Men’s Soccer Set for Road Game at Michigan StateMen’s Soccer Set for Road Game at Michigan State
Craig Houtz

Men’s Soccer Set for Road Game at Michigan State

Opens in a new window Penn State Game Notes

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's soccer team goes back on the road for conference play, traveling to East Lansing, Mich. to face the Michigan State Spartans on Tuesday, Oct. 1. The game is set to kick off from DeMartin Stadium at 6 p.m. live on the Big Ten Network with Mike Monaco (play-by-play) and Jamie Watson (analyst) on the call.

GAME INFORMATION

  • Date: Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019 | Time: 6 p.m. ET
  • Location: East Lansing, Mich. | Venue: DeMartin Stadium
  • Live Stats: msuspartans.com | Watch: Big Ten Network

PENN STATE AGAINST MICHIGAN STATE

  • Penn State leads the overall series over Michigan State, 22-16-2, as the teams will meet for the 41st time in program history Tuesday.
  • Last season, the then-No. 5 Spartans edged the Nittany Lions, 1-0, at Jeffrey Field.

SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE

  • The Michigan State Spartans are 1-5-2 overall and 1-0-0 in conference play a third of the way into the 2019 regular season.
  • The Spartans' lone win came over the weekend when they shut out No. 22 Rutgers, 3-0, on the road.
  • Farai Mutatu leads the team with four points on one goal and two assists while five other players also have one goal.
  • In net, Hunter Morse has made 40 saves and has a .833 save percentage.

LAST TIME OUT

  • Penn State remains unbeaten in the last six games after a scoreless double-overtime draw with Michigan Friday night at Jeffrey Field.
  • Michigan dominated most of the first half, firing off six shots in the first 20 minutes of action and forcing Nittany Lion goalkeeper Josh Levine to make five saves.
  • Senior Christian Sload had the best chance of the game for Penn State in the 69th minute but his shot pinged off the right post.
  • In the overtime periods, neither team had the best offensive chances as the defense continued to dominate the game.

BEST START SINCE 2014

  • Penn State is 4-1-2 to start 2019, marking the best record through six games since 2014, also the last time the Nittany Lions made it to the NCAA Tournament.

SENIOR CLASS AWARD

  • Senior Aaron Molloy has been named one of 30 candidates for the 2019 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate men's soccer.
  • To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
  • Molloy is the first Penn State men's soccer candidate for the award since Kyle MacDonald in 2015.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION

  • Penn State received votes in the United Soccer Coaches weekly poll (Sept. 24) with 41 total votes.
  • It is the first time the Nittany Lions have received votes in the poll since Sept. 6, 2016 when they got 10 votes.
  • The Nittany Lions were also considered in Top Drawer Soccer's national ranking.

OCTOBER OVERLOAD

  • The Nittany Lions will play eight games in the month of October, including six within the friendly confines of Jeffrey Field.
  • Last October, Penn State went 4-2-1 in the month, including four-straight shutouts.

NEXT TIME OUT
Penn State returns to Jeffrey Field for the first of three-straight home games. The Nittany Lions will welcome the Indiana Hoosiers to town during Homecoming weekend for a 1 p.m. matchup on Sunday, Oct. 6.