UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- No. 10 Penn State kept knocking on the door Sunday afternoon, and eventually cracked the Ohio State code in a 1-0 win at Jeffrey Field. Kyle MacDonald scored his second career goal in the 63rd minute in front of 1,942 fans on a warm, muggy day that featured a halftime downpour.
"It's difficult to get people out when they think the weather is supposed to be bad," head coach Bob Warming said. "I was so proud of our community for coming out even on a day when it looked like it was going to be terrible. They still came out and supported us and the Brady family."
A two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and a member of the Schreyers Honors College at Penn State, MacDonald has twice stamped his presence on the Mack Brady Game. Brady passed away Dec. 31, 2012. He was the son of Christian Brady, the dean of the Schreyers Honors College.
"[In] the Mack Brady Game last year, Kyle McDonald scored," Warming noted. "The next time he scored was the Mack Brady Game this year, a Schreyer Honors College student, to win the game. I felt like we got a new energy out of [the rain during halftime] and that's when we got our goal."
Thing of beauty! Lions win! Congrats @PennStateMSOC @BobWarming #WeAre #OneTeam pic.twitter.com/HAA2z2sysU
— Sandy Barbour (@SandyB_PSUAD) September 21, 2014
Penn State (6-0-1, 2-0-0 Big Ten) dominated possession and shot total (22-6) for the game and it felt as though the goal was always going to come. After extended periods of time with the ball and multiple shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes of the second half, Penn State finally broke through.
Mikey Minutillo collected a long ball on the left wing about 30 yards from net before playing a pass to a running Connor Maloney just outside the penalty area. Maloney's clever back-heeled pass went toward net as OSU's goalkeeper Alex Ivanov (10 saves) came out to stop it, but MacDonald beat him to the punch eight yards from goal, collected his touch and sent home the goal from the left post unopposed for the game-winning tally.
MacDonald's only other goal prior to Sunday was the game-tying goal in 2013 against then-No. 5 California in the inaugural Mack Brady Game. For Maloney, it was his first assist of the season.
Penn State out-shot Ohio State (2-1-3, 1-1-0) 10-2 in the first half and 12-4 in the second.
