The way shots were not finding the back of the net for the Penn State men's soccer team this weekend, you'd believe anything was possible.
You'd believe that there was a magnetic field surrounding the opposition's net like the cruel trick of a mad scientist, or that the ball might be struck down by a divine bolt of lightning -- just anything to keep it out.
Despite the fact that the Lions eventually did score twice in yesterday's 2-0 victory vs. Cal State Fullerton, a main theme of the Penn State/Nike Classic weekend was creating a ton of opportunities and not capitalizing on them.
"It's better than not having any shots at all. People get frustrated out there when it's 1-0, but hey, I don't care if we win 1-0," Penn State captain David Walters said.
But it's not just that in taking 39 shots on the weekend (16 of which were on goal), the Lions scored just twice. It's the ways they found not to score that's astounding.
"We've just been a little unlucky with our finishing, and the way the ball bounces," Penn State goalkeeper Conrad Taylor said.
Unlucky may not describe Lions midfielder Jeff Chambers hitting the left post with 12:03 left in the first half against Fullerton. But it just might be an accurate description for Penn State players hitting the right post and crossbar in the second half.
"The goals are gonna fall for us," Chambers said. "We just gotta find the corners a little bit better."
At one time or another, a Lion was called offsides. Or for a foul en route to a sure goal. Or sailed a shot a foot too high. Or had a shot stopped inches from rolling into the net.
And passes centered with precision were met with shots seemingly in the dark.
Each time, the Penn State player would send his fists to the ground or to his forehead in frustration, matching the champagne bottle burst of excitement coming from the crowd.
There is a fine line between shots not going in due to bad luck and bad execution, and it seemed as though the Lions found a way to walk directly on it.
"I really don't care how the goals come, I just want them to come. Whether I'm at the end of it or give it to somebody else, I don't really care," junior forward Simon Omekanda said.
Omekanda was the author of at least three feeds in Friday's game vs. UCLA that weren't taken advantage of. He was an embodiment of how Penn State is proficient in getting the ball near the net but, until Sunday, nearly incapable of putting it in.
"You just hope that the breaks will go for you," Penn State head coach Barry Gorman said. "But after awhile, it's all going to even out. You may have to take 25 to get two, but we'll take it."
Apparently, despite the broken aim and supposed hexes, all the Lions can do is keep gunning.
"Any coach in the world will tell you if you're creating chances, he's not going to be as worried about shots not going in," Gorman said. "It's just up to us to keep plugging away at it."
Tournament notes
-- Penn State junior defender David Gray, freshman forward Jason Yeisley and Omekanda were named to the Penn State/Nike Classic all-tournament team.
-- The clouds blocked Jeffrey Field from the noontime heat yesterday, but that didn't stop things from heating up in the game between UCLA and Ohio State.
With the score tied 0-0 in the second half, a miniature brawl ensued on the field.
The altercation arose out of physical play that left Ohio State defenseman Eric Brunner on the ground hurt. A UCLA player wasn't pleased with Brunner, pushed him while he was on the ground, and a few punches were thrown, though no one was injured or thrown out as a result of the heated exchange.
