Oct. 9, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -Penn State men's soccer hosts No. 3 Akron at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Jeffrey Field. The Zips (7-1-2) enter the match on a four-game winning streak while the Nittany Lions (6-3-2) look to continue their success at home this season, where they are 5-1-1.
Fans are encouraged to park for free in the grass lot next to Jeffrey Field for the Akron contest. Due to a time conflict with the Zac Brown Band concert at the Bryce Jordan Center, parking in the paved stadium lots will cost $10. Soccer traffic is asked to enter the grass lot through the preferred gate off University Drive.
ON THE HORIZON
Following the tilt with Akron, the Lions continue their three-game homestand with a 3 p.m. matchup against Big Ten rival Michigan State Sunday before hosting in-state competitor Bucknell Oct. 17. The contest against the Spartans will be aired live on the Big Ten Network.
A LOOK AT THE ZIPS
Akron has continued its run as an offensive juggernaut this season, outscoring opponents, 25-5. The squad has been especially impressive in the opening 45 minutes of each match, posting a 14-1 goal advantage.
Nine Zips have found the back of the net this season, while six of those have scored two or more times. Senior midfielder Scott Caldwell has led the scoring charge for Akron in 2012, netting six goals and tallying four assists. Junior midfielders Eric Stevenson and Reinaldo Brenes have both eclipsed the 10-point mark this autumn as well with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Senior keeper David Meves has logged all 940 minutes between the pipes for the Zips, collecting a 0.48 goals-against-average on the strength of seven shutouts.
Head coach Caleb Porter is in his seventh campaign at Akron. Porter has experienced great success with the Zip program, including a 2010 national title and multiple College Cup runs. Following the conclusion of the season, he will begin head coaching duties with the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer.
A HISTORY OF THE SERIES
The Zips lead the all-time series against the Nittany Lions, holding on to a 14-13-5 advantage. The squads have met on the pitch each season since 2002. The most recent win for Penn State came in 2004 as the Lions roared to a 4-0 victory at Jeffrey Field. Since then, the teams have tied twice, while the Zips claimed victory in the five remaining meetings.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Penn State has allowed just seven goals this season and trails only Indiana (6) in that category. The Nittany Lions are also second behind the Hoosiers with six shutouts. The Nittany Lions have posted strong offensive numbers as well, landing in second in assists per game (1.45) and fourth in points per game (4.00). The team leads the conference with 16.09 shots per game.
Senior Julian Cardona (Lincoln, Neb.) has been a force on the attack this season, tallying 11 points on five goals and an assist. Those numbers have the Nebraska native trailing just Eriq Zavaleta of Indiana in points and goals in the conference. Classmate Minh Vu (Tuscon, Ariz.) leads the team and is tied for fourth in the Big Ten in assists (3), while John Gallagher (Pine Bush, N.Y.), Hasani Sinclair (Coral Gables, Fla.) and Daniel Burnham (Boise, Idaho) have added a pair of helpers. Multiple Nittany Lions have contributed to the offensive success as 14 players have recorded a point, including eight with goals.
Defensively, the Nittany Lions have allowed just 28 shots on goal, fewest in the Big Ten. Senior Emmanuel Martin (Cormontreuil, France) has taken the bulk of the minutes in goal and carries a 0.74 GAA through seven starts. Sophomore Andrew Wolverton (Snellville, Ga.) has allowed just two goals in more than 400 minutes of play (0.42 GAA), recording 10 saves in four starts.
THE RISE OF AN ARMY
Penn State ranks second in the Big Ten in attendance this season, averaging over 1,600 fans per game at Jeffrey Field. The support has helped the Nittany Lions propel to a 5-1-1 record at home.
The seven Big Ten teams have combined for nearly 50,000 fans at 40 home games this season.
IRON MEN
Penn State has enjoyed consistency on its back line this autumn, as seniors Brian Forgue (Glenmoore, Pa.) and John Gallagher, junior Martin Seiler (Stuttgart, Germany) and freshman Shane Campbell (York, Pa.) have played a total of 3,484 of a possible 4,180 minutes. Forgue leads the way after directing the defense from the center back position each minute (1,045) this season, while Seiler has logged 961 minutes alongside Forgue in the middle of the formation.
Midfielders Jacob Barron (La Mirada, Calif.) and Owen Griffith (Lewisburg, Pa.) have been mainstays, as well, combining to play 1,755 of a possible 2,090 minutes this season.
505 MINUTES
The phenomenal scoreless streak by the Penn State defense came to an end in the final minute of the contest against Lehigh Sept. 25 after climbing to 505:56 minutes of on-field time, the longest streak of such in the Big Ten this season. Starting with a goal in the 54th minute of the contest against Georgetown Sept. 2, the Nittany Lions allowed just 12 shots on goal while pitching shutouts in four-consecutive matches, including a 110-minute marathon against West Virginia Sept. 6. The team finished 3-0-1 in that span, outscoring opponents, 5-0, before facing the Mountain Hawks.
Senior Brian Forgue anchored the defense every minute of the run, while classmate John Gallagher was off the field just over a minute. Freshman Shane Campbell and junior Martin Seiler helped suffocate opponents' attacks the majority of the duration on the back line alongside Forgue and Gallagher. Three keepers, Emmanuel Martin, Andrew Wolverton and Danny Sheerin, spent time in goal for Penn State, combining to stop the 12 shots.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
Head coach Bob Warming has not hesitated to infuse his team with youth this season as seven freshmen have logged minutes on the field. Rookie Shane Campbell has started eight games on the back line this season, while classmates Drew Klingenberg (Gibsonia, Pa.) and Kelton Cheney (State College, Pa.) received their first starts against Adelphi Sept. 16 and Lehigh Sept. 25, respectively.
Cheney and redshirt-freshman Kyle MacDonald (Yardley, Pa.) recorded their first collegiate points on the same play in the 3-0 win over Adelphi. MacDonald notched an assist on Cheney's scoring strike in the second half. First-year goalkeeper Danny Sheerin (College Park, Md.) made his first appearance against the Panthers, guarding the net for the final nine minutes of the shutout. Klingenberg opened his collegiate account with an assist on Cheney's gamewinner against Wisconsin Sept. 21.
ALL YOU NEED IS ONE
Three of the Nittany Lions' six victories have come in 1-0 fashion this season, including the team's victory against Wisconsin Sept. 21. Penn State also knocked off Albany and Duquesne by a 1-0 margin.
AWARD-WINNING PERFORMANCES
Penn State players have collected multiple individual accolades this season, including a pair of Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week awards.
Owen Griffith, a sophomore defender, was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week Sept. 10 after helping the Nittany Lions shut out West Virginia in a scoreless draw Sept. 6. Senior defender Brian Forgue picked up the first Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors of the season Aug. 27 following a 3-0 victory over Stetson in the campaign-opener. Classmate Julian Cardona garnered a spot on the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Team of the Week the same day after his two-goal performance against the Hatters.
Numerous players have also landed on all-tournament teams after the WVU Nike Classic, co-hosted by West Virginia and Penn State, and the Class of `98 Invitational, co-hosted with Bucknell, in which the Nittany Lions finished a combined 4-0-0.
WVU Nike Classic:
Julian Cardona - Offensive MVP
Jacob Barron
Daniel Burnham
Brian Forgue
Class of `98 Invitational:
Julian Cardona
Brian Forgue
Owen Griffith
FOLLOW ALONG!
The men's soccer program has its own Twitter account for the first season this year! Be sure to follow @PennStateMSOC, along with all of the Penn State athletics accounts, to get the most up-to-date and behind the scenes information. Join the Nittany Lions fans on Facebook as well, at Facebook.com/PennStateMensSoccer.