Aug. 18, 2007
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The 2007 edition of the Penn State men's soccer team will see its first action of the season when it hosts BIG EAST opponent Georgetown in an exhibition contest on Tues., Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. at Jeffrey Field.
Head coach Barry Gorman, entering his 20th season at the helm of the Penn State program, returns seven of 11 starters and 14 letterwinners for the 2007 season. He has also added a strong recruiting class numbering eight players that consists of a mix of regional and international talent.
Senior goalkeeper and team co-captain Conrad Taylor (Colorado Springs, Colo.), a two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection, will headline the defense in 2007. A starter of 64 consecutive games, he currently resides in fourth place on Penn State's career goalkeeping list with a .98 goals against average and ranks fourth in career shutouts with 21. Senior defenders Geordie MacNeill (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Stephen Reihner (Washington, Pa.), starters of a combined 99 career games, will also lend experience and leadership to the Penn State back line. Junior forward and team co-captain Jason Yeisley (Allentown, Pa.), the Nittany Lions' leading returning scorer with 27 career points, will spearhead the attack.
Second-year Georgetown head coach Brian Wiese returns eight starters and 14 letterwinners from a 2006 team that went 6-11-0 overall and 3-8-0 in the BIG EAST. Senior forward Mike Glaccum is the Hoyas' returning leading scorer after totaling three goals and three assists in 2006. A trio of sophomore defenders in Sean Bellomy, Mark Zeman, and Len Coleman, along with senior goalkeeper Joe Devine, anchor the Georgetown back line.
The Nittany Lions' exhibition season continues on Sat., Aug. 25 when they welcome Saint Francis (Pa.) to Jeffrey Field for a 7 p.m. game. The Red Flash is coming off a 2006 season in which it went 10-7-3, including a 6-1-2 record in Northeast Conference play. The 2007 regular season begins for Penn State on Fri., Aug. 29 at the Ohio State Classic. The Lions will kick off the year by taking on Syracuse in an opening round game scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.