WSOC: Nittany Lions Completes DH With Win over SFU

Story posted September 9, 2016 in CommRadio, Sports by Joe Esquivel-Murphy

UNIVERSITY PARK - Penn State started the night with high expectations, but were unable to play up to those expectations in a 3-1 loss to St. Francis. The Red Flash controlled the match as they were able to win balls in the midfield consistently.

Penn State captain Connor Maloney was unable to get himself fully involved in the match, playing well in spurts, and was frustrated throughout the match. The captain was only able to muster two shots in the game, with one of them going on target.

Penn State head coach Bob Warming credits the St. Francis defense for Penn State not being able to score in the penalty area.

“A lot of credit to St. Francis,” Warming said. “I mean, really well played by so many of their players, so much fight, and great compaction.”

St. Francis was able to keep their defensive shape throughout the match, forcing Penn State to get out of formation. The shape by the Red Flash made it possible for midfielder Troye Kiernan to dominate the game.

Kiernan scored two goals on the night, placing the ball in places where freshman goalkeeper Arie Ammann could not reach. His first goal was a strike from 20 yards out, placing the ball in the bottom left corner. His second was unassisted and in the far corner out of reach of Ammann.

Penn State was outshot in the game 15-8 and the shots the Nittany Lions attempted were mostly off target. Christian Sload had a solid performance off the bench, scoring the only goal for Penn State.

Aymar Sigue played well off the bench as he was able to put himself in positions to score, but was unable to put the ball in the back of the net. His headers were just off the mark, but his constant energy in the box will be helpful for Penn State in the future.

The Nittany Lions next game is their Big Ten home opener against Ohio State on September 13 at 7 p.m.

 

Joseph Esquivel-Murphy is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism and Spanish. To contact him, email Joe at jje5139@psu.edu.