Nittany Lions come from behind to beat Army, courtesy of two Olimpico Goals

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State men’s soccer returned to Jeffrey Field for their season home opener as they faced Army.

The Nittany Lions defended their turf against Army with two corner kicks entering the back of the net leading to a 2-1 victory and grabbing their first win of the season.

Kickoff was at 5 p.m. following a dominant win by the women's team just shortly before.

Supporters noticed a significant change to the field before kickoff had begun. Andrew Cooke was not in the starting lineup, instead, Fredrick Grundin stepped into goal.

When asked about the switch, head coach Erica Dambach said “We come back, travel back the recovery isn't ideal, fatigue, mental would give Andrew a chance to recover and Fredrick we’ve had a lot of belief in him to get the W today.”

In the 16th minute of play, Army player Ronald Zhai was able to leave Penn State on the grass as he placed the ball into the bottom right of the net.

Army was not done putting up a fight there though as just shortly after defender Kelly Cooper received a yellow card allowing the Nittany Lions to get a free kick/

After one half the Nittany Lions trailed 1-0 in search of not only getting on the board, but finding a way to get in the win column.

In the second half, energy began to shift as the Nittany Lions and Black Knights fought for any chance that they could at the ball. Penn State took the upper hand by bringing the energy back into Jeffery Field when in the 47th minute Matthew Henderson scored directly from the corner.

This brought the game to a tied score of 1-1, and put the crowd on their feet as they cheered witnessing what is known as an Olimpico goal.

With time ticking down and each side desperately looking to break ahead, a moment of deja vu took over the field as Penn State was signaled for another corner kick. Caden Grabfelder took to the corner looking to replicate what Henderson had dimed earlier in the match despite its lack of probability.

Once the ball was lifted into the air it followed its same course straight into the back of the net without a touch.

The Nittany Lions went on to play just under 10 more minutes of pressuring defense before hearing the sound which awarded them their first win of the season.

As the team celebrated on the field and went to sign autographs for fans after the game, Dambach knows two Olimpicos in one game is not a likely way to win in the future, so before they face their in-state rivals, Pitt, and continue this homestead they must “know we are smart enough to be building towards something.”

Penn State will face Pitt back at Jeffrey Field this Friday at 7:00 PM as they look to break into plus .500 on the season.

Bronwyn Liber is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email brl5354@psu.edu.