UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's soccer team will face its first ranked opponent of the season, traveling to the Philadelphia area to take on No. 15 Villanova on Friday, Sept. 7. The match is slated for a 8 p.m. start at the Philadelphia Union's (MLS) Talen Energy Stadium.
FOLLOW ALONG
Friday's match will be streamed live via the Big East Digital Network, available for free via Fox Sports Go. Fans can also follow along by following the team on Twitter, @PennStateMSOC.
PENN STATE AGAINST VILLANOVA
The Nittany Lions will face Villanova for the first time since 2010. Penn State holds a 8-1-1 advantage over the Wildcats, including a two-game win streak.
SCOUTING VILLANOVA
Villanova is 3-1-0 on the season, including two overtime victories and the only loss to Clemson on Monday. Senior striker Zach Zandi is coming off a Big East Offensive Player of the Week nod while leading the Wildcats with eight points (three goals, two assists) on the season. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Carson Williams has played all four games between the posts for Villanova, recording two shutouts and 21 total saves.
COACH COOK'S FIRST WIN
First-year head coach Jeff Cook picked up his first win at the helm of Penn State men's soccer on Tuesday, Aug. 28 when the Nittany Lions defeated Bowling Green, 1-0. Ryan Gallagher and Ethan Beckford connected in the 80th minute to lift the Nittany Lions over the Falcons for the team's first win in 2018.
NEWCOMERS MAKE PENN STATE DEBUT
Freshman forward Jeremy Rafanello made his Penn State debut on Friday, Aug. 24, starting on the frontline for the Nittany Lions, and definitley not holding back. The Delran, N.J., native came out in full force, scoring the first goal of the 2018 campaign for the Nittany Lions, and the first goal of his collegiate career, in the ninth minute to put the Blue and White up early. Rafanello had five total shots and two shots on goal in the match to lead the team offensively.
Defensively, Georgetown transfer Mason Deeds also made his Penn State debut on Friday, Aug. 24, helping hold down the Nittany Lions' backline for all 90 minutes. Sophomore transfer Keegan Ness made his debut donning the Blue and White on Monday, Sept. 3 against his former team.
FAMILIAR NAMES, FAMILIAR FACES
The Nittany Lions return 22 student-athletes from the 2017 roster, including nine starters. Sophomore forward Ethan Beckford returns as the leading goal scorer for the Blue and White with five goals and one assist (11 points) in his rookie campaign. Aaron Molloy (three goals), Mac Curran (two goals) and Callum Pritchatt and Christian Sload (one goal each) also return to the lineup.
On the backline, redshirt senior Dani Marks, senior Brennan Ireland and junior Mitchel Bringolf look to keep the opposition out of the box after helping the goalkeepers to two shutouts in 2017.
In the net, redshirt sophomore Josh Levine returns after having nine starts in the 2017 season. Levine earned Big Ten All-Tournament Team honors after recording a career-best 12 saves in the quarterfinal match up with No. 1 Indiana on Nov. 6, 2017. Junior Arie Ammann hopes to be back in the net for the Blue and White after missing 2017 with an injury. As a freshman, Ammann earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the week honors.
NEW FACES
Despite returning nearly the entire 2017 squad, head coach Jeff Cook added four new faces for the 2018 season, including two freshmen and two transfers.
In his first signing class as the leader of the Penn State men's soccer team, Cook signed forward Jeremy Rafanello and brought in commit Joshua Dabora. Prior to preseason, Cook announced the addition of transfers Mason Deeds (Georgetown) and Keegan Ness (Oregon State) to complete the 26-man roster.
AROUND THE WORLD WITH THE NITTANY LIONS
The 2018 roster features seven student-athletes who crossed oceans to be a part of the Penn State family. Mitchel Bringolf comes to Happy Valley from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, captain Dani Marks is from Israel, and Daniel Gonzalez came to Penn State from Costa Rica. The four other student-athletes join the Nittany Lions from the United Kingdom, including Ethan Beckford (Manchester, England), Mikey Conneh (Sheffield, Yorkshire, England), Aaron Molloy (Dublin, Ireland), and Callum Pritchatt (Kinghurst, Birmingham, England).
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
The Penn State men's soccer team has three 2018 opponents ranked in the latest United Soccer Coaches' national poll, with three more receiving votes. Michigan State (Sept. 26) and Indiana (Sept. 30) both come ranked in the top-5, at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. Friday's opponent in Villanova is ranked No. 15 in week two after not previously being ranked. Meanwhile Maryland (Oct. 23), Rhode Island (Aug. 31; L, 0-1), and Michigan (Sept. 21) all received votes in the poll.
MARKS, MOLLOY NAMED 2018 TEAM CAPTAINS
Redshirt senior Dani Marks and junior Aaron Molloy have been selected as team captains of the 2018 Penn State men's soccer team as announced by first-year head coach Jeff Cook.
The 2018 captaincy will be the third time Marks will lead the team in such capacity as he was also the team captain for the 2015 and 2017 seasons. It will be the first such honor for Molloy after joining the Nittany Lions in 2017.
Marks returns to University Park in 2018 for his final season with the Blue and White. The Ra'anana, Israel, native defender started 16 games for the Nittany Lions last season, logging 1,427 minutes on the pitch and anchoring the backline to two shutouts on the season. Marks also had one assist in 2017 and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for the third consecutive season.
Molloy played and started in 16 games in his first season with the Blue and White. The Dublin, Ireland, native logged 1,396 minutes on the pitch and scored three goals in 2017, the second most on the team.
SIXTH ANNUAL MACK BRADY MATCH
The Nittany Lions will host the sixth annual Mack Brady Match when Big Ten foe Ohio State comes to Happy Valley on Sunday, Sept. 16.
At the age of eight, Brady passed away on Dec. 31, 2012 following an unexpected blood infection. To honor his life and love for soccer (especially goalkeeping), Mack's parents, Christian and Elizabeth Brady, created the "Mack Brady Memorial Soccer Fund." The fund is an endowment for Penn State goalkeepers to assist with recruiting, equipment and other needs.
The Blue and White have always found a way in the Mack Brady Match, coming in to the 2018 match with a 4-1-1 record.
NEXT TIME OUT
Penn State men's soccer returns to Happy Valley for two home matches at Jeffrey Field. First, the Nittany Lions host High Point on Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. Then, the Blue and White will host the first conference match of the season as Big Ten foe Ohio State comes to town on Sunday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. That match will mark the Sixth Annual Mack Brady Match. Both matches will be streamed live on BTN+.
