Soccer: Men's
Men's soccer uses fast start to defeat Albany
A first half goal was all the Penn State (4-1-1) men's soccer team needed to defeat Albany (2-4-0, 1-0) Friday night at Jeffrey Field.
The Nittany Lions started out strong creating chances during a first half in which they kept possession in the Albany half of the field for the majority, slowing picking apart the Great Dane defense.
Coach Bob Warming said the first half was the best that the team has looked all season.
The breakthrough came in the 24th minute when a ball bouncing around the box fell to Julian Cardona, who spun around and fired it into the top right corner from 20 yards out. It was his fifth goal of the season, setting a new career high after he scored four goals last season.
Cardona credits the success this season on his chemistry with forward Mikey Minutillo, who returned from injury after a three-game absence. All five of Cardona's goals have came with Minitullo on the field.
Albany had a chance to send it to overtime with four minutes left but hit the crossbar. From there, the Lions took the ball to the corner flag to run out the clock and get the win.
The Lions are back in action Sunday afternoon as they take on Adelphi following the conclusion of the women's soccer game.