NEWARK, N.J. – Penn State Harrisburg's men's soccer team picked up its first road victory of the season by edging New York University (NYU) 1-0 at Rutgers-Newark's Frederick Douglass Field on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 16.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Penn State Harrisburg (2-3-1) struck the blow that proved the difference in Saturday's defensive struggle against NYU (1-4-1). The Violets outshot the Lions in the opening half but Penn State Harrisburg weathered the storm, as both squads got to the break without surrendering a goal.

After halftime, the Lions got the shot in the arm they needed to take control of the contest when Daniel Fombu gathered a bouncing ball in the NYU box, corralled it to his feet, and booted his attempt past goalkeeper Luca Mancuso less than six minutes into the second half.

Penn State Harrisburg kept the pressure on, with Jacob Tankersley and Josh Rodgers getting off shots on frame in the ensuing 10 minutes. The defensive unit was also strong in limiting the Violets to just one shot on goal in the second half – an attempt that goalkeeper Shayon Kashi stopped in the 66th minute.

NOTABLES

- Saturday's matchup was the first-ever meeting between the two programs.  

- Fombu's goal was his team-leading second of the season. With the marker, the junior moved into third place on the program's all-time scoring list (19).

- NYU is the second straight NCAA Tournament team from a year ago the Lions have faced after their game against No. 9 Franklin & Marshall on Wednesday night.

- The Violets outshot Penn State Harrisburg 8-to-6 overall but the Lions held a 6-to-5 advantage in shots on target.

- NYU finished with a 7-to-0 edge in corner kicks.

- Kashi made five saves to earn the first shutout victory of his young career.

- Mancuso also made five stops in goal for NYU.

WHO'S NEXT?

The Lions have a quick turnaround and will face Merchant Marine on Sunday afternoon.

STAY CONNECTED 

Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Threads, and Youtube using the handle @pshbgathletics.