UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – It was a happy night in Happy Valley for the University of Pennsylvania men's soccer team, as the Quakers stunned No. 14 Penn State, 3-0, Friday evening at Jeffrey Field.
 
Michael Hewes played the hero role for Penn with his first-career hat trick on a trio of second-half goals, while senior goalkeeper Nick Christoffersen kept a clean sheet for the first time in 2023.
 
Penn improves to 1-2-0 in the early goings of the campaign while the Nittany Lions suffer their first loss of the year, falling to 2-1-2.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Penn earns just its sixth-ever win over Penn State and first since 2008 with the victory. It's the first time in program history the Quakers have beaten the Nittany Lions in University Park.
 
*The Quakers knock off a nationally-ranked opponent for a second consecutive year. Also on the road, Penn beat then-No. 15 Cornell in Ithaca on Oct. 15, 2022.
 
*Michael Hewes records his first-career hat trick and the third multi-goal match of his career.
 
*Hewes made the most of his first-career PK try, converting it for his third and final goal of the contest.
 
*Nick Christoffersen now has 10 shutouts in his career after recording seven in 2022. The senior keeper's six saves are his most since an eight-stop performance vs. Dartmouth on Oct. 16, 2021.
 
*Hewes had four of the Quakers' nine total shots on the night. Stas Korzeniowski, Ben Do and Mateo Zazueta also recorded shots on target.
 
*Penn State out-shot Penn, 17-9, including 12-6 in the second half despite three Quaker goals in the final 45 minutes.
 
*Fouls were nearly even with an 11-10 edge to the Red and Blue, while the Nittany Lions had five corner kicks to three for Penn.
 
How It Happened
The Nittany Lions were active in their attacking third through the first 10 minutes of the first half, sending two shots into the arms of Nick Christoffersen.
 
Mateo Zazueta had the Quakers' first shot on goal of the night in the 16th minute, but was kept out by the PSU keeper.
 
It was the same kind of shot, same result for Ben Do in the 30th minute as the two teams maintained a scoreless match.
 
A wide right shot for each side occurred in the final six minutes as Penn and Penn State went into the locker room tied, 0-0.
 
Christoffersen continued his strong night between the pipes with a 57th minute save.
 
In the 65th minute, Stas Korzeniowski had his best chance of the night saved, ending up on the foot of Michael Hewes to deliver the match's first blow and give the Quakers a 1-0 lead.
 
After Christoffersen kept PSU out again in the 65th, Hewes doubled the lead to fetch his brace, assisted by Korzeniowski and Ben Do.
 
As time dwindled off the clock, a foul in the box committed by Caden Grabfelder led to a third scoring opportunity for Hewes, who converted on the penalty kick to extend the Quakers' lead to 3-0.
 
A last-ditched effort by the Nittany Lions in the 90th minute resulted in a sixth and final save for Christoffersen as Penn held on for the shutout victory.
 
Up Next
Penn heads to Rider for the final match of the road trip on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
For the latest on Penn men's soccer, follow @PennMSoccer on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com