Penn Falls to No. 7 Penn State

September 24, 2014

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – There was plenty of offense in Happy Valley between No. 7 Penn State and the University of Pennsylvania, however the Quakers came out on the wrong side of the fireworks in a 6-2 loss to the Nittany Lions.

With the loss, Penn falls to 3-4-0 this season. Penn State improves to 7-0-1.

The Quakers did something no visiting team had managed to do at Jeffrey Field since October of 2013 – score a goal. Duke Lacroix’s goal in the 15th minute ended a streak of 674:52 of action in State College without Penn State conceding a goal.

Lacroix’s goal was part of a busy first 16 minutes of the match which saw three goals scored, two for the hosts.

Mike Minutillo connected on the first goal, finishing a give and go with Kyle MacDonald in the 10^th minute.

Duke Lacroix gave the Quakers life with an equalizer 4:32 later. Lacroix’s run for the goal was well-worked as he ran across the box, left to right, then quickly cut back to his left and unleashed a liner to the left corner.

The game was not tied for long as Penn State countered just 1:30 after Lacroix’s goal. Brandon Savino scored, finishing a Connor Maloney pass.

The second half also had a flurry of offense as the teams combined for three goals in the first seven minutes of the second period. Penn was unable to gain any traction, though, as just one of those goals went the Red and Blue’s way. Alec Neumann had the strike, finishing a Duke Lacroix feed in the 51st minute. That goal was 1:14 after Connor Maloney netted Penn State’s fourth goal after finishing a cross from Brian James. Just 1:18 after Neumann scored, Drew Klingenberg headed in a James cross to regain the three-goal Nittany Lion lead.

The Red and Blue had multiple chances to climb back in the match, the best opportunities coming in the 81st and 82nd minutes. Lacroix and Neumann had back-to-back point blank chances after a corner kick, each saved by Andrew Wolverton. Moments later, Neumann would slide a pass through the defense to a charging Lacroix whose breakaway was denied.

The Nittany Lions would add the final goal of the match with 1:09 to play, Riley Grant netting the goal.

Shots were relatively even in the match, 16 for Penn State to 15 for the Quakers.

The Quakers return to action on Sept. 30 against Saint Joseph’s. Kickoff at Rhodes Field is set for 7 p.m.

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