ASTON, Pa. – After a 1-1 draw at McDaniel College on Friday afternoon to open its 2018 season, the Neumann University men's soccer team returned home on Saturday afternoon with a 2-0 win over Penn State Abington.
Freshman defender
Matt Brown made his first career collegiate goal count, scoring the game-winner for the Knights on the day. Freshman forward
Gavin Ford also scored for Neumann, who received an eight-save shutout performance from senior goalkeeper
Shane Smith.
Playing its second game in as many days, Neumann started slow out of the gate as it tried to find its legs in the contest. The Knights attack was stymied by a stout Nittany Lion defense in the opening 45 minutes and registered just five shots in the first half of play. Neumann's defending was also strong though, limiting Penn State Abington to just six shots of their own as the game headed to halftime knotted at 0-0.
The game continued to remain scoreless until midway through the second stanza, when the hosts began to take control of the game. After a series of Neumann shots were stopped by the Nittany Lion keeper in the 65
th minute, Brown followed up a rebound in a net-mouth scramble and ripped home the first goal of the game to put the Knights out in front 1-0. Sophomore
Marlon Trejo nearly doubled the lead just five minutes later, but a fantastic diving save from the Penn State Abington keeper kept the Neumann lead at just one with 20 minutes left to play.
Looking to seal the game late, Neumann used another freshman to tack on some insurance. After being slipped a ball in behind the Nittany Lion back-line from sophomore
Matt Sengphachanh in the 84
th minute, Ford calmly tucked a ball past the visiting net-minder to give the Knights a comfortable 2-0 lead. Smith needed to make a few late saves to keep his shutout in goal, but Neumann held on the rest of the way for its first win of the season.
Neumann (1-0-1) has a two day break before returning to action on Tuesday, September 4
th at Salisbury University. The non-conference matchup is scheduled for 4:00 PM.