READING, Pa. - The Penn State Berks Men's Soccer team was defeated by Gwynedd Mercy College by a score of 4-1 on Monday, September 29 at the Berks Turf Field. The Griffins capitalized on a second-half surge, scoring three goals to secure the victory.
The first half began with Nittany Lions actively pressing forward, creating multiple opportunities.
Callan Stuck was particularly active, hitting the woodwork early on and later having a shot saved by the Griffins' goalkeeper, Andrew Roberto. Despite consistent offensive pressure and several shots by the home team, including attempts by
Jack Salmon and
Aidan Chendak, they were unable to find the back of the net.
Defensively, Penn St.-Berks held firm with goalkeeper
Josh Martin making crucial saves, including stopping an attempt from Braedon Kehan and a shot from Devario Gboho. However, a late challenge led to a penalty, which C.J. Clyde converted for the Griffins at 44:45. The half closed with Berks trailing 1-0, despite maintaining strong offensive efforts throughout.
The second half began with Nittany Lions facing an uphill battle as the Griffins extended their lead to 2-0 with a goal by Kehan in the 56th minute. Berks responded with consistent pressure, including shots on goal by
Gavin Dai and
Logan Shupp, both saved by Roberto. However, the Griffins capitalized again, widening the gap to 3-0 with a goal from Connor Piffath in the 84th minute.
Despite trailing, Berks continued to push forward, and Salmon's effort earned a penalty kick in the 89th minute. Stuck converted the penalty, trimming the deficit to 4-1. Berks was unable to close the gap further, ending the match with a 4-1 loss.
Martin made six saves in the match, with four of them coming in the second half.
Terridine Grant led the team with five shots, four of which were on goal. Stuck scored the only goal for Penn St.-Berks, converting one of his five shots into a score.
WHO'S NEXT
Berks will begin United East play with a journey to Washington, D.C., where they will face Gallaudet University on October 1. The match is set to begin at 5:00 PM as the team looks to make their mark on the road.
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Fans can keep up with Penn St. Berks Athletics all season long on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube using the handle @BerksAthletics.
