Aug. 13, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's soccer team opened its 2014 training camp on Wednesday morning at the Jeffrey Field training complex. Head coach Bob Warming enters his fifth year with the defending back-to-back Big Ten Champions.
"I was happy with all of it," Warming said of the opening training session. "We've got another one this afternoon, it feels great, we get to train again. It was incredible, temperature is beautiful, the surface is immaculate, for our guys to develop this is the best environment in the world."
The Nittany Lions opened their camp with a fitness test at 6 a.m., about 20 minutes before the sun rose above Happy Valley. Following a short rest and snack, the men moved on to a two-hour session that ran through 8:45 a.m., concluding with a short 11 on 11 scrimmage. The Lions will return to the training field late this afternoon.
Fifth-year senior Mikey Minutillo (San Jose, Calif.) returns following a year's absence in 2013 and is primed for his final year in the Blue and White.
"It was unbelievable, I haven't been out on this field in a while," Minutillo said. "I just can't wait to start the season up."
For sophomore Mason Klerks (Corona, Calif.), the anticipation was too much for him to get a full night's rest.
"It was a little tough, I didn't sleep much last night," Klerks said. "Because I was thinking about it all night, but once I started I felt like I never left."
Minutillo and Klerks are expected to feature prominently for the Nittany Lions this season as Penn State aims for its third straight Big Ten title. The opening match is slated for Friday, Aug. 29 at Jeffrey Field against Oakland at 8 p.m.