It was one goal.

Barkley Miller sailed a pass downfield to a jumping Simon Omekanda.

Jason Yeisley told Omekanda to "flick it."

Omekanda did just that, leaving the ball perfectly for Yeisley, who directed the ball past No. 23 Boston University goalkeeper Zach Riffett to tie the score at one midway through the second half in Sunday's game at Jeffrey Field.

But for the scoring-challenged Penn State men's soccer team, it meant a lot more than that.

"It was exactly what we needed," Omekanda said. "Once we got that goal, with everything we've been doing, we were finally rewarded."

Though he had just beaten a line of Terrier defenders who had hounded him all day, Yeisley was unable to avoid Omekanda, who tackled him to the turf where a pack of teammates met him.

It was new life for the Nittany Lions.

"It'll pick everyone up, certainly," Yeisley said. "We're working hard, we're getting shots. It gave us some confidence. We just had trouble scoring."

Despite controlling the ball consistently, the Lions looked somewhat lethargic at points during the contest, letting opportunities to score pass by with barely a whimper.

After the goal, however, things got louder.

Omekanda heated up -- drawing a yellow card -- following a questionable no-call where a defender appeared to hold Yeisley as he was streaking towards another scoring chance.

Senior defender and captain David Gray got in the face of a few Boston players.

It lit a fire.

The Lions kept attacking the staunch Terrier defense fiercely, but could not sneak another ball behind Riffett in the 1-1 tie. Still, the goal that broke a scoreless streak lasting more than three-and-a-half matches -- five hours of playing time -- boosted spirits for the entire team.

"It gets the monkey off their backs," head coach Barry Gorman said. "You keep battling along.

"At the end, you realize we're not playing badly," he said. "They played back on us, and it's hard enough to score in soccer anyway. Goal-scorers, obviously, need to score, but it picks up the people in the back also."

With its confidence returning, Penn State hopes calmed nerves help to convert chances into more goals with Big Ten play beginning next Sunday. The Lions will take on Michigan State at Jeffrey Field.

"Our gameplan was to push their line and for me and Jason to stay as far back as possible," Omekanda said. "We stuck with it, and it paid off."