Penn State defeats Maryland in 11th annual Mack Brady Match

UNIVERSITY PARK Pa.- The Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the Maryland Terrapins 1-0 on Tuesday night in the 11th annual Mack Brady Match.

Penn State’s lead came in the 39th minute from an unassisted goal by forward Peter Mangione. Penn State’s conference record now sits at 2-0, while Maryland’s falls to 0-1-1.

Tuesday’s game was played in honor of John William McKenzie “Mack” Brady, who passed away 11 years ago from a blood infection, just 16 days short of his 9th birthday.

Mack was incredibly passionate about soccer and dreamed of one day becoming a goalkeeper for Penn State. Although Mack is no longer with us, his memory will continue to be honored on the field by Penn State men’s soccer for years to come.

“The most important thing is honoring Mack’s memory, his family, and their incredible commitment over the years since Mack’s tragic passing. It means so much to honor him in this way,” head coach Jeff Cook said.

As the warmup clock ticked down, the Nittany Lions took the field in style, sporting their throwback pink and black jerseys. Fans of both Penn State and Maryland sat anxiously awaiting kickoff, while the Park Avenue Army filed in with their drums loud and spirits high.

The first half was a slow start for both teams. An early corner kick attempt by the Terrapins marked the first offensive threat of the game but was quickly cleared away by Penn State’s defense. Neither team was able to break back into the offensive third until the 14th minute, when a shot by Luca Costabile threatened, but was collected by Kris Shakes.

The Terrapins managed to maintain the majority of possession for the remainder of the first 45. Both teams had multiple corner-kick opportunities but were unable to put those chances away.

A breakaway by Peter Mangione was Penn State’s first real offensive threat of the half, but the shot was swiftly blocked by Maryland’s defense.

The game remained scoreless until Peter Mangione came back for redemption with an unassisted goal, giving Penn State the lead late in the first half.

Unlike the first half, the second half of the match was filled with energy and offensive pressure. Despite various dangerous attempts by the Terrapin’s offense, no shot could outdo the superhuman performance put on by Penn State goalkeeper Kris Shakes.

Shakes made five saves which kept Penn State in the lead for the entire second half. His fearless leaps and dives which seem terrifying to the average fan, for him are just like another day of training.

“This is what we do every day you know, five days out of the week, me and the other goalies were grinding for this,” Shakes said. “Whenever it gets to game time it’s just our practice taking over.”

His outstanding performance felt as though it were an extra special tribute to Mack Brady, who played keeper himself.

“Mack must have been here on the field with us tonight to give us a little bit of luck and keep us a clean sheet,” Shakes said.

This victory was not just another conference win for the Nittany Lions, it also marked Cook’s 50th win as leader of the program, and the first time the team has shut out Maryland since 2005.

Looking ahead, the Nittany Lions will travel to North Carolina on Saturday where they will face UNC Greensboro. The game will kick off at 7 p.m.

Anna Licastro is a second-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email arl5942@psu.edu.