June 6, 2012
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State men's soccer head coach Bob Warming has announced the program's 2012 fall schedule, revealing a line-up that features 11 home games and match-ups with 10 teams that qualified for the NCAA Championship in either of the last two seasons. The schedule also includes four non-conference contests versus in-state foes and two games which will feature former Nittany Lions returning to Happy Valley as head coaches.
Penn State owns a 217-107-43 combined all-time record versus its 17 2012 opponents, holding winning marks against 13. The Nittany Lions have never faced Duquesne and Albany in the 102-year history of the program.
For the second consecutive year, the Nittany Lions will kick off the regular season at home, hosting two games. On Saturday, Aug. 25 (7 p.m.), Penn State will meet Atlantic Sun team Stetson and then wrap-up tournament action on Monday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. when it takes on Hartford of the America East Conference.
Penn State will conclude the first of three 2012 three-game home stands on Friday, August 31 when Duquesne visits University Park for a 7 p.m. contest.
Two days later, on Sunday, Sept. 2, Penn State will make its first road trip of the season, visiting the nation's capital for a 1 p.m. game with BIG EAST foe Georgetown at the Hoyas' North Kehoe Field.
The next two games will be homecomings of sorts, as former Nittany Lions Marlon LeBlanc and Trevor Gorman bring their teams to Jeffrey Field for matches against their alma mater. LeBlanc, who also served as an assistant coach at Penn State from 2001-06, has established West Virginia as a BIG EAST and national title contender during his time in Morgantown. The Lions and the Mountaineers will square off on Thursday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. The following week, Gorman, the son of Penn State's all-time winningest coach, Barry Gorman, will travel his Albany squad for a 7 p.m. game on Friday, Sept. 14.
After concluding the home stand against Adelphi (Sunday, Sept. 16 - 2 p.m.), Penn State will open Big Ten play on the road against Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions and the Badgers will meet on Friday, Sept. 21 (8:30 p.m. ET) at the McClimon Soccer Complex in Madison. The teams split a pair of games a year ago, with UW taking the regular season match-up in double overtime on a penalty kick before Penn State avenged that defeat in the Big Ten Tournament.
Following its second road trip of the season, a journey to eastern Pennsylvania to take on Lehigh on Tuesday, Sept. 25 (7 p.m.), Penn State will conclude the final full month of regular season play when it hosts conference rival Indiana in the team's Big Ten home opener. The Nittany Lions and Hoosiers, which have staged several epic battles in recent year, will clash at Jeffrey Field on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m.
Penn State will then continue Big Ten play when it visits Michigan for a 7 p.m. contest on Saturday, Oct. 6. The Lions have dropped three straight to the Wolverines.
Returning to Happy Valley, Penn State will face a pivotal home stretch that includes matches versus Akron (Wednesday, Oct. 10 - 7 p.m.), Michigan State (Sunday, Oct. 14 - 2 p.m.), and Bucknell (Wednesday, Oct. 17 - 7 p.m.). The last time the Nittany Lions hosted Akron, in 2010, the 2,800-plus blue and white clad faithful that packed Jeffrey Field saw Penn State push the eventual national champion Zips to the limit before falling on a penalty kick in double overtime. Michigan State went 7-8-4 in 2011, including a 1-0 win over Penn State in East Lansing. The Nittany Lions and the Bison have developed a heated rivalry in recent years, fueled by Bucknell taking two straight from Penn State at Jeffrey Field.
Penn State will make its final road trip of the regular season to meet Northwestern in Evanston on Sunday, Oct. 21 at 1 p.m. ET. The Nittany Lions have more wins (22) against the Wildcats than any other league foe, but dropped two games to NU in 2011, including the Big Ten Tournament title game.
On Sunday, Oct. 28, the Nittany Lions will conclude Big Ten action when it hosts Ohio State on Senior Day (1 p.m.). In 2011, Penn State paid back a heartbreaking overtime regular season loss to OSU by bouncing the Buckeyes from the Big Ten Tournament with a 1-0 first round win.
Penn State will conclude the 2012 regular season on the road on Wednesday, Oct. 31 when it travels to Philadelphia to take on Ivy League power Penn in a 7 p.m. Halloween evening clash.
After advancing to the championship game in each of the last three years, Penn State will again seek its fourth conference crown at the 2012 Big Ten Tournament, to be hosted by Northwestern University, from Nov. 7-11 at Lakeside Field in Evanston. Overall, Penn State owns a Big Ten Tournament mark of 26-14-4, standing as one of just two conference teams to own a winning record in the postseason event. When Northwestern last hosted the Big Ten Tournament, in 2005, Penn State captured the program's third conference crown.
The 2012 NCAA Championship is scheduled to begin on Thursday, November 15 with first round action and will culminate at the College Cup, scheduled for December 7 and 9 at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala.
The Nittany Lions' preseason exhibition schedule includes home games with Hartwick (Aug. 13, 7 p.m.) and Drexel (Aug. 16, 7 p.m.) and a road clash with ACC powerhouse Maryland (Aug. 20, 7:30 p.m.).
Warming, who attained his milestone 400th career win in 2011, returns 13 letterwinners and eight starters from last season's team that advanced to the Big Ten Tournament title game for the third consecutive year, broke the Penn State record for shutouts in a season, and led the conference in goals allowed and goals against average. Among the returnees are the team's top three scorers in Minh Vu (Tucson, Ariz.), the 2011 Big Ten Tournament Offensive MVP, Julian Cardona (Lincoln, Neb.), and Hasani Sinclair (Coral Gables, Fla.) and the anchor of the PSU defense, goalkeeper Andrew Wolverton (Snellville, Ga.). The Nittany Lion roster will also be bolstered by a talented group of newcomers which includes five freshmen and four transfers.
Game times are subject to change. Please check www.GoPSUsports.com throughout the summer and fall for the most up-to-date schedule information.
2012 PENN STATE HOME SCHEDULE
Monday, August 13 vs. Hartwick (exhibition), 7 p.m.
Thursday, August 16 vs. Drexel (exhibition), 7 p.m.
Saturday, August 25 vs. Stetson, 7 p.m.
Monday, August 27 vs. Hartford, 7 p.m.
Friday, August 31 vs. Duquesne, 7 p.m.
Thursday, September 6 vs. West Virginia, 7 p.m.
Friday, September 14 vs. Albany, 7 p.m.
Sunday, September 16 vs. Adelphi, 2 p.m.
Saturday, September 29 vs. Indiana, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, October 10 vs. Akron, 7 p.m.
Sunday, October 14 vs. Michigan State, 2 p.m.
Wednesday, October 17 vs. Bucknell, 7 p.m.
Sunday, October 28 vs. Ohio State (Senior Day), 1 p.m.