Oct. 19, 2007
Penn State-Wisconsin Game Notes
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After three consecutive games against non-conference opponents, the Penn State men's soccer team (4-7-2, 1-1-1) will return to conference play looking to improve its position in the Big Ten standings when it hosts Wisconsin (5-5-4, 0-3-1) on Sat., Oct. 20 in a game scheduled for 7 p.m. at Jeffrey Field.
The Nittany Lions currently reside in fifth place in the Big Ten with four points. A win versus Wisconsin would likely vault Penn State up in the standings with a pivotal clash with first place Indiana in Bloomington looming on the horizon next weekend.
Entering Saturday night's match-up, Penn State is just one win shy of attaining the program's 50th Big Ten victory. Since joining the conference in 1991, the Nittany Lions have compiled a 49-34-7 record. Over the sixteen seasons in which Penn State has been a member of the Big Ten, it has suffered just three losing seasons in conference action. The Lions own a 22-11-3 record in Big Ten Championship play, one of just two conference teams to possess a winning record in the postseason tournament.
Playing without the services of leading scorer Jason Yeisley (Allentown, Pa.) for the first full game this season, Penn State dropped a 3-0 road decision to No. 23 Akron on Wednesday evening. With the injury to Yeisley, the Nittany Lions were forced to go with an even younger line-up that it has been fielding, starting a season-high seven underclassmen.
Penn State has found success at Jeffrey Field this season, posting a 3-1-1 record. The Nittany Lions have provided the home fans with some memorable moments in 2007, including a last-minute double overtime win against Pennsylvania, an upset-victory over No. 3-ranked Northwestern, and a controversial double overtime contest with Lafayette. Penn State has not suffered defeat at home since Sept. 17, a 1-0 loss to Old Dominion in a Penn State Classic match-up.
After a hot start to the 2007 season, which included wins over California, Stanford, and Gonzaga, Wisconsin is currently mired in a five-game winless streak. Included in that stretch is a pair of 3-0 losses to Big Ten foes Michigan State and Northwestern. The Wisconsin attack is headlined by junior Victor Diaz, a 2006 Second Team All-Big Ten selection, and sophomores Brian Bultman and Brandon Miller. Diaz tops the Badgers with 10 points and is tied with Miller for the team-lead in assists with four. Bultman is UW's chief goal scorer, netting four on the season. Anchoring the Badger defense is sophomore goalkeeper Alex Horwath. He owns a 1.08 goals against average and has registered six shutouts in 2007.
Penn State possesses an 11-8-1 record in its series history with Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions have split the previous six meetings with the Badgers, posting a 2-1 home record. The Lions will strive to avenge last year's 2-0 loss to UW in Madison.
Fans can follow all of the action of the Penn State-Wisconsin game on the Internet with live stats and instant scoring updates from Gametracker or with live webcast audio and video from Jeffrey Field. Click on the gametrack PSU link on the official website of Nittany Lion athletics, www.GoPSUsports.com, to gain instant access.
The Nittany Lions will conclude their brief two-game home stand on Tues., Oct. 23 when they host Ivy League member Cornell at Jeffrey Field in a non-conference contest set for 7 p.m. Penn State owns an 8-2-3 all-time mark versus the Big Red, including a 2-1 victory in the teams' last meeting in 2005 in Ithaca, N.Y.