Sept. 12, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's soccer team (2-3-0) will look to end its four-game home stand on a high note and string together wins for the first time this season when it faces James Madison (2-2-0) in a non-conference match-up on Saturday evening at 7 p.m. at Jeffrey Field.
The Nittany Lions are coming off their first home victory of the season, a 1-0 shutout of regional rival Saint Francis on Wednesday evening. Freshman defender Justin Lee (Derwood, Md.) netted the game winner, the first goal of his collegiate career, in the 77th minute. Senior forward Barkley Miller (New Freedom, Pa.) and freshman midfielder MacKenzie Arment (Manheim, Pa.) were credited with assists on the play. Sophomore Liam Fitzwater (Schuylkill Haven, Pa.) had another standout performance in goal, recording three saves en route to his second shutout of the season.
The Penn State attack continued its trend of placing constant pressure on opposing defenses in the win over Saint Francis, as the Nittany Lions outshot the Red Flash, 23-5, and held a 7-3 advantage in corner kicks. For the season, Penn State has outshot opponents by a remarkable 102-37 margin and has earned 31 corner kicks as compared to the opposition's nine.
James Madison heads into Saturday's game riding a two-game winning streak, by virtue of victories over Mount Saint Mary's (3-1) and Wofford (1-0), after dropping decisions to Butler (3-0) and Louisville (1-0) to start the 2008 season. The JMU attack has been sparked by the play of senior midfielder Nick Zimmerman, who leads the team with three goals and six points, and sophomore defender/midfielder, who tops the Dukes with two assists. Goalkeepers Ken Manahan and Justin Epperson have split time in net for James Madison, with Epperson owning the better goals against average (0.50) and the team's lone shutout.
Penn State possesses a 1-2-0 record in its all-time series with James Madison. The last meeting between the Nittany Lions and Dukes came in 2005, a 2-1 JMU win at the Virginia Tech Classic. Prior to that, they faced off in 1997, a 5-0 home win for James Madison, and in 1998, a 1-0 Penn State victory at Jeffrey Field.
Ben Rappaport will serve as honorary team captain for the James Madison game |
Ben Rappaport, a seventh grader at Stetson Middle School in West Chester, Pa., will serve as honorary team captain for Saturday's game. A participant in soccer since kindergarten, he currently plays the striker position for West Chester United Soccer Club's Travel A Team and Stetson's seventh grade team. His goal is to play for Rustin High School and then eventually Penn State.
Fans can follow all of the action of the Penn State-James Madison contest on the Internet with live stats and instant scoring updates from Gametracker or with a live audio and video webcast. Find links on the official website of Nittany Lion athletics, www.GoPSUsports.com.
The Nittany Lions embark on a two-game road swing next week, trekking cross country to California for the BMW/Nike Soccer Challenge to be hosted by the University of San Francisco. To open play, Penn State will take on Saint Mary's on Fri., Sept. 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET. The Lions will then conclude tournament play on Sun., Sept. 21 when they face the host Dons at 3 p.m. All games will be played at USF's Negoesco Stadium.