Michigan
5-2-1, 2-0-1
Penn State
4-2-2, 1-1-1
U-M Knocks Off No. 21 Penn State to Grab First Place in Big Ten
9/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
» William Mellors-Blair scored the game-winner at 35:19, and Francis Atuahene added an insurance marker at 89:19.
» With the win, U-M sits atop the Big Ten table with a 2-0-1 record (seven points).
» Shots on goal were 5-3 in favor of Penn State, and the U-M defense allowed only one shot on goal the entire second half
Site: State College, Pa. (Jeffrey Field)
Score: Michigan 2, #21 Penn State 0
Records: U-M (5-2-1, 2-0-1 B1G), PSU (4-2-2, 1-1-1 B1G)
Next U-M Match: Saturday, Oct. 3 -- vs. Wisconsin (U-M Soccer Stadium), 2 p.m.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The University of Michigan men's soccer team used scores from senior William Mellors-Blair in the 36th minute, freshman Francis Atuahene in the 90th minute and five saves and a clean sheet from sophomore goalkeeper Evan Louro to defeat No. 21 Penn State on Sunday (Sept. 27) by a 2-0 scoreline at PSU's Jeffrey Field.
Michigan opened up the match on a strong note, outshooting the Nittany Lions, 3-0, in the first 16 minutes of action.
The only other shot of the half for U-M proved fruitful, resulting in the first score of the match in the 36th minute. Mellors-Blair took a service from sophomore Michael Kapitula in the U-M finishing third and beat PSU goalkeeper Matt Bersano lower right to put the Wolverines on the board.
Holding to the 1-0 lead late in the match, Penn State pressed on with numerous chances, but Louro, as well as the U-M defense, held strong even while being outshot,15-6, on the match in all. With many of the shots coming from distance and proving to be off frame, the best chance the Nittany Lions had to equalize in the second half came in the 83rd minute, as reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Connor Maloney broke free inside U-M's defensive third, but Louro was up to the task, darting off his line and picking the ball off the forward's foot.
PSU continued to press with a pair of half chances in the final minutes, before hard-pressing Atuahene iced the match with only 41 seconds remaining. Senior Colin McAtee pressured PSU goalkeeper Matt Bersano into a mishit clearance that was picked off by the freshman, who hit a shot from distance for the score that brought the game to its final resting place of 2-0.
With a stretch of four matches in nine days now concluded, U-M will enjoy a six-day break before taking on the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday (Oct. 3) at 2 p.m. inside U-M Soccer Stadium.
Postgame Notes
» William Mellors-Blair's goal gives him six points in the past three matches, while the assist from Michael Kapitula gives him five points over the same stretch. Francis Atuahene's goal gives him three scores over that same span.
• Kapitula has now registered a point in each of the last three matches.
• U-M moves to 7-11-2 vs. Penn State in the all-time series and 2-1 all-time against the No. 21 team in the country.
• Michigan moves to 1-1-1 against ranked teams this season.
• U-M has now outscored opponents, 9-1, over the last three matches.
• U-M is the first team in the Big Ten to five wins this season
Team Stats
Mellors-Blair, Will
Assisted By: Kapitula, Michael
goal into the bottom right corner
35:19
Atuahene, Francis
cleared by keeper to the foot of Michiga
89:19
