Why the meaning of Penn State men’s soccer’s latest win goes beyond the box score

Penn State men’s soccer took the Jeffrey Field pitch with more on its mind than its on-field performance Friday night.

The Nittany Lions hosted Northwestern in the ninth annual Mack Brady Match, a contest in remembrance of Mack Brady — a Penn State fan and State College resident who died at 8 years old in 2012.

Brady wanted to one day be a goalkeeper for the blue and white and a netminder for the USMNT after that, so his family created a scholarship fund for the Nittany Lion program in his honor after his death.

And while coach Jeff Cook’s squad eventually earned a 2-1 decision against the Wildcats in the team’s Big Ten opener, Penn State cherished the opportunity to play in a game that meant more than the final score — even if it was a win.

“We’re honored to continue the legacy of Mack Brady and to work closely with Mack’s family to recognize a young man [who] lost his life far, far too early,” Cook said. “It was very special to have the Bradys with us and Mack back with us in spirit.”

The Mack Brady Match has been played in conjunction with Penn State’s first Big Ten contest each season since 2013 — even during the coronavirus pandemic, when it was played in the blue and white’s sixth Big Ten game of the season due to the conference-only schedule.

Junior forward Liam Butts, the player whose leg gave the Nittany Lions both of their points Friday night, has now played in three Mack Brady matches in his college career.

“You’re representing a kid [who] can’t be here,” Butts said. “It just gives you a little bit more motivation when you go into this game to win.”

On the pitch, it was a slow start for Cook’s crew.

Northwestern struck first with an early goal in the 12th minute on a shot from Wildcat sophomore forward Justin Weiss to put his team up 1-0 early, marking the fifth-straight match that Penn State gave up the opening point.

Taking that 1-0 deficit into halftime, Cook gave his players an ultimatum: Score, or he’d give up his house.

“I literally said ‘If we can’t score a goal in the second half, I’ll give you my house.’ I bet my house we would score a goal in the second 45 minutes,” Cook said. “And I’ll throw in my car if we can’t score two.”

And score two they did, as Butts took the pitch in the second half and scored the equalizer just 19 seconds into the frame. He then went on to score the eventual game-winner off of an assist from senior forward Danny Bloyou five minutes later.

“Firstly, I didn’t want my coach to be homeless,” Butts said. “But also, I think the quicker we score the easier it becomes for us, because we have a lot of weapons.”

Butts finished the affair with the blue and white’s only two goals, and he did so on just two shots. Butts, from Lawrenceville, Georgia, doubled his previous goal total to bring him to four tallies on the campaign.

The striker’s two goals were his most since Oct. 12, 2019, when he also found twine two times against none other than the Wildcats.

Junior defender Alex Stevenson seemed to have the Nittany Lions’ third goal late in the game, but it was taken away with a delayed offside call to put a stop to the team’s celebration.

Penn State outshot Northwestern 24-10 and boasted five more corners than the Wildcats, and Cook sees room for improvement on the attacking front.

“We’ve gotta come out, create more chances and finish them off — that would’ve really made a big difference,” Cook said.

The Nittany Lions will next host Villanova at 7 p.m. Tuesday for its last home non-conference matchup of the 2021 regular season.

This story was originally published September 17, 2021 at 11:50 PM.