Penn State Sports Magazine
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T here wasn't any shouting or finger- pointing at halftime of Penn State's matchup against Georgetown in the third round of the NCAA men's soccer tourna- ment in early May. The Hoyas had taken 11 shots to the Nittany Lions' two and led 3-1. But as coach Jeff Cook explained, the mood in the locker room was calm. "We just said, we're in a tough spot, we're play- ing the defending na- tional champs, we're two goals down, so let's try to show the best of our- selves," Cook said. "Let's make sure that everyone knows and sees what Penn State men's soccer is all about." The Nittany Lions did just that, out- shooting the Hoyas after the break and cutting the deficit in half on a Danny Bloyou goal off an assist from Pierre Reedy. But the first-half deficit ulti- mately proved too much to overcome, and Penn State saw its season end that after- noon in Cary, N.C., with a 3-2 loss. The unseeded Nittany Lions had been underdogs going into the game against the eighth-seeded Hoyas, who returned an abundance of players from their 2019 na- tional championship team. So the Lions' comeback was an encouraging sign. But perhaps even more encouraging was what followed: In the locker room after the game, it was clear that players weren't con- tent to simply give Georgetown a fight in the second half. "Emotions after the game were running extremely high," Cook said. "Guys were devastated to not be able to continue [the season]. I want to be clear: I am not at all disappointed in them or in any particular player. I'm just disappointed for them and I'm disappointed that our season is com- ing to a close and we're not going to be able to show up at practice and get ready for a quarterfinal. That's going to take a few days, at least, to get over. I'm proud of them, but we've got another gear to get to, another level to go to as a program. I'm really confident that this group can achieve that." The game against the Hoyas was, in some ways, a microcosm of the program's development in three seasons under Cook. Penn State hasn't yet achieved its ultimate goals of winning a Big Ten title and contending for the national champi- onship. But everywhere you look, there are hopeful signs. During its 2021 spring season, Penn State finished 9-2-2 and 6-1-1 in the Big Ten. It reached the championship game of the league tournament, defeating Ohio State and Michigan before falling to even- tual NCAA finalist Indiana on penalty kicks. At NCAAs, the Lions routed Mas- sachusetts in the second round and VARSITY VIEWS ONWARD AND UPWARD The Nittany Lion men's soccer team looks to the future after a strong spring season | BLOYOU a9er his trip to State College, which took place in January 2020, that he was all-in with the Nittany Lions. "I was committed to Penn State before I even committed," Reed said. "I wasn't o8cially, but I was telling Coach [James] Franklin that I'm coming." Reed announced his commitment on April 9, 2020. It came just a day before two other top prospects from Detroit, twins Kalen and Kobe King, announced their decision. That was all part of the plan. "Those guys are my brothers. When we played against each other, we got a9er it, but o7 the 6eld they've always been my brothers," Reed said. "I knew them since little league. Shoot, we all knew we were going to the same school. We planned that. I was actually going to make my commitment on Mother's Day, but we all knew what we wanted to do, so I just moved it up and we got it done." As with every prospect, there were a few reasons that Penn State won out in the end. "It was just that family atmosphere. That was big, but I also want to make a difference," Reed said. "I felt like, if I went to Penn State, I could be a differ- ence-maker. I feel like, other than Mar- cus Allen, you don't see many Penn State safeties go to the league and go crazy. I want to change that. I want to change the culture for their safeties. The other thing I really cared about, with no disrespect to anyone, but I really want to play for a Black coach. I feel like Coach Franklin is right there, man. He's right there. They're always like top-15 and knocking on the door. They just need more pieces." Reed said the loss of Banks, who became Tennessee's defensive coordinator in Feb- ruary, "hurt a bit," but he was happy that Franklin brought in another coach with whom he was already familiar. Anthony Poindexter had been at Purdue before joining the Lions' sta7 and had been pur- suing Reed while with the Boilermakers. "He was on my head all the time at Pur- due." Reed said. "It was nothing new [to meet up with him again at Penn State]. He just came in and it was awesome. I already know who he is, what he's about, and again, I prefer to play for Black coaches. If you look at Penn State's sta7, the major- ity of them are Black, except for Coach [Brent] Pry, and he's my guy. But I want to see a Black coach win a championship. I want to help them reach their goals." ■ REED CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19