Homestand ends with 7-1 loss to Beaver

Hazleton, Pa. - The Nittany Lions concluded their weekend homestand on Monday afternoon with a 7-1 defeat at the hands of Penn State Beaver. The visitors controlled the tempo nearly all afternoon, topping Hazleton 31-8 in shot attempts and a 19-5 advantage in corner kick tries en route to their six goal margin of victory over the Lions. The loss drops Hazleton to 1-7-1 overall while still searching for their first win in Penn State University Athletic Conference action. 

Beaver would strike first in the second minute of play, converting a set piece for a header that landed in the back of the net. That goal would set the pace for the early stages of action as Beaver kept Hazleton on the defensive, earning six corners in the first 18 minutes of play. During that stretch, the visitors struck for four scores with some impressive offense before Hazleton adjustments stopped the flurry. The Lions would get a pair of quality looks from sophomore Sam Deptula (Shamokin, Pa.) and junior Aaron Wrobleski (Mountain Top, Pa.) but failed to shift the momentum in their favor and cut into deficit. 

Hazleton play well for the remainder of the first half but Beaver was dialed in once again as play resumed, building a five score advantage by the 53rd minute. Hazleton would respond with a scored penalty kick from Wrobleski, trimming the lead to a 5-1 margin in the 55th minute. Despite some bright spots on the offensive end, the Lions were unable to overcome the quantity of chances for the visitors. Beaver erased the blemish with a response goal just one minute later and tacked on their seventh score in the 62nd. 

Next up: Hazleton will look to break through for their first PSUAC victory in 2018 this Saturday when the squad hits the road to face Penn State Scranton at 4:00 p.m.