Aug 30, 2013
By Mike Esse, GoPSUSports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Normally when a team loses 10 student-athletes to graduation the expectations the following season aren't necessarily high, especially when that group produced a regular season conference championship.
That is not the case for reigning Big Ten Coach of the Year Bob Warming and the Penn State men's soccer team as they begin the 2013 season Friday at 7 p.m. at Jeffrey Field against Radford.
It starts with his captains: two players that played a big impact in the 2013 season and now assume leadership roles this season.
"We are fortunate to have two great captains on the team in Andrew Wolverton and Owen Griffith," said Warming. "Immediately upon completion of the season last year I named them captains and they have done an outstanding job with the team all through the spring season and into the summer."
Finally Healthy
The Nittany Lions may have lost a good amount of their contributors from one year ago, but they are returning and welcoming a few players that will make an immediate impact in 2013.
Wolverton is a perfect example. He saw a lot of time in 2012 between the pipes, but this year will be a little different mainly because he is healthy. Wolverton spent four months prior to last season rehabbing a hip injury and was never fully healthy.
"Last year it was trying to help him manage and get through when he wasn't as quick and sharp and seeing things as he normally would," said Warming. "It is the exact opposite this year. Andrew had a great summer playing in the Premier Development League (PDL) down in Florida and he is confident and sure now."
Now, with a summer of soccer under his belt, Wolverton is prepared to be a full time presence in net for Penn State. His mission hasn't change much, though.
"Even though I have had more time in net this summer, it's always been about helping the team as best as I can just like it was last year," said the senior goaltender.
Wolverton spent his time in the PDL, where he also played with Penn State center back Akil Howard.
Howard and senior defender Martin Seiler have combined with Wolverton to put together a very strong and versatile defense in 2013, one that replaces Brian Forgue.
"Martin is one of the smarter center backs around," Warming said. "He's tough, strong and physical. He, Akil and Andrew have formed a great relationship with each other."
Building the Offense
After losing three All-Big Ten performers from last season, Penn State is trying to rebuild offensively with a few new pieces.
Just like the defense, one of its biggest parts of the new look offense is a player was sidelined in 2012.
Redshirt junior Jordan Tyler has recovered quickly from an ACL injury last fall and has already shown what he will bring to the team this season after a quicker return than expected.
"Usually the rule of thumb is that however long you are out it takes you twice as long to get back to complete mental and physical sharpness in our game," said his head coach. "Jordan has been out for almost a year so I think he is probably ahead of where all of us thought he would be, which is encouraging."
Tyler has teamed up with Griffith and freshman forward Mark Wadid to show a glimpse of what this offense can do as it continues to develop.
"Having Jordan back is huge and Mark is someone who can definitely step up for us," said Griffith. "We have a lot of different players and are still trying to build chemistry, but definitely have the drive to do some of the same things we did last year."
Warming knows his offensive unit is still getting comfortable with each other and because of that free kicks become even more important than they were in the past.
"It is going to take a little while to gel and get the attack going so it means that we are going to be super sharp and take advantage of every free kick situation that we can," he said.
Returning to Prominence
After winning the Big Ten regular season title last year, this year's men's soccer team wants more. They want to go to PPL Park, home of the Philadelphia Union and host of the men's soccer College Cup in 2013.
Warming has been there before with two different programs and adamantly believes he can do it with a third.
Why? Because his team believes they can. It's that simple.
"There's a couple of great books that are written about why people are successful," said Warming, who most recently made the College Cup with Creighton.
"People ask me how we went to 17 consecutive NCAA tournaments at Creighton and the reason was because they believed they were going to. They had seen somebody do it and knew it was possible."
The regular season conference championship from one year ago is that sense of proof for Penn State.
Now, after a 34-year drought from the College Cup, this team's goal is simple.
"The last time Penn State was in the final four was 1979 so that was 34 years ago and we are just going to make sure its not 35," said Warming. "We are going to do everything we can to get this team into Philly and get them into the final four this year."