PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers men's soccer team was tripped up by Penn State in its Big Ten regular season finale with a 6-2 setback to the Nittany Lions on Sunday afternoon at Yurcak Field.
"We have to evaluate ourselves. Are we really, truly giving the effort we need to give in a game like this," said head coach
Dan Donigan. "It's totally unacceptable from my standpoint. It's unfortunate we have to experience that. I'm certain we'll learn from it, but it's really difficult to experience and be a part of that. For me, if the effort and work ethic is there, it's one thing, and it usually is with this group, but today we lacked effort and fight for sure."
Rutgers (4-11-1, 0-8-0 Big Ten) responded after Penn State took the early 1-0 lead in the second minute with redshirt sophomore
Brian Hawkins tying the game up in the seventh minute. The Chesterfield, New Jersey native took the ball from the midfield line all the way down into Penn State territory where his shot from 10-yards out went into goal.
The Nittany Lions (2-9-2, 1-6-1 Big Ten), however, managed to take a 2-1 lead into the intermission. Aymar Sigue put Penn State up for good in the 29
th minute of action off a long serve from Callum Prichatt.
Penn State's Ethan Beckford opened the Nittany Lion second half scoring gates with back-to-back goal in the 60
th minute converting a penalty kick and finding the back of the Scarlet Knight net moments after the whistle put the ball back into play. His second goal would result in the game-winner.
The 67
th minute saw Mac Curran give Penn State a 5-1 cushion as the Nittany Lions volley from the left to right side of the pitch was centered eight-yards from the goal line.
Sophomore
Tim McQuaid captured Rutgers' second goal of the game. Off a Scarlet Knight corner kick, senior
Ryan Peterson's header hit the crossbar and landed eight-yards out from goal. Senior
Brandon Tetro sent in the ricochet off the pipe where it was tapped in by McQuaid through the Nittany Lion keepers' legs and into the far corner.
Penn State would round out the afternoon's scoring moments later with a Daniel Gonzalez tally from the far post.
"Now there's one more game against Columbia and people are going to judge us on how we respond from this," added Donigan. "We'll have another shot at either Penn State or Northwestern in the play-in game depending on next weekend's. Then you go and win the play-in game and have a chance to knock off the number one seed. Teams have done it before and that's what our mindset has got to be and that's what we have to start to work towards. It starts tomorrow in training. We've got to put this behind us and look forward."
The Rutgers men's soccer team closes out the 2017 regular season on Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Columbia at Yurcak Field.
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