| PENN STATE vs. NORTHWESTERN | | | | 4-9-2 (1-6-0 B1G) | 6-10-0 (1-6-0 B1G) |
| Sunday, Oct. 29 | Noon | Jeffrey Field
University Park, Pa. | Promotions |
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Oct. 27, 2017
NITTANY LIONS CELEBRATE SENIOR DAY IN FINAL HOME MATCH
The Penn State men's soccer team will celebrate the careers of its four seniors Sunday, Oct. 29 following the match against the Wildcats of Northwestern University. The two squads will meet at Jeffrey Field for a noon match.
CATCHING THE GAME FROM HOME
Fans who are unable to come out to Jeffrey Field can catch all the action live on BTN Plus with a paid subscription. Fans can also follow along with live stats on GoPSUsports.com or follow along with live updates on Penn State men's soccer Twitter at @PennStateMSOC.
SERIES HISTORY WITH THE WILDCATS
Penn State holds the 24-8-3 all-time series lead over Northwestern, but in the past five seasons the Wildcats have been closing the gap with four wins over the Nittany Lions. NU has picked up the victory in each of the last three seasons over PSU with a 2-1 victory in both 2014 and 2015 and a 1-0 win in 2016. The Blue and White will be looking for its first win over the Wildcats since the 2013 season when it earned a 2-1 double overtime victory. A win over the Wildcats will secure Penn State the No. 7 seed in the Big Ten Tournament but a loss will send it into the play in match against Rutgers, who the Nittany Lions defeated 6-2 for its first Big Ten Conference win of 2017.
SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
The Wildcats arrive in Happy Valley with a 6-10-0 overall record and a 1-6-0 record in Big Ten Conference play. However, NU has played six ranked teams in the 2017 season, taking setbacks to five top-10 squads this season and one top-25 team.
The Wildcats have scored 17 goals this season and given up 27, averaging 9.4 shots per match. Tommy Katsiyiannis has a team-best four goals on the season for eight points, while Mac Mazzola has found the back of the net three times this year and had two assists for eight points. Camden Buescher has also tallied eight points with two goals and four assists.
Northwestern has used all three of its goalkeepers in the 2017 season trying to find the best fit. Robbie White has played in the most matches with seven starts. White has an .800 save percentage and has given up 11 goals on the season, while Francisco Tomasino has started six games with six goals against and 13 saves. Finally, Miha Miskovic has five matches under his belt with 18 saves.
SENIOR SPOTLIGHTS
The Penn State men's soccer team will honor the career of its five seniors this weekend against the Wildcats.
- Aymar Sigue - Transferred from Tulsa to play in 30 matches with 17 starts for Penn State...Has scored four goals and had one assist for nine points as a Nittany Lion...Will graduate with a degree in energy business and finance.
- Cameron Steele - Transferred from N.C. State for his final two seasons...Played in 21 matches with 11 starts for the Blue and White...Will graduate with a degee in telecommunications.
- Dani Marks - Has played in 44 matches with 39 starts on the back line for the Nittany Lions...Is a two-time captain and Academic All-Big Ten honoree...Has one last year of eligibility after being redshirted in 2014...Majoring in political science.
- Sam Bollinger - Walked on as a sophomore before earning a scholarship with Penn State...Has played in 42 matches with 12 starts...Scored four goals and has two assists...Is a member of Schreyer Honors College, a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a 2016 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar...Will graduate with a degree in chemistry and is applying to medical school.
- Evan Finney - Made 29 appearances with 28 starts as the goalkeeper...Totaled 106 saves and earned 10 wins with eight shutouts...Was honored at last year's senior day and will graduate with a degree in international politics.
FINDING THEIR STRIDE
With the season coming to a close, the Nittany Lions have found their stride in the last few matches. Penn State doubled its goal total from the first 13 matches of the season in two games with six goals against Rutgers and two against JMU.
Individually, freshman Ethan Beckford has scored in the past two matches for Penn State with two goals against Rutgers and the game-winner against JMU to bring his stat line to five goals and one assist for 11 points.
PENN STATE HAS STRONG MATCH AGAINST JMU
The Penn State men's soccer team earned its second-straight road win with a 2-1 victory over CAA leader James Madison at Santara Park. Freshman Ethan Beckford scored for the second-straight match for the Blue and White with his second-straight penalty kick, which proved to be the game-winner, when JMU was charged with a handball in the 60th minute. Redshirt-senior Sam Bollinger netted his first goal of the season for the Nittany Lions in the first half of action, marking his fourth point of the year, while senior Aymar Sigue and sophomore Kyle Perno each had an assist on the Bollinger goal.
NEXT TIME OUT
Penn State will head to the Big Ten Tournament starting Friday, Nov. 3. The Nittany Lions will find out their opponent once all regular season games are complete. Fans can find a complete schedule on GoPSUsports.com.
