Penn State men’s soccer (2-5-0, 0-3-0 Big Ten) lost to No. 2 Indiana (8-0-2, 3-0-1 Big Ten) 2-1 on Friday afternoon at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.

Although the Nittany Lions put up a great fight, a brace from Indiana forward Oliver Moller-Jensen proved to be the difference in a close Big Ten matchup.

Despite the loss, the match showcased a few bright spots for Penn State, which they will need more of following a slow start this season.

How it Happened

Possession was shared pretty equally between the Nittany Lions and Hoosiers early on, with Penn State earning two free kicks within the first six minutes. Although these didn’t lead to any real danger near the Hoosiers’ goal, they showed Penn State could hang with the No. 2 team in the nation.

The first real chance of the game came just over 12 minutes in when an Indiana give-and-go passing sequence led to a backdoor opportunity for forward Stephane Njike, who spiked it right into the arms of Penn State keeper Danny Peluffo-Weise.

A few minutes later, Penn State forward Etienne Reck fought through contact for the team’s first shot on target. Continued pressure after the shot led to two straight corners for the Lions, but neither created more dangerous chances at goal.

Just under 20 minutes in, Njike dribbled past the Penn State defense to create a shooting opportunity for himself, leading to a tough save for Peluffo-Weise. Seconds later, Indiana earned its first corner of the game, but it didn’t lead to a dangerous opportunity.

With around 17 minutes to go in the first half, Indiana broke through.

Another impressive dribble from Njike opened up a passing lane to Moller-Jensen, who took the open space and fired a low shot into the bottom right corner, beating Peluffo-Weise for his 6th goal of the season.

After the goal, Penn State tried to strike back, as a firm shot from substitute Grant McIntosh forced a save from Indiana goalie Michal Mroz.

Indiana returned with increased pressure in the final 10 minutes of the first half, but a collision inside the Penn State box injured Indiana defender Josh Maher, causing a stoppage in play.

A few minutes later, a foul by Penn State forward Amadou Kone earned a yellow card and a free kick in a dangerous area for the Hoosiers. However, Nittany Lion defenders blocked the initial shot, and Indiana squandered a second chance with an errant shot.

Seconds later, Peluffo-Weise stopped a great opportunity for Moller-Jensen’s second goal of the game, taking the game into half-time.

The Hoosiers kept the pressure going to start the second half, as they earned two corner kicks in quick succession seconds after play resumed. Neither would lead to truly dangerous opportunities.

Just under nine minutes into the second half, Kone went on a strong run through the midfield, and after stopping up, fed the ball to Morgan Marshall, who beautifully curled the ball into the top left of the net, beating Mroz and leveling the playing field for the Nittany Lions.

Indiana would return to the offensive shortly after, forcing a corner as well as multiple saves from Peluffo-Weise.

Moving forward, both teams shared lengthened spells of possession, with few dangerous chances throughout the middle of the second half.

With just over 15 minutes remaining, a poor challenge by Reck led to a free kick in a dangerous area for the Hoosiers. Njike stepped up to take it but blasted it high and wide over the net.

Seconds later, an Indiana turnover gave Reck a chance at the other end, which he squandered.

Then, Indiana came the other way. Yet again, Njike dribbled past the Penn State defense and found Moller-Jensen in the box, who scored his second of the game and seventh of the season to give Indiana a 2-1 lead with under 15 minutes to play.

Indiana didn’t stop the pressure there. Shortly after the goal, midfielder Charlie Heuer found full-back Alex Barger on an overlap, who fired a left-footed shot just wide, keeping Penn State alive.

Penn State followed that missed chance by earning a free kick in a dangerous place. Freshman Beckham Brown took the kick, but the chance eventually led to nothing for the Nittany Lions.

After the missed free kick, Hoosier midfielder Alex Matthews raced Penn State’s Noah Andreas for a loose ball. Matthews won the race, dispossessed Andreas, and forced him to commit a foul in the box, leading to an Indiana penalty kick that Peluffo-Weise eventually stopped. Njike, who took the penalty, followed up his own miss by skying a shot high, a huge squandered opportunity late in the game.

Unfortunately for Penn State, Andreas was injured on the play and forced to leave the match.

Penn State then stepped up the pressure to try and find an equalizer late in the game. VAR checked a handball in the box by the Hoosiers, but no penalty was awarded. The controversial call did not go the Nittany Lions’ way.

Following the no-penalty call, Penn State was unable to muster up any more offense, and the game would end 2-1 in favor of Indiana.

Takeaways

• Penn State’s defense was unable to keep up with the pace and technique of Stephane Njike, who proved to be a huge force for Indiana down the wing
• Although the Nittany Lions lost, keeping such a close result against the No. 2 Hoosiers showcases the potential of the team going forward
• Indiana’s defense was ultimately more organized than Penn State’s throughout the match, which proved to be one of the main differences.
• In reality, the Nittany Lions were a handball call away from a real chance at a draw against the Hoosiers, which gives them something to hold onto as they continue Big Ten play.

What’s Next

Penn State will attempt to capture its first Big Ten victory against No. 17 UCLA on Scarf Night at Jeffrey Field, with kickoff at 7 p.m. on Monday, September 28. The game will also be streamed on Big Ten Plus.