UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's soccer team returns to the friendly confines of Jeffrey Field for the first time in three games to welcome the undefeated Villanova Wildcats for a Friday, Sept. 13 matchup at 7 p.m.
GAME INFORMATION
- Date: Friday, Sept. 13, 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: Pups on the Pitch – first 100 dogs receive a giveaway; dog crate to be raffled off.
- All dogs will have to remain on leash in the concrete area behind the net on the Park Avenue side of Jeffrey Field. A waiver will also need to be signed at the gate.
PENN STATE AGAINST VILLANOVA
- Penn State will face Villanova for the second-straight season and the 12th time in program history.
- Last season, Villanova was ranked 15th at the time and defeated Penn State, 2-1, on its home turf.
- The game was originally scheduled to be played the day before at the Philadelphia Union's Talen Energy Stadium but was rescheduled and relocated due to a massive thunderstorm.
SCOUTING VILLANOVA
- The Villanova Wildcats are 4-0-0 to start 2019, a start which matches the best start in program history (2012).
- Villanova's defense has not given up a single goal in 2019, posting four shutouts and an eight-goal differential.
- The Wildcats are led on the pitch by freshman forward Lyam MacKinnon who has two goals and four assists for eight points through four games.
- Villanova picked up votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches weekly poll.
LAST TIME OUT
- Penn State returns to Happy Valley after a three-game road trip, including a weekend in the Sunshine State.
- The Nittany Lions managed a draw with No. 15 UCF after two different deficits in the game.
- Senior Christian Sload had the second game-tying goal in the 58th minute with a strike from just outside the midfield circle.
- The Nittany Lions recorded their first shutout of the season at Stetson. Freshman goalkeeper Kris Shakes earned the shutout victory in net, the first of his career.
- Daniel Gonzalez and Kyle Perno were the goal scorers for Penn State in the 2-0 victory.
SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST
- Senior forward Christian Sload is already having a career-best season in his final year with the Blue and White.
- The Reading, Pa., native has two goals and one assist for five points through four games, including recording points in the last three games.
- Sload's previous career season highs were a single goal in each of the last three seasons and four total points in 2017 and 2018.
CAREER FIRSTS
- The start of 2019 has brought many career firsts for Nittany Lion men's soccer student-athletes.
- Against Stony Brook, senior captain Aaron Molloy had his first multi-goal game while freshman Alex Stevenson scored his first career goal and Andrew Stevenson recorded his first career assist.
- Against Stetson, freshman goalkeeper Kris Shakes recorded his first career shutout and senior Kyle Perno scored his first career goal.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
- Four of Penn State's 16 regular-season opponents are ranked in the top 25 of the United Soccer Coaches' week two poll while five more are receiving votes.
- Stanford has moved up to two spots to No. 3 after Penn State faced it at No. 5 while UCF dropped to No. 16 after the weekend slate.
- Big Ten foes Indiana (No. 4) and Maryland (No. 24) round out the top 25 opponents for the Nittany Lions.
- Rutgers, James Madison, Michigan State, Michigan and Villanova all received votes.
NEXT TIME OUT
Penn State begins Big Ten conference play on the road at Ohio State on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m.