Dec. 3, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
By Matt Allibone, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.- It was a season full of achievements for the Penn State men's soccer team.
From individuals awards like Connor Maloney winning Big Ten Forward of the Year to team ones including a No.3 national ranking in October, the Nittany Lions accomplished plenty during a 13-6-1 campaign that ended with a trip to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Still, when head coach Bob Warming thinks about the season, the first thing that comes to mind won't be the goals or the victory celebrations. Instead, Warming will remember how much fun he and his players had on a regular basis.
"I'll remember everything but I think the one thing that I'll ways remember is the relationships and how they developed," Warming said. "We had a lot of guys with great character on this team."
That attitude and the mindset carried over onto the field, where Penn State opened the season with an incredible 10-0-1 run that included standout wins over Big Ten opponents Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan and Rutgers.
Along the way, the Lions attracted the strongest fan base the team has seen in years. Not only was the student section at Jeffrey Field regularly packed, a bus full of students made the four-hour trip to Maryland on Oct. 18 to watch the Blue and White take on the Terpins.
"I'm really pleased with how our fan base has grown," Warming said. "If the timing is right, we can attract kids to our sports and it's happening. We have a great leader in (marketing director) Rob Roselli who connects so well with the fans. I think we'll continue to grow."
Although the season ended with a disappointing 2-1 loss to Syracuse in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Lions saw young players develop, veterans leave their mark and a season will plenty of memories.
Lets take a look back at some of the most memorable moments from the 2014 campaign.
The Wolf of Park Avenue
Perhaps no game better exemplified Penn State's overall team play than its 1-0 victory over Michigan on Sept. 28.
The victory gave senior goaltender Andrew Wolverton his school record 29th career shutout. While the 6-foot-6 goalkeeper made a signature diving save to preserve the win with eight minutes remaining, he also received terrific defensive support from his backline of Eli Dennis, Mason Klerks and Mike Robinson.
That was a theme throughout the season for the Nittany Lions. While Wolverton, the 2013 Big Ten Goalkeeper of the year and a 2014 All-Big Ten Second Team selection, was his usual stellar self, his success would not have been possible without the support of his teammates.
"The whole team was instrumental in Andrew getting the shutout record," Warming said. "The amazing saves made by him are something I'll always remember, but I'll also remember the saves that our other players made by diving in front of balls for him."
By the end of the season, Wolverton had nine shutouts on the year and an incredible 32 over his four years as a starter. For a team that won 13 1-0 games over the past two years, the goalie's performance was irreplaceable.
The Magical Touch of Maloney
Try to tell Warming that he has a defensive minded team and the coach can't help but laugh.
True, the Lions were involved in eight 1-0 games this season. Still, that is simply the nature of a sport like soccer.
"The most common score in men's collegiate soccer is 1-0," Warming said. "The reality is our team can really score they're just so good at defending."
In 2014, no player in the Big Ten scored throughout the season quite like sophomore forward Connor Maloney. Not only was he named the conference's top forward, he also led the Big Ten in goals with 10 and notched five game winners.
More impressive than his scoring, however, was the way the Harrisburg native carried himself throughout the season. Even as he was emerging as a star, the 5-foot-6 striker remained humble.
"I think Connor has grown a lot as a player in just two years," Warming said. "Last year he led the Big Ten in assists and didn't get much recognition. Now with him scoring goals people are starting to take notice and he'll continue to get better."
A Lasting Legacy and Bright Hope for the Future
Warming has been coaching college soccer since 1976. At this point, he's used to watching groups of players graduate after four years.
However, this year's seniors, Dennis, Randy Falk, Owen Griffith, Mikey Minutillo, Robinson and Wolverton, will always have a special place in the coach's heart because of their leadership, humility and general sense of Penn State pride.
Having only been at Penn State for five seasons, Warming has gotten to know these six players as well as any group he has ever coached. Over the past four years, they have helped Penn State capture two Big Ten regular season titles, qualify for the NCAA Tournament twice and remain in first place in the conference standings from October 2012 to November 2014.
"These seniors all wanted to make their mark on Penn State and they've done a fantastic job," Warming said. "This was a team that didn't play well on the road before they got here and now they've always done well on the road. They've been remarkable."
Although the 2014 campaign ended earlier than they would have liked, the Nittany Lions created a plethora of memories on Jeffrey Field this season, from their 1-0 win over Ohio State on Mack Brady Day to the thrilling 2-1 victory over Hartwick in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
With six starters returning next season, Penn State should remain a force to be reckoned with in 2015.
"That's the exciting part about coaching, even if you lose just one player it makes a huge difference," Warming said. "This team is never the same, and part of the joy of coaching is seeing that evolution. I never go into any season without expectations and I'm always pretty optimistic and I want to win every game. I always feel that if the preparation is there and the work is there than that is something that we can achieve. I'm always going to believe that."