Penn State dominates in a 4-0 shutout win over St. Bonaventure

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lions hosted the St. Bonaventure Bonnies at Jeffrey Field Monday, defeating them 4-0 in a dominant shutout victory.

At the helm for the Nittany Lions is head coach Jeff Cook, who’s coming off a remarkable 2023 campaign. Cook led Penn State to their 15th Big Ten Tournament Finals appearance, collected the conference’s Coach of the Year Award, and helped coach standouts Peter Mangione, Femi Awodesu, and Kris Shakes to the Big Ten Offensive, Defensive and Goalkeeper of the Year Awards respectively.

That said, 2024 has not been kind to the blue and white so far. Two of the Lions' first three matchups of the year came against not only ranked opponents but also two of the best programs in college soccer.

Penn State opened the season falling 3-0 to No. 1 Clemson, before picking up a win against unranked Army, only to fall again 2-1 to No. 3 Pitt at home. Now, four matches in, Penn State was looking for not only an identity but some solid ground to build upon for the rest of the year.

Making it more difficult to find that spark was the disappearance of top midfielder Caden Grabfelder. After receiving a one-game suspension for two yellow cards in the previous match, the Nittany Lions’ second leading scorer from a season ago was unavailable Monday.

“It’s no secret that we have a number of quality players absent and unavailable. To get a win like that at home is very important for our season. So I’m really proud of the group,” Cook said after the game.

One of the key players stepping up for Grabfelder was experienced midfielder Ben Liscum, who helped maintain control in the middle third. The redshirt junior opened the scoring early, firing a rocket from the top of the box into the right corner of the goal in the 12th minute.

Coach Cook also incorporated some new faces into the opening lineup versus the Bonnies. Senior Sean Bettenhausen got his first start of 2024, helping man the back line with fellow returner Mohamed Cisset and captain Matthew Henderson. Henderson would score in the 73rd minute and helped command the Penn State defense all night long.

“You look at last year, with the Big Ten Championship, every single season has its bumps in the road. You like to think it’s going to be smooth sailing. [...] And when things get tough, that’s when the real leaders and those guys…when things haven’t been fun…don’t like to lose games at Jeffrey Field,” Cook said.

Graduate student transfer Michael Hewes also helped the Nittany Lions push the tempo, particularly to end the first half. Hewes scored his first goal of the season unassisted in the 38th minute, sending Penn State to the break with a 2-0 lead.

The Nittany Lions came into the second half lacking a bit of intensity that had allowed them to build their first-half lead. The blue and white seemed content to play more defensively, allowing St. Bonaventure to probe on offense. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Fredrick Grundin was superb all day, allowing nothing past him, and making aggressive stops on breakaways. The Swede made his second start of the year, splitting matches with fellow keeper Andrew Cooke.

“The guy that’s worked hard, was a redshirt last year, it was a big step forward for him. He wasn’t called on that frequently, but came up big a couple of times in really big moments,” Cook said.

Although the blue and white return many of the same faces in the starting lineup, a few key transfers have made an impact early on in the season.

Fellow transfers Christian Dionne and Chase Oliver started their second and third games of the year respectively, helping to provide offensive momentum for the blue and white. Dionne scored Penn State’s lone goal against Pitt, and Oliver had a near opportunity five minutes into this one, hitting a 30-foot curling shot from the left side off of the far post.

Dionne would continue to impress on Monday, earning a spot as one of the most impactful players on the pitch. The junior totaled two assists and a goal by the 76th minute against the Bonnies, flying all over the pitch and making the most of his opportunities.

Overall, a complete game from Penn State came at the perfect time. Now sitting at 2-2 with conference play approaching, the Nittany Lions can gear up for another run to the Big Ten tournament. Their next match will come next Monday, Sep. 9, at home against Cornell.

Parker Silverman is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email pws5405@psu.edu.