Big Ten Release
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Three members of the Penn State men's soccer team were honored by the Big Ten with season awards, as announced by the conference office on Friday, Nov. 2. Aaron Molloy was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team, Jeremy Rafanello was named to the All-Freshman Team, and Austin Maloney was honored with the Sportsmanship Award.
Molloy, a team captain, earns All-Big Ten honors for the first time in his career. The junior midfielder has played in 14 matches for the Nittany Lions in 2018, and has six points on two goals and two assists. Molloy recorded a career-high three points in a single match against Ohio State in the conference opener with one goal and one assist in the victory.
Rafanello, a freshman forward from Delran, N.J., was unanimously selected to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. In his first year donning the Blue and White, Rafanello played in all 16 games during the 2018 regular season, pacing the Nittany Lions with seven points on three goals and one assist.
Rafanello's first career goal came within his first seven minutes on the pitch when he scored the opening goal against UCF in the season opener on Aug. 24. He also recorded the game-winning goal against Wisconsin on Oct. 14.
Maloney received the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for Penn State. The senior started all 16 games during the 2018 regular season as a key member of the midfield unit. Maloney recorded his first assist of the season in the victory over Rutgers in the regular-season finale on Oct. 28.
The No. 6 seeded Nittany Lions head to Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Sunday, Nov. 4 for a 1 p.m. match with No. 3 Michigan in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
