'Dons Earn 1-1 Draw with Michigan State in Exhibition

Friday, August 17

Fort Wayne, Ind.

7 p.m.

Purdue Fort Wayne

Michigan State (Exhibition)

Photo by: Lucas Carter

'Dons Earn 1-1 Draw with Michigan State in Exhibition

8/17/2012 9:59:00 PM | Men's Soccer

BOX SCORE (.pdf) | PHOTO GALLERY

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - For the second straight year, the Mastodons picked up a tie in their lone exhibition game, this time via a 1-1 tie with the Michigan State Spartans.

Last season the Mastodons and the Duke Blue Devils played to a 1-1 draw at the National Soccer Festival, and this season, again at the Soccer Festival, IPFW got its lone score from freshman Jackson Tooke, on an assist from senior Mitch Falkenstern.

The teams played through a scoreless first half, despite the Spartans peppering IPFW goalkeeper Brandon Cloutier early in the game, with the sophomore keeper picking up a pair of saves through the first ten minutes of action.

The Mastodons got just one shot off in the first half, one on a wide-left attempt off the foot of Tooke.

The first 23 minutes of the second half were a mirror image of the first half, before Falkenstern served a perfect through-ball which Tooke was able to corral, and chip over a diving Spartan keeper, giving the 'Dons a 1-0 lead in the 69th minute of the contest.

Michigan State wasted little time in answering back with a goal in the 79th minute, when Ryan Keener headed home a free kick off the foot of Parker Seymour, tying the score at one apiece.

Five minutes later the Mastodons had a strong chance at a score, as Darnell Parris beat the MSU goalkeeper; however, Parris was called off-sides, nullifying the potential winning goal. Michigan State got two shots off in the final seven minutes, as one went wide, and the other blocked, keeping the tie intact.

The Mastodons open the regular season on August 26, when the squad travels north to face off against the Detroit Titans in a 1 p.m. kickoff.

~ Feel the Rumble ~