UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For the first time in nearly 10 years, Penn State men's soccer is ranked heading into NCAA Tournament play. They earned the No. 15 national seed in the bracket and will enjoy a first-round bye before playing on Sunday at Jeffrey Field at 5:00 p.m.
"It's a real honor for us at this stage of our program to get a seed among the top-16 teams," second-year head coach Jeff Cook said.
The Nittany Lions finished their regular season and Big Ten Tournament run with a 12-3-3 record while remaining undefeated on the road. Heading into the NCAA Tournament they are coming off a 1-0 loss in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament to Michigan last Friday.
The program has not played in the NCAA Tournament since 2014, but the lack of experience does not seem to phase even the veteran Nittany Lions heading into their first postseason.
"We take it game by game," senior captain Aaron Molloy said. "We've been in some really tough games this year. I think the ball is in our court and if we play our game we are good enough to beat anyone."
As Penn State aims to continue its incredible season, here is what you need to know as the team heads into the next stage of the season:
OUR HISTORY
Penn State has made 32 total NCAA Tournament appearances prior to this season. Twenty-one were first-round appearances, 25 second-round appearances (second round was final 16 teams until 2001), and five third-round appearances (prior to 48 team expansion also in 2001). The program has also made seven quarterfinals and one College Cup appearance.
THE OPPONENT
With the national seed, the Nittany Lions get to enjoy a little extra time off. They will play the winner of the first-round matchup between Providence and New Jersey Institute of Technology.
"We felt like [the ranking] could go either way, so we are absolutely thrilled," Molloy said. "We get to focus on ourselves, get a few good days of training."
Providence finished the regular season 14-6-0 overall. The Friars made it to the Big East Championship game but lost 3-1 to Georgetown.
NJIT captured its first ASUN Conference Championship in a 2-1 win over Florida Gulf Coast University. The Highlanders finished their regular season 10-4-4 overall.
"We don't take anything for granted and we have to use the advantage of being a little more rested," Cook said. "Hopefully the preparation will be at a high level this week and when the whistle blows Sunday at 5 p.m. at Jeffrey Field, we'll be flying, ready to go."
BRACKET OUTLOOK
"It's great to play against high quality teams," Molloy said. "This is where we wanted to be from the start of the season."
If Penn State advances past the second round, they look ahead to a matchup against the winner of the Clemson versus Charlotte/Mercer. Charlotte and Mercer also play on Thursday to determine who will take on the No. 2-seeded Tigers Sunday.
Clemson finished its regular season at 16-2-1, losing to Virginia in the ACC Championship match. Charlotte heads into tournament play with an 11-3-4 record while their opponent Mercer finished 14-6-0 and Southern Conference champions.
Jeffrey Field will only see third-round tournament action if Penn State wins of course, but Clemson would have to lose their second-round game. The highest seed gets the home field advantage.
While all these finer details linger in the background, right now the Nittany Lions remain focused on what is right in front of them.
"It's this idea of playing in the game and not the situation," said redshirt junior Brandon Hackenberg. "If we just stick to that then I think we will be good."
BIG TEN IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Penn State is not the only Big Ten school fighting for the NCAA Championship.
Michigan is also enjoying a first-round bye before taking on the winner of the Notre Dame/Wright State game. Maryland plays Iona on Thursday and, if they win, could move on to face Wake Forest on Sunday.
Indiana could take on a Big Ten rival if they make it to the semifinal or championship game. The Hoosiers have a first-round bye and take on the winner of the Kentucky/Loyola Chicago game on Thursday.
The Hoosiers are the highest Big Ten seed at No. 5, while Michigan follows at No. 13 with the Nittany Lions checking in just behind.
HOW TO FOLLOW
The Sunday 5:00 p.m. match will be streamed live on BTN Plus with live stats found on GoPSUsports.com.
While watching streaming or following online is a way to support, for Cook and his team, it's getting out in the stands that will matter the most. And that could be the winning edge.
"We're looking forward to having all the students delay their Thanksgiving break just a little bit and come support us on Sunday," Cook said. "I think Jeffrey Field is home. We have one of the premier facilities in the country. To not travel, to be in our own environment, to stay in our routine, I think we've got to put that to good use."