Brandywine Blanks New Kensington; Claims Seventh-Straight PSUAC Title

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Top-seeded Penn State Brandywine netted a pair of second-half goals en route to securing its seventh-straight Penn State University Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Championship by a 2-0 score over Penn State New Kensington Tuesday night at Panzer Stadium in State College.

Brandywine, which recorded its 13^th-straight victory and 10 consecutive via shutout, earned the conference's automatic bid to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association National Championship Tournament, where it will play for the ninth time in 10 seasons.

The Lions' back line locked down New Kensington's offense, holding the No. 2 seed without a shot on goal for 90 minutes. Brandywine yielded just three shot attempts overall and recorded its 16^th clean sheet of the season.

After a goalless first half, Brandywine's offensive pressure was finally rewarded with a goal midway through the second period. Chris Manful (Baltimore, Md./Woodlawn), named PSUAC Player of the Year earlier Tuesday, drove down the sideline and sent a cross into the box, finding the chest of Jayden Barragan (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle), who drove in the game's first marker during the 60^th minute.

Playing up a man, Brandywine added an insurance tally with under seven minutes remaining in regulation. Francis Sarpong (Germantown, Md./Northwest) stole the ball from a New Kensington defender and sent a low, bouncing shot into the corner of the cage.

Brandywine needed just four shots on goal to earn the victory, while Will Manarpaac (Boerne, Texas/Samuel V. Champion) went untested in goal to earn the shutout win.

Brandywine (17-3-2), now undefeated in 88-straight (85-0-3) games against PSUAC foes, will learn its seed an opponents for the USCAA National Championship Wednesday evening.