Penn State Rallies from Two Goals Down to Edge Mercyhurst in Season Opener
By: Matt Flanagan | SportzWire | August 20, 2026 | Photo courtesy Jake Speicher
Mercyhurst could not have asked for a much better start Thursday night at Jeffrey Field.
The Lakers built an early two-goal lead against Penn State, but the Nittany Lions continued to apply pressure and eventually completed the comeback, earning a hard-fought 3-2 victory in the season opener for both teams.
Mercyhurst struck first in the eighth minute when senior midfielder Alvar Silva buried a penalty kick into the upper-right corner. The Lakers added to their lead in the 26th minute when Silva found freshman Max Beech, who finished with his right foot for the first goal of his college career.
Just like that, Mercyhurst held a 2-0 advantage on the road against a Big Ten opponent.
Penn State responded before halftime. Amadou Kone cut the deficit in half in the 35th minute, finishing a pass from Noah Forster into the lower-right corner.
The Nittany Lions continued to control possession and create opportunities in the second half. Their pressure paid off in the 66th minute when Joseph Sheridan scored off an assist from Grant McIntosh, tying the match at two.
With less than seven minutes remaining, Penn State finally moved in front. Another dangerous attack resulted in a Mercyhurst own goal, giving the Nittany Lions a 3-2 lead that they would not surrender.
Penn State finished with a 23-5 advantage in shots, placed 13 attempts on goal and earned 16 corner kicks compared to just one for Mercyhurst. Lakers goalkeeper Jaime Tedaldi was outstanding despite the result, making 10 saves and keeping his team in the match as Penn State continued to push forward.
It was a tough way for Mercyhurst to lose after building an early lead, but there were still plenty of encouraging signs. The Lakers went into one of the most difficult environments on their schedule, scored twice and were within minutes of earning a result against a Big Ten program.
For Penn State, the comeback marked a successful beginning to the Rob Dow era. For Mercyhurst, it was a season-opening performance that showed the Lakers are capable of competing with high-level opponents, even if the final few minutes did not go their way.
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