STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Junior forward Will Bruin scored his 16th goal of the season early in the match but Penn State came back with two unanswered goals in a 2-1 victory over IU in the second semifinal of the Big Ten Men’s Soccer Tournament at Jeffrey Field in State College, Pa.
 
Indiana, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, falls to 9-7-2 on the season, while Penn State, the tournament’s No. 4 seed, improves to 13-6-1. The Nittany Lions will face Michigan, a 1-0 win over Wisconsin in the first semifinal, in the championship match on Sunday at noon.
 
Bruin staked Indiana to an early 1-0 lead with his 16th goal of the season coming at 3:46. The play began with senior Andy Adlard who brought the ball up the right side and sent a pass through the Penn State’s defender’s legs to Joe Tolen who was making his run up the right side. Tolen sent a ball into the box and Bruin found himself in the right place at the right time as he knocked it in past goalkeeper Brendan Birmingham. It is the second time this season Indiana has scored within the first 10 minutes against the Nittany Lions.
 
The Indiana lead was short-lived as Corey Hertzog tied the match up with his 17th goal of the season at 10:11. The Hoosier central defenders got their signals crossed and Hertzog was left alone to take on goalkeeper Luis Soffner 1v1. Soffner went down to his right on the play and Hertzog tapped the ball into an open net.
 
With 19 minutes to play in the second half the Hoosiers had a pair of chances that fell just short. Adlard stole the ball at midfield and took a shot that was saved by Birmingham. Harrison Petts chased the ball down on the touchline and sent in a serve to Bruin on the back post who sent his header just wide.
 
Petts again tried to team up with Bruin, sending a long ball into the six-yard area where the junior got a head on it. Birmingham was there to make the save.
 
Early in the second half Jacob Bushue cleaned up a ball mere feet from the net and Birmingham was there to make the save. The ball was bobbled but no red jersey was there to take advantage of the miscue and the Penn State defender was able to clear it out.
 
Penn State took a 2-1 lead in the 70th minute when Justin Lee shot home a Matheus Braga pass to break the deadlock. Soffner got both hands on it but the ball glanced off and into the back of the net.
 
As the clock ticked down to under 12 minutes, Petts hit a rocket of a shot off a free kick from Tommy Meyer with Birmingham coming up with the goal-saving stop. On the ensuing corner kick, Adlard got the ball into the mixer where Meyer sent a header wide.
 
Indiana final chance came with a minute left as Bruin came running into the box on a ball from Petts but the Hoosiers watched the attempt sail high.
 
Indiana will now wait to find out its postseason fate with the NCAA Tournament Selection Show scheduled for between 4:30 and 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 15, on ESPNU. The Hoosiers are aiming for their 24th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and 35th in school history.