UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's soccer team hits the road for its final nonconference game of the season, heading to Harrisonburg, Va. to face James Madison on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m.
FOLLOW ALONG
Saturday's match will be streamed for free on MadiZONE HD Sportsnet. Live stats will also be available via StatBroadcast. Fans can also follow along by following the team on Twitter, @PennStateMSOC
PENN STATE AGAINST JAMES MADISON
The Nittany Lions and the Dukes will meet for the 10th time in program history on Saturday. Penn State leads the series, 4-3-2, including a three-game winning streak.
SCOUTING JAMES MADISON
The James Madison Dukes near the end of the regular season with a 9-3-2 overall record and a 6-1-0 record in conference play (Colonial Athletic Association). The Dukes are receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches' poll (Oct. 16).
Senior Aaron Ward-Baptiste and junior Manuel Ferriol pace the Dukes with 12 total points each. Ward-Baptiste has a team-high five goals while Ferriol has four goals and a team-high four assists. Redshirt sophomore Carson Jeffris also has four goals on the season. In the net for the Dukes, redshirt sophomore TJ Bush has played all 1332:24 minutes, recording 38 saves with a 0.54 goals against average.
LAST SEASON AGAINST JAMES MADISON
The Nittany Lions took down the Dukes on the road, 2-1, in the 2017 season. Ethan Beckford scored what would end up being the game-winner off a penalty kick when JMU was charged with a handball. Former Nittany Lion Sam Bollinger netted the other goal while Aymar Sigue and Kyle Perno each had an assist.
LAST TIME OUT
The Penn State men's soccer team recorded its fourth consecutive shutout, taking down Detroit Mercy, 2-0, on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at Jeffrey Field. The Nittany Lions took the lead early, capitalizing off a Titan foul in the 11th minute. Junior Aaron Molloy took the free kick and sent it inside the box and after a Titan touch, junior Brandon Hackenberg got a good touch on the ball and was able to sneak it past the goalkeeper to put Penn State up 1-0. The goal marks Hackenberg's first career goal.
Penn State continued its offensive control in the first half as senior Mac Curran found the back of the net in the 36th minute after sophomore Callum Pritchatt's shot was blocked. Curran's goal off the rebound is his third goal of the season, a career high in single season goals for the York, Pa., native. Pritchatt now has three assists on the season.
While the offense did not score in the second half, the Nittany Lions were still able to control possession and take 11 shots, including seven on net. The defense remained strong throughout the 90 minutes, only allowing four total shots and none on net. The fourth consecutive shutout marks the first time doing so since the 2012 season.
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK SHUTOUTS
After shutting out Northwestern on the road on Oct. 6, the Penn State men's soccer team returned to Jeffrey Field for three-straight home games, holding each opponent scoreless (Stony Brook - Oct. 9, Wisconsin - Oct. 14, Detroit Mercy - Oct. 17). The last time the Nittany Lions shutout four opponents in consecutive games was during the 2012 season.
MARKS NAMED B1G DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Redshirt senior Dani Marks was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week as announced by the conference office on Oct. 16. Marks started both matches on the backline for the Nittany Lions last week, helping anchor the defense to post back-to-back shutouts and the third consecutive shutout for the first time since the 2014 season. Marks and the defense only allowed two shots on net between both opponents (Stony Brook and Wisconsin). The Ra'anana, Israel, native also recorded the game-winning assist on Jeremy Rafanello's goal in the 80th minute against Wisconsin for his first assist of the season and the second in his career. The honor marks the first Big Ten weekly award of Marks' career and the third of the season for Penn State men's soccer. Redshirt senior Ryan Gallagher (Sept. 25) and redshirt sophomore Josh Levine (Oct. 9) have also both garnered Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors this season.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
The Penn State men's soccer team has five 2018 opponents ranked in the eighth week (Oct. 16) of the United Soccer Coaches' national poll, with two more receiving votes. Indiana (Sept. 30; L, 0-2) remains in the top-5 at No. 2. Michigan State (Sept. 26; L, 0-1) and Michigan (Sept. 21; T, 1-1 2OT) check in at No. 13 and 18, respectively. UCF (Aug. 24; L, 1-2 2OT) remains in the No. 19 spot. Rhode Island (Aug. 31; L, 0-1) moves into the top-25 to check in at No. 23 after receiving votes the previous week. JMU (Oct. 20) and Oregon State (Sept. 3; L, 0-1) received votes in this week's poll.
PENN STATE FEATURED ON BIG TEN NETWORK
The Penn State men's soccer team will be featured on the Big Ten Network when it travels to Maryland on Tuesday, Oct. 23 for its 6 p.m. contest. Last season, the Nittany Lions fell to the then-No. 3 Terrapins, 0-2.
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT RETURNS TO GRAND PARK
The Big Ten men's and women's soccer tournament semifinal and championship games will return to Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. for the 2018 season, as announced by the conference on Sept. 27.
The men's tournament will start with quarterfinal games being played on campus Nov. 3-4. Play will commence at Grand Park on Friday, Nov. 9 with two semifinals and will conclude on Sunday, Nov. 11 with the championship game.
Kickoff times and television coverage for all Big Ten men's and women's soccer tournament games will be announced at a later date.
NEXT TIME OUT
Penn State men's soccer stays on the road for the final away game of the regular season. The Nittany Lions play at Maryland on Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. in their Big Ten Network debut.
