| PENN STATE at WISCONSIN | | | | 2-3-2 (0-2-0 B1G) | 3-2-2 (1-1-0 B1G) |
| Saturday, September 23 | 8 p.m. | McClimon Track/Soccer Complex
Madison, Wisconsin | |
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Sept. 22, 2017
NITTANY LIONS TRAVEL FOR B1G MATCH WITH BADGERS
The Penn State men's soccer team travels to Madison, Wisconsin Saturday, Sept. 23 for a match with the Badgers of the University of Wisconsin. The two teams will meet up at 8 p.m. EDT at McClimon Track/Soccer Complex.
CATCHING THE GAME FROM HOME
Fans who are unable to make the trip to Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday night can catch all the action live on BTN Plus with a paid subscription or follow along with live stats on UWBadgers.com.
SERIES HISTORY WITH THE BADGERS
Penn State leads Wisconsin 17-11-3 in the all-time series following a thrilling double overtime penalty kick from then-sophomore Austin Maloney in the 2016 campaign. Exactly one year prior to Saturday's match, the Nittany Lions used a Wisconsin own goal and a penalty kick from Maloney in the 108th minute to secure the win over the Badgers.
Wisconsin has proven to be tough to play in Madison as it holds the 7-4-1 advantage over Penn State at McClimon Track/Soccer Complex. The Nittany Lions earned a win over the Badgers in the 2000 season before going winless until 2008 on the road against Wisconsin. In its last trip, Penn State notched a 2-2 double overtime tie in the 2015 campaign.
WARMING AGAINST WISCONSIN
After suffering setbacks to the Badgers in his first two seasons at the helm of Penn State soccer, head coach Bob Warming has gone 4-0-1 against Wisconsin in the past five seasons. The Nittany Lions tied the Badgers in the 2015 season but picked up the win for three-straight years from 2012-14 before defeating Wisconsin 2-1 in double overtime in the 2016 season.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
The Badgers have proven to be one of the hardest teams in the Big Ten Conference to beat on their home turf as they head into Saturday's match with a 13-game unbeaten streak dating back to the 2015 season. Wisconsin brings a 3-2-2 overall schedule into the weekend match having most recently fallen to Duke, 4-3, on the road. All three of UW's wins this season have come at home as it has scored eight of its 15 goals at McClimon Track/Soccer Complex.
The Wisconsin offense is averaging 2.14 goals per game and keeping its opponents to 1.57 goals per game, giving up 11 goals in the 2017 season. The Badgers are best in the first half of play, scoring 10 of its 15 total goals in the opening 45 minutes, while they have given up six in the first half and five in the second half. Senior Chris Mueller is having a standout year in his final campaign as a Badger, leading Wisconsin with seven points, including 21 shots, three assists and two goals. Senior Tom Barlow is also having a year with seven points and a team-high three goals with 14 shots. The Badgers have one final multi-goal scorer in Mike Cantalano, who has netted two this season and Mark Segbers has given out two assists for the offense.
Defensively, goalkeeper Phillip Schilling and the rest of the backline have pitched one shutout in the 2017 season in 670:00 minutes of action. Schilling has allowed 11 goals and made 33 saves in net for the Badgers with a .750 save percentage.
BRINGOLF LIFTS NITTANY LIONS TO NON-CONFERENCE WIN
Sophomore defender Mitchel Bringolf scored his first career goal against Detroit Mercy in Penn State's 2-0 victory.
Following a Nittany Lion corner kick in the 51st minute of the match, the ball bounced around inside the box before finding the foot of a striking Bringolf. The sophomore defender blasted the ball into the back of the net from only three yards out on a strike from the right side of the pitch. The goal marks the first points of Bringolf's career, although he has helped pitch seven shutouts being apart of the backline the past two seasons.
CURRAN GIVES PENN STATE FIRST MULTI-GOAL MATCH OF 2017
Junior Mac Curran not only netted his first goal since his freshman season but also gave the Nittany Lions their first multi-goal match of the 2017 season against Detroit Mercy. Curran gathered the ball at his feet off a Titan defender and ripped an one-touch shot from 18-yards out into the middle of the net to carry Penn State onto a 2-0 victory over Detroit Mercy. Curran now has three career goals donning the Blue and White.
FINNEY RECORDS EIGHTH CAREER SHUTOUT
Redshirt-senior goalkeeper Evan Finney earned his eighth career shutout as a Nittany Lion and second of 2017 against Detroit Mercy. Finney made just three saves in the match as the Penn State defense allowed 10 shots in total in the 90 minute match. This season, Finney has made 24 saves and has two shutouts for the Blue and White.
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT TO BE HELD AT GRAND PARK
The Big Ten Men's Soccer Tournament will take place at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana, as announced by the Big Ten. The men's semifinals and championship game are set for Nov. 10 and 12. Last year, the Big Ten Men's Soccer Tournament semifinals and championship game were played at the facility for the first time, with Maryland earning a 2-1 victory over Wisconsin in the final.
NEXT TIME OUT
Penn State remains on the road for a mid-week non-conference contest against Temple Wednesday, Sept. 27. The Nittany Lions and the Owls will take the pitch at 7 p.m. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
