Box Score Abington, Pa. - The Penn State Abington men's soccer team advanced to tomorrow's NEAC Championship match with a 3-2 victory over Penn State Harrisburg earlier this morning. Senior midfielder Julian Ward got the game-winner for the Nittany Lions in the 68^th minute of play.
 
With the damaging effects of Hurricane Sandy having come and gone through the mid-Atlantic region, several schedule changes had to be made to the NEAC Championship Tournament game times. With Penn State Abington finishing first in the regular season, the Nittany Lions had the opportunity to host all four teams in the two semifinal games that took place today. However, due to a schedule change in a Germantown Academy soccer game because of the hurricane, the NEAC tournament games were pushed up to start at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
 
Despite these tough extenuating circumstances, both Abington and Harrisburg's squads came ready to play in the early morning hours. In the opening 15 minutes, it was Penn State Abington who controlled possession and had most of the opportunities. The Nittany Lions were able to get three shots off and take two corner kicks, but the Harrisburg defense proved resilient and was able to keep their goal clear on each effort. Finally in the 18^th minute, a Nittany Lion was able to break through and net a goal, but not for the team that had dominated possession.
 
After some back-and-forth possession in the midfield between both sides, Harrisburg was able to get enough control to send a long ball down the right side of the attacking half. Sophomore forward Jon Willingham was able to run onto the ball several yards from the end line. Willingham faced up towards the goal and cut inside at the penalty box. Beating his defender towards the middle of the box, Willingham was able to let loose with a rocket of a shot from 8 yards out. The ball squeezed just in between freshman Abington goalkeeper James Carlin and the post, hitting the back netting and giving the road team the surprising early lead.
 
For the next twenty minutes, Abington came back and put an incredible amount of pressure on the Harrisburg midfield and defense. Finally, with exactly 10 minutes left in the half, the home team was able to knot the game back up. Sophomore forward Alex Martins took a ball through the left side of the defense and blew by his defender. With a partial breakaway on goal, senior goalkeeper Charles Hyson came off his line to challenge Martins' upcoming shot. Martins, however, was able to chip the ball over top of a sprawling Hyson and send the ball rolling towards the net. With a clear path on goal now, Martins finished with a simple touch into the goal and the game was tied back up at 1-1.
 
Abington would get their first lead of the game with another goal just four minutes into the second half. After a ball was sent into the middle of the penalty box, it was Martins again who got on the end of the pass. The sophomore controlled the ball with a touch, then let a shot rip towards the goal. Hyson made a spectacular save, keeping the ball out of the net but sending it right back to the middle of the box. Senior Matt Howard was waiting in exactly the right spot, sending a first-time volley towards the left side of the goal and in. With the home crowd going wild, Abington had the lead and were just over half-an-hour from advancing to the championship match.
 
Harrisburg, however, still had ideas of competing for a championship of their own. The visiting Lions got back in the match with a goal in the 64^th minute. After a Harrisburg corner kick was cleared to the midfield circle, a Harrisburg defender sent a hard, low ball back towards the center of the penalty box. Abington's defenders, still recovering from the corner kick, failed to mark Harrisburg junior Justin Henderson, who took the ball at his feet and turned immediately towards the goal. Henderson let loose a hard shot, beating Carlin and tying the game at 2 goals apiece.
 
In the end, it was a couple of Penn State Abington's senior leaders who sealed the deal for the Nittany Lions. After clearing the ball out of their own end, Abington started to work possession through the midfield. Finally, the ball fell to the feet of senior Joshua Clinger inside the attacking third. Clinger, on the right side, sent a pass across towards the left side at the top of the penalty box. Senior Julian Ward collected the pass facing the goal, and cut in towards the inside. Taking a right-footed shot, Ward sent the ball curling around Hyson and inside the far post, giving Abington the final goal of the afternoon.
 
Harrisburg only got one more shot off in the rest of the game, and Abington came away victorious with the 3-2 win. The Nittany Lions will play tomorrow at 1 p.m. against Morrisville State, winner of the other semifinal matchup that took place today. The Mustangs defeated Cazenovia College by a score of 1-0 off a first-half goal from sophomore Jacob Chase. Earlier this season, Morrisville State handed Penn State Abington their only conference loss by a score of 3-0. Be sure to come out to the Germantown Academy stadium tomorrow at 1 p.m. to see your Nittany Lions compete for the NEAC crown.