Oct. 3, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's soccer team will finish out a three-game home stand on Tuesday night when it welcomes in-state foe Penn (5-3-1) to Jeffrey Field for a 7 p.m. game. The match-up is the Nittany Lions' final home non-conference contest of the 2011 season.
Penn State (5-3-2) posted a 0-1-1 record last week, drawing with No. 17 Georgetown, 0-0, on Tuesday before falling to Michigan, 2-1, on Saturday.
Freshman goalkeeper Andrew Wolverton (Snellville, Ga.) recorded three saves versus the Hoyas en route to earning his seventh shutout of the season.
Against the Wolverines, the Nittany Lions dominated possession and held Michigan to 10 shots below its season average but could not convert on prime scoring opportunities, particularly in the first half. Senior defender Mark Fetrow (West Chester, Pa.) accounted for Penn State's score against the Wolverines, heading in a ball off a crossing pass from senior midfielder Mackenzie Arment (Manheim, Pa.). The goal was Fetrow's first of the season and fourth of his career.
Penn had a three-game winning streak and four-game unbeaten stretch snapped last weekend, as the Quakers fell to Cornell, 1-0, at home in their Ivy League opener.
Freshman midfielder Duke Lacroix has emerged at Penn's top offensive weapon, totaling a team-high five goals and 11 points through the season's first nine games. Sophomore forward Stephen Baker (4 goals, 2 assists) and senior midfielder Christian Barreiro (3 goals, 4 assists) have also been productive. Five other Quakers players have one goal each.
Senior back Thomas Brandt, a First Team All-Ivy League selection in 2010, and freshman goalkeeper Max Kurtzman headline a Penn defense that has allowed just eight goals but only registered two shutouts.
Penn State possesses a 21-6-3 record in its all-time series with Penn. Last year, the Nittany Lions downed the Quakers, 2-1, in Philadelphia. In Penn's last trip to Happy Valley, in 2009, Penn State dominated, claiming a 5-0 victory.
Fans can follow all of the action of the Penn State-Penn match on the Internet with live stats and instant scoring updates from GameTracker or with a live video webcast on the Big Ten Digital Network. Find links on the official website of Nittany Lion athletics, www.GoPSUsports.com.
Penn State will begin a two-game road stretch on Sunday, Oct. 9 when it visits East Lansing for a key Big Ten clash with Michigan State (2-7-2, 0-1-1). Game time is set for 12 p.m. at the Spartans' DeMartin Soccer Complex. The match will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.