Sept. 1, 2011
Wolstein Classic Tournament Central
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 15 Penn State men's soccer team will make its first road trip of the 2011 season this weekend when it travels to Columbus, Ohio for the Bert & Iris Wolstein Classic. The Nittany Lions will be making their 10th consecutive appearance in Ohio State's annual home early-season tournament.
Penn State's quest for a second straight Wolstein Classic title begins on Friday, Sept. 2 when it takes on Stetson (1-0-0) for the first time in program history in a 5 p.m. contest. The Lions will finish out tournament play against Florida International (1-0-1) on Sunday, Sept. 4 at noon. All games will be played at the home of the Buckeyes, Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
Penn State head coach Bob Warming will not only be looking for his team to extend its undefeated start to the 2011 season but will be bidding for his 400th career victory this weekend at the Wolstein Classic. After going 2-0 last weekend, the 34-year coaching veteran's win total stands at 399, ranking him sixth among active Division I head coaches and 15th in Division I history. Should Warming reach the 400-win milestone, he will enter an exclusive club that possesses a membership numbering just 30 coaches in the history of Division I men's soccer.
For the second consecutive year, the Nittany Lions began the season 2-0 with two shutouts following last weekend's 1-0 blanking of Siena and 2-0 victory over American at the Penn State Classic. Junior Minh Vu (Tucson, Ariz.) provided PSU with all the offense it would need versus the Saints, netting the game winner in the 68th minute. He would go on to earn Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts. Versus American, juniors Julian Cardona (Lincoln, Neb.) and Hasani Sinclair (Coral Gables, Fla.) supplied the offense. Freshman goalkeeper Andrew Wolverton (Snellville, Ga.) went the distance in both games, earning shutouts in each of his first two collegiate starts.
Stetson opened the 2011 campaign on Aug. 27 with a 4-0 home rout of Division II Florida Tech, getting goals from four different players. Five of the Hatters' top six point-scorers from a 2010 team that went 10-6-2 are back, including Preseason All-Atlantic Sun honorees Gonzalo de Mujica (5 goals, 3 assists) and Jonathan Mendoza (3 goals, 11 assists). Junior Kai Eckenrode (5 goals, 4 assists) and seniors Ryan Asare-Bediako (5 goals, 1 assist) and Joakin Helland (2 goals, 6 assists) are also key to Stetson's balanced attack. The Hatters return two starters on the back line, junior Luis Ocejo and sophomore Raffaele Centofanti, while sophomore Andreas Schnabl, who is coming off a freshman season which he started 17 games and compiled a 0.68 goals against average, will man the goalkeeper position.
Florida International enters Wolstein Classic play following a 1-0-1 start to the season, including a 2-0 win over DII Nova Southeastern and a 1-1 draw with Florida Atlantic. Sophomore Nicolas Rodriguez-Fraile, who scored a team-high six goals on last season's 7-10 squad, headlines the Panthers' offense. Additional firepower could come from a trio of freshmen in Quentin Albrecht, Colby Burdette, and Roberto De Sousa. Junior Anthony Hobbs and sophomore goalkeeper Eric Reyes, a transfer from UC Santa Barbara, anchor the FIU defense.
Penn State owns a 1-1-1 all-time record versus Florida International. The Nittany Lions last met the Panthers in 1999, earning a 1-0 overtime win.
Fans can follow all of the Penn State men's soccer action at the Wolstein Classic on the Internet with live stats and instant scoring updates from GameTracker. Find a link on the official website of Nittany Lion athletics, www.GoPSUsports.com.
Penn State will return to Happy Valley next week, kicking off a brief two-game home stand on Friday, Sept. 9 when it hosts Saint Peter's (0-1-0) in a 7 p.m. contest at Jeffrey Field.
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