Oct. 30, 2007
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's soccer team (5-8-3) will play its final non-conference game of the 2007 season on Wed., Oct. 31 when it hosts BIG EAST opponent Villanova (10-7-0) at Jeffrey Field in a 7 p.m. Halloween night match-up.
Last week, the Nittany Lions posted a 1-1 record, defeating Cornell, 2-1, at home on Tuesday night before falling to No. 11 Indiana, 1-0, on Sunday afternoon in Bloomington. Freshman midfielder Drew Cost (West Chester, Pa.) played the role of hero versus Cornell, netting the game-winning goal with 1:52 remaining in the second overtime. Sophomore Jacobo Vera (Pamplona, Spain) gave Penn State an early 1-0 lead when he scored his fourth goal of the season in the eighth minute.
In a renewal of one of the Big Ten's most heated rivalries, Penn State gave Indiana all it could handle, but Brad Ring's goal in the 50th minute would prove to the undoing of the Nittany Lions in their upset bid. Forward Treavor Gelsinger (Shady Grove, Pa.), one of four freshmen to earn a start versus the Hoosiers, had a prime opportunity to knot the game later in the second half, but his shot bounced off the near post and a follow-up by sophomore midfielder Frank Costigliola (Dix Hills, N.Y.) went high over the crossbar.
After winning nine of its first 11 games, including a victory over No. 1 ranked Duke on Sept. 7, Villanova has slumped, dropping four of its last five contests while being outscored 13-3. The Wildcats have been road warriors in 2007, playing 10 road games and one neutral site game in North Carolina, as compared to just six home contests. However, they have experienced success away from home, posting a 6-4-0 record. Sophomore forward Mike Seamon fuels the Villanova attack with a team-high nine goals and 20 points. Joe Taylor (4 goals, 3 assists), Sean Mergenthal (4 goals, 2 assists), and Mike Del Guercio (1 goal, 4 assists) are also key offensive contributors. Senior Matt Sleece and junior Miles Harrison anchor the Wildcat defense, along with senior goalkeeper Ryan Friel (1.06 GAA, 6 shutouts).
Penn State possesses a 6-1-1 record in its all-time series with in-state opponent Villanova. The Nittany Lions suffered their only loss to the Wildcats in the teams' last meeting, a 2-0 setback on the road at the Villanova Soccer Complex in Philadelphia in 2003.
Fans can also follow all of the action of the Penn State-Villanova match-up on the Internet with live stats and instant scoring updates from Gametracker. Click on the gametrack PSU link on the official website of Nittany Lion athletics, www.GoPSUsports.com, to access all of the Gametracker features.
The Nittany Lions will finish out Big Ten play when they host Michigan (10-5-2, 0-3-2) on Sun., Nov. 4 in a 2 p.m. game. Prior to the contest with the Wolverines, Conrad Taylor (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Geordie MacNeill (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Grady Renfrow (Washington, D.C.), and Stephen Reihner (Washington, Pa.) will be honored for their contributions to the Penn State men's soccer program over the past four years in a special Senior Day ceremony.