Lions Shut Out Wilson for First Home Win
ALTOONA, Pa. – Penn State Altoona men's soccer picked up its first home win of the 2021 season on Wednesday night, blanking non-conference opponent Wilson College 5-0 at Spring Run Stadium.
Damian Dangler (Warminster, PA/William Tennent) scored a hat trick for Penn State Altoona (2-1), Grady Ballard (State College, PA/State College) added a goal and two assists, and Tommy Packevicz (Trumbull, CT/Christian Heritage) made two saves between the pipes to notch his first collegiate shutout.
It took less than four minutes for the Lions to put the game's first goal on the board. Ballard sent a free kick into the box from the left sideline, and Dangler tapped it past the goalkeeper to give Penn State Altoona a 1-0 advantage at 3:57. The tally was Dangler's first goal of his collegiate career.
Dangler teamed up with Ballard again to double the Lions' lead and his season goal total at 21:28. Ballard passed the ball to Dangler, who placed a 20-yard shot from straight on into the top shelf of the net to increase Penn State Altoona's lead to 2-0.
Ciaran Corr (Newtown Square, PA/Marple Newtown) upped the Lions' lead to 3-0 at 29:45, taking a pass from Bailey Musselman (Altoona, PA/Altoona) and firing a shot into the bottom right corner of the goal from just inside the left corner of the box. The goal was Corr's team-leading fourth of the season.
In the second half, Dangler and Ballard each scored goals for the Lions to pad their team's lead.
Dangler secured the hat trick at 70:37, scoring his third goal of the evening after he dribbled along the edge of the box and sent a shot past the keeper from the middle.
Ballard tallied his second goal of the year at 83:42 to cap the scoring, bringing the ball into the box and beating the keeper to his left on a shot from the left side of the box.
By the end of the game, Penn State Altoona held statistical advantages over Wilson (0-1) in total shots attempted (18-6), shots on goal (7-2), and corner kicks (2-1).
Ballard led all players in the game with seven shots attempted, while Corr took five shots and Dangler finished with four. Corr and Dangler tied for the game-high in shots on goal, recording three apiece.
Penn State Altoona men's soccer returns to action this Friday, September 10, traveling to face non-conference opponent Franciscan University in a game beginning at 7:00 p.m. That contest is a makeup of the September 1 game that was postponed due to the effects of Tropical Storm Ida.
