First half flurry propels Penn State men’s soccer past Michigan State
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State got back in the win column against Michigan State.
The Spartans traveled to Jeffrey Field to take on the Nittany Lions Friday night.
The blue and white was without its starting goalie Kris Shakes, as Owen Elliott got the start. Elliot held his own against the Spartan offense, facing six shots, saving two and allowing one goal.
“I just praised Owen in front of the team,” coach Jeff Cook said.
Penn State stormed out of the gates, scoring four goals in the first half while holding the Spartans to zero shots and points. Peter Mangione would kick it off for Penn State by scoring within the first five minutes of the game.
The Nittany Lions controlled the momentum and ball throughout the first half. The blue and white took its time in finding the gaps in Michigan State's defense and capitalized on all of its opportunities.
Liam Butts led the Nittany Lions in scoring with two goals, both within three minutes of each other. This is the fourth time in Butts’ career that he scored two goals in one game.
“Today we came fired up,” Butts said. “It’s all about keeping this momentum rolling win after win.”
Van Danielson would score and give Penn State a 4-0 lead headed into halftime.
In the second half, the Nittany Lions slowed down and played a more conservative game. The offense only got one shot on goal in the second half compared to its four in the first.
“We talked at halftime about trying to pick up where we left off,” Cook said. “It’s hard to hit those high notes constantly throughout the game.”
The once-electric Penn State offense would revert to a more defensive look coming out of half. Both teams would flip fields multiple times compared to the first half when Penn State was on the attack.
With 25 minutes left in the game, Michigan State started to get great looks. It set up a bunch of great crosses but just couldn’t capitalize, as Penn State was all over anything coming near the goal.
The Spartans would score a goal with 14 minutes left in the second half as they caught the Nittany Lions off guard. By then, there was just not enough time to surmount the Nittany Lions’ 4-1 lead.
Penn State improved to 5-3-3 with the win and will travel to Bloomington, Indiana, to face Indiana on Oct. 14 at 6:30 p.m.
Micheal Bolger is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email mpb6233@psu.edu.
