Box Score Philadelphia, Pa. - Penn State Abington and Morrisville State each carried undefeated conference records into today's North Eastern Athletic Conference matchup at Father Judge field and sitting near the top of the conference standings. With both sides on nearly equal footing competitively, it is no wonder that it took extra time to determine the victor, and that ended up being the Nittany Lions. Senior forward Marco Paparo scored the golden goal just four minutes into overtime to help the Blue and White keep their conference record unblemished.

The game got underway with each side feeling each other out for the first five minutes. Then, Morrisville State (6-4-2, 2-1-1 NEAC) got one of their best chances of the game just 5:37 into the first half when last year's NEAC Rookie of the Year Danny Peckham nailed the post with a shot just inside the penalty box. Peckham then took control of his own rebound and fired again, but this time, Penn State Abington senior goalkeeper Dan Saint-Pol dove to his right, stretching his arm along the ground and getting just enough of the ball to push it beyond the post. The resulting corner kick was cleared away, and the Nittany Lions could momentarily breathe a little easier. In fact, Penn State Abington (8-2, 4-0 NEAC) actually controlled possession of the ball for much of the first half. The problem for the Nittany Lions was the stingy Mustangs defense prevented them from getting any quality chances on goal. By the end of the half, it was Morrisville State who held most of the offensive attempts and led the shot count 8-6. However, neither side had ultimately put anything on the scoreboard, and the game remained tied at 0-0.
 
The second half seemed to be a completely different story for the hosts. Penn State Abington played most of the half well inside Morrisville State territory, and this time the Nittany Lions outshot the visitors 9-4. Once again though, neither team was able to score, thanks in part to solid play from the goalkeepers on each side. Saint-Pol made four quality saves on the afternoon to keep his clean sheet, while sophomore Rob Larkin made seven saves of his own for Morrisville State. With the game still knotted at 0-0, overtime was required, and it was in this first extra frame that the Nittany Lions would get the goal their quality play deserved. Just under four minutes into OT, Morrisville State committed a foul just inside their defensive third. Senior defender Phil Curry stepped up to the left side of the midfield and sent a high, looping cross into the penalty box. Paparo and Larkin each rose up to try and meet the ball, and somehow it shot straight back up in the air. With Larkin way off his line from his previous attempt to clear the ball, Paparo simply jumped right back up and met the ball again, this time getting a clean header off. The ball sailed over Larkin's head and just under the crossbar, giving Penn State Abington the 1-0 win and sending the Nittany Lions bench into a frenzy.
 
With the win, the Nittany Lions move to 8-2 on the season, but even more important than that, they keep their NEAC conference record unblemished at 4-0. Penn State Abington is now the lone team left in the North Eastern Athletic Conference without a loss in conference play this season. The squad will look to keep it that way when they hit the pitch tomorrow afternoon for a 12:00 game against fellow NEAC rival Cazenovia. The game will take place at the Germantown Academy field in Fort Washington, Pa. Be sure to keep checking abingtonsports.com for all your Nittany Lions news and notes!