For the first time this season, the No. 2 Penn State men's soccer team had only one match during the weekend.

But the result was still the same.

The Nittany Lions (7-0, 1-0 Big Ten) defeated Michigan 2-1 in an overtime battle in Ann Arbor, Mich., that included a torrential rainstorm and a field that was small and bumpy.

Penn State men's soccer coach Barry Gorman summed up the poor conditions as "not conducive to what we are used to."

Lions co-captain Derek Potteiger proved again that he is one of the top players in the Big Ten as he assisted Lions midfielder Pete Shellenberger on a goal to put the Lions up 1-0.

Michigan (3-3) didn't shy away from the Lions as freshman Kevin Robinson netted a goal to give the Michigan faithful something to cheer about on a bleak day in the Great Lakes State.

Robinson's second half goal put the match into overtime, but then Potteiger — like he has so many times this season — scored a goal to finish off the Wolverines and keep Penn State undefeated.

"Derek is a big time player," Gorman said. "He has the caliber of being an All-American."

In the absence of Penn State All-American Ricardo Villar, who is still sidelined with an ankle injury, Potteiger has scored six goals in seven matches to lead the Lions in scoring and leadership.

Shellenberger said Potteiger is playing unbelievably well, and that when Villar returns to the lineup, the Lions will only have more offensive weapons.

The senior midfielder, who suffered a concussion earlier in the season, said Potteiger is scoring so many goals because he always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

Gorman said he wasn't surprised that Michigan gave the Lions a battle this past weekend.

He said even though the Wolverines are in their first season in the Big Ten, no team is a brush off anymore.

"The days are gone when you can warm the bus up at halftime and take your starters out," the 13-year coach said. "I constantly say to people you have to understand any Big Ten school will give you trouble."

The Lions have no time to rest, because tomorrow they put their undefeated record on the line at Akron, and then host Big Ten-rival Indiana on Friday night at Jeffrey Field.

Shellenberger said there will be no looking past the Zips, even though Indiana is the glaring matchup the Lions have been looking forward to all season.

"We know we play Akron on Tuesday and we're looking forward to that," Shellenberger said.

"But we're all excited about this weekend."