UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Senior Seth Kuhn and sophomore Peter Mangione have been added as vice captains of the 2021 Penn State men's soccer team, as announced by head coach Jeff Cook Wednesday. Kuhn and Mangione join returning co-captains in redshirt seniors Pierre Reedy and Brandon Hackenberg in this leadership role.
"I am very pleased to announce Seth Kuhn and Peter Mangione as vice captains for the 2021 season," said Cook. "Both student-athletes have made significant contributions to our Penn State men's soccer program both on and off the field. I look forward to working with them in their important leadership roles. Seth and Peter will perfectly complement our outstanding co-captains Pierre Reedy and Brandon Hackenberg. Given the challenging dynamic of our team roster and the unprecedented times we are navigating in collegiate sports, we felt it was critical to have broader leadership representation in our program. This group will play a vital role in the continued growth of our team. The impact of student-athlete-centered leadership cannot be overstated – I truly believe this is an ideal group to drive that process with their teammates."
Kuhn, a native of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, returns as the catalyst of the Nittany Lion midfield. He scored two goals and added two assists last season while totaling 1,69 minutes on the pitch, second most on the team. Kuhn earned second team All-Big Ten honors and second team All-North Region accolades from United Soccer Coaches. In the classroom, he was named an United Soccer Coaches Second Team Scholar All-America and collected Academic All-Big Ten honors.
"I'm very grateful to have the opportunity of representing this incredible group," said Kuhn. "All thanks goes out to them."
Mangione, a native of Hunt Valley, Maryland, returns after his rookie year as the 2020-21 team assists leader with six while adding six goals for a tied team-high 18 points. Four of his six goals were game-winning goals, a stat that ranked first in the Big Ten and third nationally. Mangione was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and was considered the 13th best freshmen by Top Drawer Soccer.
"It's a massive honor for me to be named vice captain of such a special group," said Mangione. "Knowing that the guys are putting their trust in me to be a leader this season is a great feeling."
Reedy leads the Nittany Lions as a team co-captain for the third consecutive season while Hackenberg's captaincy is his second-straight after electing to use his extra year of eligibility in 2021 granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both Mangione and Reedy were named to the Big Ten Players to Watch preseason list on Monday.
The Nittany Lions hit the pitch for the first time in 2021 for the season and home opener against George Mason at Jeffrey Field on Thursday, August 26 at 7 p.m.
For the most up-to-date information on Penn State men's soccer, follow the team on Twitter and Instagram, @PennStateMSOC, and 'like' the team on Facebook.
