Sept. 23, 2014
| #7 PENN STATE vs. PENN | |
| Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. | |
| Jeffrey Field | University Park, Pa. | |
| MATCH DAY CENTRAL |
TV: ESPN2 -->Live Video on BTN Plus ($) |
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The 7th-ranked Nittany Lion men's soccer team steps out of conference play to host Penn on Wednesday night at Jeffrey Field. Match time is set for 7 p.m. as the first 100 Penn State students will receive Subway meal boxes.
Wednesday's game will be carried via live stream for fans to watch if they can't make it to Jeffrey Field on BTN Plus through BTN2Go. The game requires a subscription (BTN2Go Sign Up).
ADMISSION & LIMITED BAG POLICY
Fans attending Penn State soccer matches at Jeffrey Field will have to comply with Penn State University's Bag Policy. Fans are advised that no bags larger than backpacks may be brought into the stadium grounds. This includes duffle bags and purses larger than 8.5" x 11" x 6" and all bags will be searched. For more information visit the Safety Policy SY44 Page or Penn State's Bag Policy Page.
LOOKING FOR FIVE-STRAIGHT VS. PENN
The Nittany Lions are looking for their fifth straight win in the series over the Penn Quakers on Wednesday night. Last year, PSU scored late in the second half to win 2-1 in Philadelphia in a resumption of the series that was halted by a hurricane in 2012. The last two visits to Jeffrey Field for Penn have been unkind: 2-0 loss in 2011 and 5-0 loss in 2009.
ABOUT THE QUAKERS
Penn enters Wednesday's game off a 3-0 win at Temple on Sunday, which snapped a three-game losing streak. The Quakers (3-3-0) have scored 11 goals in six games, while allowing 10 goals.
Against Temple Duke Lacroix, Forrest Clancy and Sam Engs scored their tallies within a five-minute stretch to overcome an 18-10 shot deficit as well as a 14-4 deficit in corner kicks. Penn's Max Polkinhorne saved 12 shots and has 36 for the season.
Alec Neumann leads the team with eight points on three goals and two assists, both of which came against Temple. Lacrois has three goals as well and leads the squad with 14 shots. Polkinhome has played all 540 minutes with a 1.67 goals-against average and a .783 save percentage. He also has two shutouts.
SERIES HISTORY vs. PENN
All-Time Series: PSU leads 23-6-3
PSU Streak: 4 wins
First Meeting: 1911, Draw 1-1
Last Meeting: 10/29/2013, PSU 2-1
Last PSU Win: 10/29/2013, PSU 2-1
Last PENN Win: 9/24/2008, 3-0
Largest PSU Win: 6-0, 11/21/1953; 7-1, 10/29/1927
Largest PENN Win 5-0, 1918
KEYSTONE STATE DOMINANCE
Penn State holds a hefty 219-46-24 (.799) all-time record against the current Division I teams in Pennsylvania. Penn State has the most all-time wins against Bucknell (59) and has unblemished marks against five other squads (Duquesne, La Salle, Robert Morris and Saint Joseph's). Four Pennsylvania teams are on the schedule in 2014: Temple (W, 1-0), Saint Francis (W, 3-0), Penn (Wednesday at 7PM) and Bucknell (Oct. 1 at 7 PM).
PSU Records vs. Pennsylvania D-I Teams
Bucknell: 59-8-4
Drexel: 3-1-0
Duquesne: 2-0-0
Lafayette: 29-2-1
La Salle: 2-0-0
Lehigh: 12-3-4
Penn: 23-6-3
Pittsburgh: 22-6-3
Robert Morris: 4-0-0
Saint Francis: 11-1-0
Saint Joseph's: 4-0-0
Temple: 40-18-8
Villanova: 8-1-1
MACDONALD MAKES MACK MAGIC
For the second straight year, Kyle MacDonald, a Schreyers Honors College student and two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honoree, scored in the Mack Brady Game. Brady was the son of Christian Brady, the dean of the honors college and Saturday's game against Ohio State was the second annual in his honor. MacDonald's goal provided Penn State a well-earned 1-0 win as PSU dominated the shot tally, 22-6. Connor Maloney clever back-heel pass and Mikey Minutillo's chip to Maloney helped MacDonald collect the ball in front of the net and score on the open frame.
MINTUILLO, WOLVERTON EARN B1G HONORS
Mikey Minutillo and Andrew Wolverton picked up their first Big Ten weekly honors on Monday, Sept. 22 as they were named Offensive and Co-Defensive Players of the Week, respectively. Minutillo tallied five points on two goals and an assist, while Wolverton had two shutout performances in wins over Saint Francis and Ohio State.
WOLVIE WATCH 2014
The Nittany Lions feature one of the top goalkeepers in the nation with senior Andrew Wolverton patrolling the goal area. The 2013 Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year and NSCAA All-Great Lakes First Team honoree has returned with a pair of career Penn State records in his sights.
Wolverton currently sits first in PSU records in goals-against average (0.70) and second in shutouts (28). Already the single-season record holder in shutouts (12 in 2012), Wolverton can eclipse the career record on Wednesday with a shutout against Penn.
As for GAA, Wolverton looks to break Whit Gibson's mark of 0.78 set during his two seasons in Happy Valley (1998-99). Wolverton's save percentage is also impressive at .807 to back up a 31-17-8 career record in net.
This season, Wolverton is 5-0-0 with five shutouts and is the only goalkeeper in NCAA Division I men's soccer to not concede a goal. By virtue of that notation, he leads the nation in GAA and save percentage.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
Penn State's defense has been suffocating this season, allowing just a single goal in six matches spanning 650 minutes, and that goal game with PSU down two players. Penn State tied for the natinoal lead in goals-against average (0.14), shutout percentage (86 percent), win percentage (92.9 percent) and second in save percentage (95.7 percent).
Senior goalkeeper Andrew Wolverton is currently the only player in Division I men's soccer to now allow a goal this season. Wolverton (5-0-0) has played over 503 minutes in net this year without a goal allowed while saving all 15 shots on goal he's seen.
UNDEFEATED IN FIRST SIX SINCE `04
The 7th-ranked Nittany Lions have started 6-0-1, going unbeaten in the first seven games for the first time since 2004 (5-0-4). Prior to that, the 2000 team started the year with seven straight victories. In 1999, Penn State started 8-0-0 and the 1994 team went 7-0-1.
IN THE RANKINGS
Penn State re-emerged in the NSCAA Top 10 on Tuesday, Sept. 16 in the No. 10 spot. This week Penn State moved up three spots to No. 7.
JEFFREY FIELD DOMINANCE
Penn State has enjoyed success at Jeffrey Field with over 300 victories at the famed field. Impressively, the Nittany Lions have never posted a losing season at Jeffrey Field, going 311-77-34 all-time for a winning percentage of .777. Last season, PSU went 8-1-1 and since 2012 the Nittany Lions are 20-3-3 (.820) with a pair of Big Ten titles. Penn State is 5-0-0 this year at home and 13-1-1 the past two seasons.
JEFFREY FIELD FAITHFUL
In the 42-year history of the stadium, Jeffrey Field has welcomed 523,513 fans through its gates, including a season-high 4,052 in a 1-0 win over Temple (Sept. 5). PSU welcomed 5,944 fans on opening weekend in wins over Oakland and St. John's, while nearly 2,000 saw Penn State defeat Ohio State. The Nittany Lions are averaging 2,526 fans per game this year, 12th in the nation.
STINGY HOME DEFENSE
At Jeffrey Field, the Nittany Lions are known to keep an even tight lid on their own net than on the road. Senior goalkeeper Andrew Wolverton has allowed just 6 goals in 1,501 minutes of action since the beginning of 2013 (0.36 GAA), collecting 42 saves through those 15 home games (13-1-1). Wolverton and the Nittany Lions have not conceded a goal in 600 minutes and 28 seconds of action (Oct. 27, 2013 vs. Northwestern, a 2-1 win). By the time Wednesday's match rolls around, PSU will have gone 333 days without an opponent scoring at Jeffrey Field.
NEXT TIME OUT
Penn State travels to Michigan for its third Big Ten contest on Sunday at 2 p.m. The game will be televised live on Big Ten Network.