UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- No. 20 Penn State men’s soccer battled in a competitive college soccer match against No. 1 Syracuse to result in a 1-1 score after 90 minutes of play. The Nittany Lions scored the go-ahead goal in the 88th minute but the Orange found the equalizer just seconds later.
A goal from Caden Grabfelder off an assist from Alex Stevenson gave Penn State the short lead.
Penn State’s record moves to 1-0-2 overall while handing the defending National Champions their first draw of the 2023 campaign.
“Thank you to the fan for creating such a special environment for tonight’s game,” said head coach Jeff Cook. “I thought our team responded unbelievably well to the challenges that Syracuse presented. This will be an incredible learning experience. We are gutted to not hold onto the victory after scoring so late in the match. I think it is something that we can improve on in the future and turn these close ties against very high-level opponents into victories.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
First half
The play opened up at Jeffrey Field in front of a 2,684 person crowd. Several free kick opportunities for the Orange gave them scoring chances in the early minutes of the game, but the Nittany Lions defense produced strong stops.
A set piece just outside the box for Syracuse threatened a lead for the Orange. Mateo Leveque was on the ball for Syracuse and sent it straight towards the net. A diving Kris Shakes nudged the ball to the post and his defense cleared it away.
The Nittany Lions offense continued to press with efforts from Butts to outrun the…
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