NEWARK, N.J. - Penn State Harrisburg's men's soccer team was edged 2-1 by the hosts on the final day of the Brick City Classic at Rutgers-Newark's Frederick Douglass Field on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 7.


The first half saw the Lions (1-3) actively pressuring the Rutgers-Newark defense, recording multiple shots on goal. Kristopher Lage and Colin O'Hara were among the players pushing forward, with O'Hara forcing a save from Raiders' goalkeeper Pedro Flores in the 20th minute. Despite the offensive efforts, including several corner kicks, things remained scoreless at the break.


The second half opened with a flurry of activity, including several fouls and shots by both teams. Despite multiple attempts by Lage and Malachi Abma, a pair of cards in the 73rd minute proved costly for Penn State Harrisburg. Rutgers-Newark capitalized on the advantage, scoring twice in quick succession, with markers in the 76th and 82nd minutes. Pat Rocha narrowed the gap in the 87th minute when he headed home a corner kick insertion from Alexander Benbatoul but the visitors were unable to convert the equalizer in the final seconds.


NOTABLES  
- Rocha's marker was the first of his career.
- Benbatoul picked up his first assist of the season.
- Goalkeeper Ethan Smith made a pair of saves but was at a two-man disadvantage late in the game. 
- The Lions outshot the home team 10-8 overall, while the Raiders held a 4-3 advantage in shots on goal.
- Rutgers-Newark earned six corner kicks. Penn State Harrisburg had four.


WHO'S NEXT?
Penn State Harrisburg returns home to host Wilkes for another non-conference matchup on Wednesday night, September 10.


STAY CONNECTED
Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube using the handle @pshbgathletics.