fired off Penn State’s first shot of the game after a defensive miscommunication by Missouri State, but goalkeeper Jonathan Kliewer stuffed it comfortably. The Nittany Lions continued to pile on the pressure in the first seven minutes, which culminated in a Malick Daouda left-footed missile from outside the box into the bottom left corner for the game’s opening score.

Just *chef's kiss*#WeAre pic.twitter.com/AkYuOTTCpY

— Penn State Men’s Soccer (@PennStateMSOC) September 1, 2025

Morgan Marshall evaded two Bears defenders in the corner as he whipped it to Daouda at the top of the box. Daouda swung it into the box, but it rolled outside for a Missouri State goal kick.

Missouri State created its first real chance of the game with a shot from Fumiya Shiraishi that kissed the near post off of a deflection with two Nittany Lion defenders. The Bears overshot the ensuing corner kick as Penn State regained possession.

Samuel Ovesen whipped in a ball to the box to Ben Madore for an isolated header, but Madore missed the mark completely. Tempers flared in the following minute as Matthew Henderson earned himself a yellow card after pushing down a Missouri State player.

Phillip unleashed a curling shot in the 23rd minute but cleared the net altogether. Davy Leavey checked in for Caden Grabfelder in the game’s first substitution.

Missouri State started to gain some momentum in the midfield in the final 15 minutes of the first half until Freddie Bell almost doubled Penn State’s lead following some combination plays from Grabfelder and Daouda in the box. Ben Liscum neutralized a cross into the box from the far side before an injury timeout for Phillip.

Liscum headed away two Missouri State crosses before the Bears finally slotted the ball past Fredrick Grundin to tie the game up in the 38th minute. The two sides headed into the locker room knotted up at halftime.

Penn State got a look on goal six minutes into the second half, but were called offside. Missouri State’s Adrian Esteban picked out Shiraishi off of a free kick on the far side, who belted the ball into the bottom right corner despite a touch from Grundin as the Bears snatched the lead in the 52nd minute.

The Nittany Lions struggled to foster many chances as the second half continued. Missouri State began to win the possession battle as legs on both sides started tiring out in the heat.

Shiraishi tried to chip Grundin from deep, but the Swedish goalkeeper tipped the ball out of play.

Penn State drew a free kick in a favorable position following a yellow card by Alex Matthews of Missouri State. Grabfelder missed the mark to the right on a direct shot.

The Nittany Lions started to build up some more inside Missouri State’s penalty area as the game entered its final 15 minutes. More tempers flared as the Nittany Lions contested what they thought was an unfair foul call in the box in the 77th minute.

Marshall unleashed a kick to the top corner as the final 10 minutes of the match rolled around, but Will Lowry acrobatically deflected it out of bounds for a corner kick.

Shiraishi scored once more in the 86th minute to put the game away for Missouri State. Penn State tabbed its second loss of the season.

Takeaways

• The Nittany Lions drew first blood but couldn’t see the game out after Missouri State ramped up its game at the end of the first half. However, it was Penn State’s first time scoring first during the now three-game winless streak, so there’s some progress on the team’s first-half energy.
• Malick Daouda is Penn State’s heart in the midfield. He works the entire field and is the centerpiece of connecting the back third to the final third. He consistently fights back for possession and creates space out of nothing.
• Penn State continued its streak of 10+ shots this far into the young season. The Nittany Lions only had three shots on target, however. Some more sharpness in the final third can go a long way in close matchups going forward.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions wrap up non-conference play with a battle against Mercyhurst at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 5, at Jeffrey Field.