Sept. 3, 2014
| #16 PENN STATE VS. TEMPLE | |
| Friday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. | |
| Jeffrey Field | University Park, Pa. | |
| MATCH DAY CENTRAL |
TV: ESPN2 -->Live Video ($) |
Men's Soccer Blog | 2014 Yearbook
Follow Us: @PennStateMSOC | Facebook | InstagramStatistics: Penn State | OaklandPromotions: National Champions Night -- 1954 & 1955 Teams
| #16 PENN STATE AT JAMES MADISON | |
| Monday, Sept. 8 at 5 p.m. | |
| University Park | Harrisonburg, Va. | |
| MATCH DAY CENTRAL |
TV: ESPN2 -->Live Audio | Live Stats
Men's Soccer Blog | 2014 Yearbook
Follow Us: @PennStateMSOC | Facebook | InstagramStatistics: Penn State | James MadisonPromotions: First 200 fans receive #PennStateFutbol t-shirts -->
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The 16th-ranked Nittany Lion men's soccer team returns to Jeffrey Field Friday night (7 p.m.) against Temple when it celebrates the 60th anniversary of the 1954 and 1955 national championship teams.
PSU caps its extended two-game weekend on Monday evening with a match at James Madison (5 p.m.). All regular-season games at Jeffrey Field are free to attend and parking is complimentary as well.
Friday's match will be carried via live stream for fans to watch if they can't make it to Jeffrey Field on GoPSUsports.com All-Access (GoPSUsports.com All-Access Subscription).
ADMISSION & LIMITED BAG POLICY
Fans attending Penn State soccer matches at Jeffrey Field will have to comply with Penn State's Limited 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.
PARKING ADVISORY (9/5/14)
As is the case with all regular-season Penn State soccer matches, admission and parking are free for all patrons. Friday night there are two events near Jeffrey Field that use similar parking areas, entrances and exits: State College Spikes and Bryce Jordan Center.
Patrons for those events will be required to pay for their parking, while fans of Penn State soccer do not. Please tell the parking attendant you're going to soccer and you'll be let in free of charge. Parking lots are available off University Drive near Curtin Road and off Park Avenue at the Beaver Stadium West entrance.
MATCH STORIES
• Lions host Temple Friday night for 60th Anniversary of PSU's national championships
• Penn State and TU haven't met in men's soccer since 1997
• PSU is 218-46-24 (.799) all-time against Division I foes from the Keystone State
• Penn State has posted 17-3-3 record at Jeffrey Field the past three seasons
• Connor Maloney scored 3 of PSU's 4 goals in wins over Oakland and St. John's
• Standout goalie Andrew Wolverton is 4 shutouts away from the Penn State record
• Nittany Lions travel to James Madison for Monday evening tilt
NITTANY LION CHAMPIONS RETURN TO CAMPUS
Members of the 1954 and 1955 Penn State men's soccer national championship teams will return for Alumni Weekend and be honored at halftime of Friday's game against Temple. The 1954 title was Penn State's 10th, while the 1955 honor, under the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association banner, was a shared title. This season marks the 60th anniversary of two teams who brought Penn State soccer to glory.
NITTANY LIONS OPEN 2-0-0 AGAIN
The 15th-ranked Nittany Lions started sluggish in both matches against Oakland and St. John's, but roared to life in the second halves to take a pair of victories, 1-0 and 3-0, respectively. Connor Maloney notched both game winners, totaling three goals during the course of the weekend.
Mikey Minutillo returned to action for for the first time since 2012 and scored his first goal in nearly two years against the Red Storm and added an assist on Maloney's second goal of the game. Against St. John's, the Penn State defense did not yield a shot on goal as Andrew Wolverton picked up a pair of shutouts.
Another stand out performance was that of Mark Wadid, who came off the bench in both games, using his speed and passing ability to earn a pair of assists, his first helpers at the collegiate level. Drew Klingenberg, Brian James and Kyle MacDonald each tallied assists as well.
MALONEY MASHES THREE GOALS
Sophomore Connor Maloney found his scoring groove at the end of 2013, notching a pair of wonder strikes from distance against nationally ranked Akron and UC Santa Barbara on the road. His scoring didn't taper off to start 2014, tallying three goals in two games, including his first two-goal affair vs. St. John's, to pace the Nittany Lion attack.
Dating back to last season, Maloney has five goals in his past seven matches and has accounted for five of PSU's last seven goals. Also noteworthy is that Maloney has scored three goals on just four shots for a remarkable .750 shooting percentage in the early going.
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 returns with a pair of career Penn State records in his sights.
Wolverton currently sits first in PSU records in goals-against average (0.69), while he's second in shutouts (25). Already the single-season record holder in shutouts, Wolverton can eclipse the career record with four more shutouts in 2014. 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 .808 to back up a 28-17-8 career record in net.
JEFFREY FIELD DOMINANCE
In the 42-year history of the stadium, Jeffrey Field has welcomed over 516,827 fans through its gates, including 5,944 this past weekend in wins over Oakland and St. John's. 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 308-77-34 all-time for a winning percentage of .776. Last season, PSU went 8-1-1 and since 2012 the Nittany Lions are 17-3-3 (.804) with a pair of Big Ten titles.
STINGY HOME DEFENSE
At Jeffrey Field, the Nittany Lions are known to keep a tight lid on their own net. Senior goalkeeper Andrew Wolverton allowed just 6 goals in 1,231 minutes of action since the beginning of 2013 (0.44 GAA), collecting 32 saves through those 12 home games (10-1-1).
ABOUT THE OWLS
Coming of one of their most successful seasons in recent memory (10-4-4), the Owls went 1-1-0 in their opening weekend. Temple fell 1-0 in overtime to cross-town rival Drexel before thrashing Sacramento State 3-0 on Sunday. TU out-shot the Hornets 17-3, going ahead 2-0 on goals by Olli Tynkkyen. Chas Wilson capped the win wtih his first tally of the year in the second half. The opener was a different affair with an even 13-13 shot tally, 5-4 in shots on target favoring Temple.
Returning to this year's team is Jared Martinelli who led the Owls in goals (6), assists (4) and points (16). Back in net is Dan Scheck who played all 1,733-plus minutes earning a save percentage of .859 and a GAA of 0.67.
SERIES HISTORY vs. TEMPLE
All-Time Series: PSU leads 39-18-8
PSU Streak: 1 loss
First Meeting: 11/21/1931; PSU 4-0
Last Meeting: 9/9/1997; TU 2-0
Last PSU Win: 9/10/1996; 6-1
Last TU Win: 9/9/1997; 2-0
Last Draw: 11/1/1985; 1-1
Largest PSU Win: 9-0; 11/6/1971
Largest TU Win: 5-0; 11/4/1977
RENEWING A KEYSTONE STATE RIVALRY
For the first time since 1997, the Nittany Lions will play Temple in men's soccer. Penn State leads the all-time history, 39-18-8, and some memorable games have been played in the past. From 1987-91, Penn State and Temple competed as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference and prior to that, the two met on a consistent basis.
One of the most memorable matches in the series for Penn State was on Nov. 13, 1954 when the Nittany Lions went to Philadelphia and knocked off the defending national champion Owls, 1-0. That victory set the stage for PSU's 10th national championship and denied Temple's third title.
PSU and Temple have also met in the NCAA Tournament with the two meetings being split. In 1978, TU ran out 3-0 winners in the first round, but in 1985, PSU won a barnburner, 6-5, in a penalty-kick shootout.
KEYSTONE STATE DOMINANCE
Penn State holds a hefty 218-46-24 (.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, Saint Francis, Bucknell and Penn.
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: 39-18-8
Villanova: 8-1-1
ABOUT THE DUKES
James Madison opened the season with a pair of losses at home to Vermont and Albany. JMU out-shot the Catamounts last Friday, 17-11, but an early 4th minute goal for UVM set the tone, and an 85th-minute insurance goal sealed the opening night loss. Two days later, Albany jumped out 2-0 in the first half hour, made it 3-0 at the hour mark. Again, JMU out-shot its opponent, 15-11, this time, but Albany held a 7-5 edge in shots on goal.
Steven Mashinski scored the lone Dukes goal on Sunday. Josh Grant, 2013's leading scorer, is back for his senior year after a 7-goal, 16-point season. Redshirt-sophomore Kyle Morton received the start in net in both games last weekend. JMU plays at UNC Greensboro on Friday night.
SERIES HISTORY vs. JMU
All-Time Series JMU leads 3-1-1 PSU Streak 1 loss; 3 winless First Meeting 11/8/1997; JMU 5-0 Last Meeting 9/20/2009; JMU 3-0 Last PSU Win 11/7/1998; 1-0 Last JMU Win 9/20/2009; 3-0 Last Draw: 9/13/2008; 1-1 (2OT) Largest PSU Win 1-0; 11/7/1998 Largest JMU Win 5-0; 11/8/1997
ACTIVE COACHING LEADERS MEET
Two of the top three active winning coaches in NCAA Division I men's soccer will meet on Monday evening in Harrisonburg with JMU's Tom Martin (468 wins) and PSU's Bob Warming (428) on the sidelines for a total of 896 victories. Martin leads the category, just ahead of Mark Berson (463), while Warming climbed from fifth to third last season with PSU's impressive 13-win campaign. Now 2-0-0, Warming has pulled away from fourth-place Bob Gray of Marshall (424) and College of Charleston's Ralph Lundy (423).
IN THE RANKINGS
For the first time since 2011, the Nittany Lions received a preseason ranking in the NSCAA Coaches Poll. Penn State checked in at No. 15, a rank that was matched by Soccer America in its preseason poll. This week, the Lions fell to No. 16 in the NSCAA poll, despite a perfect weekend of play. PSU remains 15th in the Soccer America rankings.
PENN STATE FUTBOL RETURNS
Penn State opens its campaign with three straight home games for the second time in three years. The Nittany Lions improved to 5-0-0 on opening day during the Bob Warming era, defeating its opponents by a combined score of 11-0. For the second straight season, PSU opened the year with two wins at home in shutout fashion. The Nittany Lions own a seven-year opening day winning streak.
NITTANY LIONS IN AUGUST
Penn State started its season in August for the 11th time in 18 years as Penn State improved its record to 11-6-0 in the eighth month of the year. PSU is now 7-0-0 in the month of August under head coach Bob Warming. The last Lions loss in August was prior to Warming's arrival in 2008 against Florida Gulf Coast in a game played at Ohio State.
COACHING CLOUT
Among the elite coaches in the sport for the last three decades, head coach Bob Warming is back for his fifth season at Penn State. Warming has an incredible coaching pedigree, including 430 career Division I victories -- third all-time among active DI coaches and ninth all-time at D-I. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2013 after leading PSU to a pair of league titles.
NEXT TIME OUT
Following this extended two-game weekend, Penn State travels to one of the best toughest grounds in college soccer to face Big Ten rival Indiana on Saturday, Sept. 13. Last year, the Nittany Lions and Hoosiers engaged in two battles away from Jeffrey Field as PSU earned a 1-0-1 mark. The Lions won 2-0 at Indiana in the regular season, the first shutout in program history at Armstrong Stadium, before a 0-0 draw in the Big Ten Semifinals, where Indiana advanced on penalty kicks, 5-3.
The Sept. 13 match marks the third earliest Big Ten game in Penn State history after a Sept. 8, 1991 game at Indiana and a Sept. 9, 2001 vs. Michigan. The 1991 match was PSU's first in the Big Ten.