Penn State men’s soccer (2-2-2, 0-0-1 Big Ten) was shut out by Rutgers 1-0 in its conference opener in Piscataway, New Jersey, on Friday Night.

The game, which remained scoreless for 78 minutes, saw its only goal come as a result of a red card foul on the Nittany Lions. The goalkeepers for both Big Ten squads stood strong throughout the course of the game.

How It Happened

Penn State registered the first shot of the game just over three minutes into the action. A chance by Caden Grabfelder was saved by Rutgers keeper Ciaran Dalton with ease.

Two fouls on Rutgers granted the Nittany Lions a pair of free kicks, but nothing resulted from them. The two teams mustered just one combined shot in the first 17 minutes of action. A Penn State corner kick sailed over the mob crowding the net, eventually giving Rutgers possession. 

The Scarlet Knights were finally able to get a tally in the shot category, as a Joschi Schelb attempt was blocked by the blue and white. Penn State’s best chance of the game thus far came on a two-on-one, but Kai Phillip’s shot was also blocked just beyond the box.

Rutgers almost broke the scoreless tie with 21:47 on the clock, as the only man Schelb had to beat was Penn State goaltender Jonathan Evans. Evans was able to make the save and prevent any damage. Shortly thereafter, Evans swatted away a Scarlet Knight corner that nearly found the net.

A handball foul was called on Grabfelder, awarding Rutgers a free kick. While they immediately gave up possession, the Scarlet Knights regained it and nearly scored off a cross. No one was home, and the Nittany Lions took control. A few minutes later, Cole Cruthers almost had a highlight goal from the top of the box, but the ball soared wide left of the net.

WIth under ten minutes left in the half, Rutgers saw a couple more great scoring chances. The Nittany Lion defense stayed strong, and Evans did his job as well. With three minutes remaining, Christian Dionne nearly knocked one home, as the ball trickled through the box and right past Dalton.

Penn State looked to keep some of its positive momentum going after a foul was called on Rutgers. The free kick was intercepted by the Scarlet Knights, as they immediately flipped the field. A shot by Jude Essuman was saved by Evans. The clock ran out on a first half that was largely dominated by the team from New Jersey.

The second half began with a Rutgers corner kick that missed the mark. Thirteen minutes into the half, a Penn State corner nearly found the back of the net off a header.

Ben Madore was met with a great opportunity for the Nittany Lions, as he dribbled all the way to the Rutgers net where he was met with a Scarlet Knight defender before getting the shot off. Penn State almost scored off a corner just a few moments later, but Dalton punched the ball away.

The play was relatively uneventful until about 20 minutes left in the game. Rutgers nearly tallied a goal, but the ball was kicked aside courtesy of a slide tackle by Ben Liscum. Liscum looked shaken up on the defensive effort, as he limped off the field with an athletic trainer.

With just over 12 minutes remaining, Evans collided with a charging Andrew Kitch just inside the box, breaking up a scoring chance. Joseph Sheritan was given a yellow card for initiating the contact, and Rutgers was subsequently awarded a penalty kick. The play went to an official review, where the yellow card was upgraded to a red card for Sheritan. The penalty kick was taken off.

Schelb took advantage of the call, and scored a beautiful goal off the free kick that deflected in off the crossbar. The Scarlet Knights took a 1-0 late into the action. Schelb is the Big Ten leader in goals thus far in the season, this one being his sixth.

As time ticked down, Penn State whiffed on a shot that likely would have knotted the game at one. With one minute left, Kitch received a long pass down the field, and found himself with only Evans to beat. A great save by the Nittany Lion keeper prevented the Scarlet Knights from doubling their lead. 

The clock hit zero, as the Nittany Lions would drop their conference opener 1-0.

Takeaways

• Rutgers outshot Penn State from the start. The Scarlet Knights led 18-9 in this category, doubling the offensive production of the Nittany Lions.
• Evans stood on his head throughout the game, making crucial saves for Penn State at various points in the action.
• Both teams played a fast-paced game to open up Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions will look to right the ship with a full slate of conference games ahead of them.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will take on No. 11 Indiana at home on Friday, September 19. The game will mark this season’s Mack Brady game, and will begin at 7 p.m.