Penn State Men’s Soccer (2-9-2) (0-6-2 Big Ten) lost at home to Rutgers (7-6-1) (5-3-0 Big Ten) Tuesday night.

After conceding twice in the opening ten minutes, the Nittany Lions couldn’t recover. The pressure never let up as Penn State struggled to get out of its own half all game, leaving head coach Rob Dow and the team searching for answers.

How It Happened

The Scarlet Knights opened with possession and forced a through ball deep into Penn State territory early. Penn State’s backline was without defensive star Joe Sheridan, who received a red card in the dying minutes of the game against Northwestern. His absence was clear from the opening minute.

Following a throw-in, Francesco Di Ponzio sent a cross into the Penn State box. Both attackers and defenders jumped in an attempt to get a touch on it, but they all missed. The ball rolled to Dan Karsten at the back post, unmarked. Karsten fired a near-post shot that beat Daniel Peluffo-Wiese for the opener.

Down 1-0 not even a minute in, Penn State looked to intensify its attack and aggression in search of an equalizer. What happened was the opposite.

Winning a set piece in a dangerous position, Amer Lukovic took his chance and fired a strike that Peluffo-Wiese put back into play. The Scarlet Knights got to the ball first, sending it to Kartsen, who flicked it into the run of Di Ponzio. He brought the ball down in stride, weaving through multiple defenders to beat Peluffo-Wiese near the post for the second goal of the night.

Seven minutes in, the Nittany Lions trailed by two goals.

After the second goal, Rutgers kept piling pressure on Penn State. Sheridan McNish replaced Sheridan in the backline. The freshman showed great composure, making clearances and advancing the ball forward. Penn State’s midfield just couldn’t seem to keep meaningful possession, and the attackers failed to create chances.

After a quick counterattack, Rutgers found its third goal of the night from a corner. After the ball was hit around the box and multiple players’ bodies, it fell kindly to William Pierce. Penn State could do nothing but watch as the ball slowly drifted into the back of the net, for the third time in 20 minutes.

After the third goal, there was no huddle or words shared among the Nittany Lions, just silence and disbelief.

Even with a 3-0 lead, Rutgers kept piling on the pressure. Noah Forster laid a great shoulder-to-shoulder challenge as Rutgers found themselves in a one-versus-one situation. Toby Grant also laid a clean slide tackle down the touchline. Both showed immense passion and grit after winning the ball, hoping that their teammates would follow suit.

In the 30th minute, Penn State finally reached the final third. After a few well-chosen passes, Nehan Hasan played Arian Recinos through on an overlapping run. The fullback sent in a great ball, but no one in blue and white was there to convert.

The Nittany Lions kept trying to find their footing late in the first half. Joe Buckley bravely stepped up in the midfield and won a physical challenge. With numbers, he played it forward to Etienne Reck, who lost the footrace to Rutgers captain Devon Stopek. Peluffo-Wiese stayed strong between the sticks, making multiple key saves to keep the Nittany Lions down three.

However, frustrations began to boil over. In the 42nd minute, newly substituted Amadou Kone pushed a Scarlet Knight in the back after Kone was a second too late to the ball. The referee deemed it foul play and, for the first time tonight, reached into his card pocket to give the Canadian senior a yellow card.

After the yellow card, Penn State fended off one more Rutgers attack with seconds remaining in the half. The whistle blew, and the Nittany Lions went into the locker room down 3-0.

The second half started much the same way. Rutgers brought unmatched pace and energy, physically dominating and pushing Penn State deep into its own territory off its press. The Scarlet Knights buzzed with confidence, letting shots rip from well outside the box on multiple occasions.

One of those shots came at an awkward angle for Peluffo-Wiese, who did well to stop the shot. Unable to control it, the ball went out of play and straight back to the Scarlet Knights, who found themselves with a clear chance. Peluffo-Weise stayed put, and his great discipline paid off as he used his big frame to make the save of the day from point-blank range.

Rutgers continued with its press, winning the ball in midfield. Thomas Angelone picked up the ball wide on the wing. He cut inside, weaving through and stepping over multiple defenders before sending a rocket towards the near post.

Unable to get his hands up in time, Peluffo-Wiese watched the ball sail past for the fourth Scarlet Knights goal of the night. The entire team and bench ran off to celebrate what can only be described as a wonderful individual goal. Rutgers led 4-0.

It would only get worse for Penn State. Forster pushed a Rutgers player down to the ground in the box. After a brief video review, the referee awarded a penalty. Nick Collins stepped up and sent Peluffo-Wiese the wrong way, slotting home another Rutgers goal.

Disbelief washed over the stadium as the scoreboard read 5-0, with 25 minutes still to play.

The Nittany Lions responded well to giving up a penalty. They went right back down the field and won a corner off a blocked shot after another overlapping run. After the corner, Beckham Brown got a shot from twenty-plus yards out that tested the keeper. Fully extended, Rutgers goalkeeper Rafael Ponce De Leon punched it over the bar.

However, Penn State never scored. Chances came and went, but the Nittany Lions seemed to lack the end product and finishing all night. Reck was most frustrated, losing his temper and going in on a hard challenge that earned him a yellow card.

The Scarlet Knights played keep-away, passing around the back until the clock hit zero.

Takeaways

• Rutgers had 22 different outfield players on the pitch tonight, compared to Penn State’s 17. The fresh legs seemed to work, as Rutgers controlled possession for much of the game and seemed much quicker.
• Both Reck and Kone received yellow cards, highlighting their frustration with the lack of offense and involvement today.
• Penn State had six shots tonight, almost half its season average of 11.55 shots per match. Throughout the season, Penn State averaged 5.55 shots on goal. Tonight, the Nittany Lions only recorded three shots on goal.
• The height difference was clear. With Sheridan missing tonight, Rutgers’ aerial threats dominated the fifty-fifty balls inside the box.
• Penn State leads the all-time series over Rutgers 14-10-1.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions take the field at home on Saturday against the Wisconsin Badgers. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. from Jeffery Field, and folks can tune in from home on Big Ten Plus.