UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's soccer team, under second-year head coach Jeff Cook, opens the 2019 campaign inside the friendly confines of Jeffrey Field at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30 when it hosts the visiting fifth-ranked Stanford Cardinal.
GAME INFORMATION
- Date: Friday, Aug. 30, 2019 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Location: University Park, Pa. | Venue: Jeffrey Field
- Live Stats: GoPSUsports.com | Watch: BTN Plus ($)
- Tickets: Free | Parking: Stadium West Lot
- Promotions: Back to School Night – first 300 fans get free schedule cups; 800 Strong Night; care package and TV giveaway for attending Penn State students
KICKING OFF 2019 AT HOME
- Penn State has opened eight of the last nine seasons inside the friendly confines of Jeffrey Field, going 5-2-1 on opening day since 2011.
- The Nittany Lions open at Jeffrey Field in 2019 for the third-straight season.
PENN STATE IN SEASON-OPENERS
- The Nittany Lions have won eight of the last 12 season openers, dating back to the 2008 campaign.
- The last time Penn State faced Stanford in a season opener was in 2016, where the Nittany Lions managed a scoreless, double overtime draw with the top-ranked and defending national champion Cardinal.
SCOUTING STANFORD
- The Stanford Cardinal of the Pac-12 Conference are ranked No. 5 in the United Soccer Coaches 2019 preseason poll.
- In 2018 Stanford went 12-4-5 overall, winning its fifth consecutive conference championship while advancing to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth-straight year.
- The Cardinal have won three of the last four national championships and posted a 77-14-18 (.789) overall record since 2014.
2018 IN REVIEW
- Head coach Jeff Cook led the Nittany Lions to a 6-9-2 overall record and 3-3-2 conference record in his first season at the helm in 2018.
- Aaron Molloy earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors as well as Third Team All-North regional honors from the United Soccer Coaches.
- Penn State was also solid on the backline in 2018, recording six shutouts, the most since the 2015 season.
FAMILIAR NAMES, FAMILIAR FACES
- Penn State returns 12 players from the 2018 roster, including Big Ten preseason honorees Brandon Hackenberg, Aaron Molloy and Pierre Reedy.
- Redshirt junior goalkeeper Josh Levine returns in between the pipes for the Nittany Lions after posting a career-high four shutouts in 2018 and earning Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors once.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
- Penn State adds 13 newcomers to the 2019 roster, which includes nine freshmen, two transfers and two walk-ons.
- Seth Kuhn (Duke) and Will Campbell (UNC) re-join Coach Cook in Happy Valley from their respective universities after playing for him at the Philadelphia Union Academy.
OH CAPTAIN, OUR CAPTAINS
- Senior Aaron Molloy and redshirt junior Pierre Reedy were selected by their teammates as team captains of the 2019 Penn State men's soccer squad.
- The 2019 captaincy will be the second-straight year of leadership for Molloy while it is the first such honor for Reedy.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
- Seven of Penn State's 16 regular-season opponents are ranked in the top-25 of the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, including week-one opponent Stanford (No. 5).
- Other ranked teams include Big Ten foes Maryland (No. 1), Indiana (No. 20), Michigan State (No. 7) and Michigan (No. 24). Wisconsin is also receiving votes in the poll.
- Nonconference opponents UCF (No. 15) and James Madison (No. 17) round out the Nittany Lions' ranked opponents.
HOME SWEET HOME
- The Nittany Lions will host nine home games within the friendly confines of Jeffrey Field.
- In 2018, Penn State went 6-3-0 at home.
- Penn State is 337-92-36 (.793) all-time at home.
NEXT TIME OUT
Penn State hits the road for a three-game away stretch, first at Stony Brook on Monday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. before heading to the Sunshine State for games at UCF on Friday, Sept. 6 and Stetson on Sunday, Sept. 8.