| PENN STATE vs. SAINT FRANCIS | | | | 0-1-2 (0-0-0 B1G) | 2-2-0 (0-0-0 NEC) |
| Friday, September 8 | 7 p.m. | Jeffrey Field | University Park, Pa.
| | Promotions |
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September 7, 2017
PENN STATE LOOKING FOR VICTORY AT JEFFREY FIELD
The Nittany Lions will be looking to secure their first win of the 2017 season Friday, September 8 when they return to Jeffrey Field for an in-state showdown with Saint Francis. Penn State and the Red Flash are set to square off at 7 p.m. on Jeffrey Field.
CATCHING THE GAME AT HOME
Fans who cannot make it out to Jeffrey Field on Friday night can catch all the action live on BTN Plus with a paid subscription or follow live stats at GoPSUsports.com.
SERIES HISTORY WITH THE RED FLASH
Penn State holds the 12-2-0 all-time series lead against Saint Francis, dating back to the 1993 season when it picked up a 3-0 victory at home. The Blue and White earned its largest win over Saint Francis in the 1998 campaign with an 8-0 victory. Although the Nittany Lions have seen success, the Red Flash have found ways to win in the past five seasons, earning its two victories in the 2013 and 2016 campaigns. Penn State will not only be looking for its 13th win over Saint Francis but also its 300th win over opponents in the state of Pennsylvania.
SCOUTING SFU
The Red Flash have earned two wins to kick off the 2017 campaign, but most recently suffered a setback to bring their record to 2-2 overall. Saint Francis has had to score at least four goals to pick up its wins this season as the defense as given up nine goals in the first four outings.
Senior Troye Kieman has three goals and three assists for a total of nine points to lead SFU and the conference. Kieman has caused trouble for the Nittany Lions in the past, scoring two goals in Saint Francis's 3-1 victory in the 2016 campaign. Kieman has had help offensively from Mario Mastrangelo, who has also scored three goals on the season and five other student-athletes have all added one goal apiece. As a team, the Red Flash tie for seventh nationally with 11 goals and tie for ninth with 2.75 goals per game in 2017.
Marcus Rojas has played all 360 minutes in net for Saint Francis, giving up nine goals and making 11 saves. In total, Rojas has faced 30 shots and holds a 2.25 goals against average heading into Friday night's contest.
MOLLOY MAKING WAVES
Sophomore transfer Aaron Molloy has come in strong for the Nittany Lions in his first three matches. Molloy has started all three games, playing all but four minutes for the Blue and White. The Dublin, Ireland native came into the season as the PDL Young Player of the Year after scoring seven goals for Reading United. Donning the Blue and White, Molloy has scored two goals in three games, including a shot from beyond the midfield line against Loyola Marymount.
Molloy currently ties for second in the Big Ten with his two goals on the season and 0.67 goals per game.
FINNEY STRONG IN DOUBLE OVERTIME MATCHES
Redshirt-senior Evan Finney earned his second and third start between the pipes for the Nittany Lions this past weekend. Finney made four saves against UC Irvine and allowed one goal before capping off the weekend with nine saves against Loyola Marymount. The Nittany Lion suffered a red card early in the game against the Lions forcing them to play a man down and Finney to keep them off the scoreboard. The San Francisco, California native gave up just one goal, facing 10 shots on the day against LMU.
Finney's 14 saves, 4.70 saves per game and .824 save percentage rank third in the Big Ten three matches in.
SLOAD FINDING HIS CHANCES
Sophomore Christian Sload has been an offensive threat in his first three appearances of the 2017 season, taking a team-high seven shots with a team-best four shots testing the keeper. Sload has made one start and played 165 minutes this season for the Blue and White. The Reading, Pennsylvania native made 11 appearances in his freshman campaign, playing 170 minutes scoring the only goal against Saint Francis.
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 in 44 years, going 328-86-36 all-time for a winning percentage of .771. Last season, PSU went 8-2-1 at Jeffrey Field and over the past five seasons the Nittany Lions are 37-11-5 en route to a pair of Big Ten titles in 2012 and 2013. In the 44-year history of the stadium, Jeffrey Field has welcomed over 540,000 fans through its gates.
NEXT TIME OUT
Penn State opens its Big Ten Conference schedule Tuesday, Sept. 12 when it travels to Ohio State for a 7 p.m. contest. Fans who are unable to make it out to Columbus, Ohio can catch the game live on the Big Ten Network.
