Cary, N.C., never seemed so far away.

The No. 9 and 11th-seeded Penn State men's soccer team (13-7-2, 8-0 Big Ten) lost 3-1 to Creighton yesterday, exiting the NCAA tournament in the third round and leaving it short of the 2005 men's College Cup hosted by NC State.

Second-half goals from Creighton's Byron Dacy, off a penalty kick, and Michael Kraus made the difference in the third-round match.

"We didn't play anywhere near our potential as a team," Penn State coach Barry Gorman said.

Junior midfielder Jeff Chambers put the Lions on the board in the 35th minute, netting a shot from 40 yards out. But less than seven minutes later, Creighton equalized on a corner kick opportunity, as the Blue Jays' Sam Eid put the ball past Penn State goalkeeper Conrad Taylor -- Eid's first goal of his career

The numbers would indicate a relatively even game. Both teams registered six shots on goal with minimal differences in shots (11-10 Creighton) and corner kicks (9-8 Creighton).

But the real story played out on the turf, where Gorman said he was disappointed with the loss, a result of playing as individuals rather than a team.

"We didn't come out of the gates with any great urgency," Gorman said. "Guys were standing around waiting for something to happen."

Conversely, he said Creighton was well-coached and organized, though their first goal was disappointing to give up because it was soft.

"Credit to them, they put [their chances] away," Gorman said.

It was the kind of goal Penn State had not been giving up much of late -- or at all, for that matter. In addition to not giving up three goals all season, the Lions had shut out their past four opponents.

"To give up three goals, especially when we were playing so well as a defensive unit, is disappointing," Gorman said.

Most recently, Penn State shut out Seton Hall last Tuesday, 1-0, in its second-round match. During that game Taylor did not need to make to many difficult saves on a wickedly windy and cold night.

But that game, won on a late goal by senior co-captain David Walters, was similar to yesterday's in that the Lions didn't play up to their capabilities, and was especially deflating given that it was a home game.

Penn State had lost at Jeffrey Field just once this season, a 1-0 defeat to UCLA all the way back on Sept. 16. So it might have been a surprise for Creighton to come to State College and walk away victorious.

It would not, however, be unprecedented. Creighton went into its opponent's stadium and won for the second consecutive game, having defeated No. 6-seeded Duke last Tuesday in the second round.

"Men's college soccer is as healthy as it's ever been," Gorman said. "From top to bottom, there's probably 40 of those 48 teams that are capable of winning the College Cup."

After yesterday's home loss, however, the Lions no longer are.