May 19, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's soccer team announced its 2015 season slate on Tuesday. The schedule includes eight home matches at Jeffrey Field, as well as six matches against teams that were selected for the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
The Nittany Lions, led by head coach Bob Warming, went 13-6-1 overall last year, including 5-3-0 in the Big Ten. Penn State advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The 2015 schedule will again feature a tough eight-game Big Ten slate, including three contests against teams that were among the top five overall seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
"How do I feel about the schedule? The feeling is a combination of emotions. It's the feeling you felt as a child waiting for Christmas day when you just knew you are going to get something good this Christmas," said Warming. "It's also like seeing the itinerary for an amazing journey. A trip you have planned for a long time to some exciting destination with a bunch of folks you know will be a lot of fun. I can't wait."
The Nittany Lions open the regular season with two home games, beginning with San Francisco on Friday, Aug. 28 at 5:30 p.m. Following that match is a contest against Navy on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 3 p.m. The Dons, a West Coast Conference member, went 11-6-2 last season, while the Midshipmen went 11-4-5, playing in the Patriot League.
The conference season begins against Indiana (Sunday, Sept. 13, noon), the fifth overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Nittany Lions also host fourth overall seed Maryland (Friday, Oct. 9, 7 p.m.) and visit third overall seed Michigan State (Sunday, Oct. 18, 1 p.m.).
The Blue and White also host 2014 NCAA Tournament participant Northwestern (Sunday, Nov. 1, 2 p.m.) to end the regular season. Also in the Big Ten portion of the schedule, the Nittany Lions host Michigan (Sunday, Sept. 27, 2 p.m.).
Additionally, Penn State's home slate features James Madison (Tuesday, Sept. 8, 6 p.m.) and Loyola Marymount (Wednesday, Oct. 21, 7 p.m.). The Nittany Lions will also host exhibition matches against St. Joseph's at 3 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 17, and St. John's at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 22.
The Dukes went 10-8-4 last year, playing in the CAA. Loyola Marymount, also a West Coast Conference team, is coming off a 9-4-6 campaign.
Penn State's schedule includes road contests against tournament selections Ohio State (Sunday, Sept. 20, 3 p.m.) and Akron (Wednesday, Sept. 30, 7 p.m.). The Nittany Lions earned 1-0 wins last season against both squads.
The Nittany Lions will also visit Rutgers (Saturday, Oct. 3, 7 p.m.) and Wisconsin (Saturday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m.) in conference play, while the non-conference slate includes in-state matchups at Temple (Friday, Sept. 4, 4:30 p.m.) and Penn (Wednesday, Sept. 23, 7 p.m.) and a road match at West Virginia (Tuesday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m.).
The Lions are 39-18-8 all-time vs. the Owls and 24-6-3 vs. the Quakers. The Mountaineers went 11-7-1 as a member of the MAC last season.
The Big Ten Tournament, all played at campus sites, begins on Saturday, Nov. 7 with the eighth and ninth seeds in the tournament playing each other. The tournament continues on the following Sunday with the quarterfinal round. The Big Ten semifinals are played on Friday, Nov. 13, with the finals on Sunday, Nov. 15.
The 2015 Nittany Lion squad will search for its third Big Ten crown in four years and its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Returning squad members include 2014 Big Ten Offensive Player of the year, forward Connor Maloney (Harrisburg, Pa.), who led the team and tied for the conference lead with 10 goals, including five game-winning goals. He also added three assists to rank second in the league in points (23). Seniors Brian James (Sunrise, Fla.) and Drew Klingenberg (Gibsonia, Pa.) return after collecting nine and eight points, respectively.
2015 PENN STATE MEN'S SOCCER SCHEDULE
Aug. 17 vs. St. Joseph's, 3 p.m. (Exhibition)
Aug. 22 vs. St. John's, 1 p.m. (Exhibition)
Aug. 28 vs. SAN FRANCISCO, 5:30 p.m.
Aug. 30 vs. NAVY, 3 p.m.
Sept. 4 at Temple, 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 8 vs. JAMES MADISON, 6 p.m.
Sept. 13 vs. INDIANA*, 12 p.m.
Sept. 20 at Ohio State*, 3 p.m.
Sept. 23 at Penn, 7 p.m.
Sept. 27 vs. MICHIGAN*, 2 p.m.
Sept. 30 at Akron, 7 p.m.
Oct. 3 at Rutgers*, 7 p.m.
Oct. 9 vs. MARYLAND*, 7 p.m.
Oct. 13 at West Virginia, 7 p.m.
Oct. 18 at Michigan State*, 1 p.m.
Oct. 21 vs. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT, 7 p.m.
Oct. 24 at Wisconsin*, 7 p.m.
Nov. 1 vs. NORTHWESTERN*, 2 p.m.
Nov. 7 Big Ten First Round (8 vs. 9 seeds, at No. 1 seed)
Nov. 8 Big Ten Quarterfinals (at higher seed)
Nov. 13 Big Ten Semifinals (at highest remaining seed)
Nov. 15 Big Ten Final (at highest remaining seed)
Schedule subject to change.