No. 12-Seed Penn State to Host Hofstra in NCAA Tournament Second RoundNo. 12-Seed Penn State to Host Hofstra in NCAA Tournament Second Round
Mark Selders

No. 12-Seed Penn State to Host Hofstra in NCAA Tournament Second Round

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's soccer team, under fourth-year head coach Jeff Cook, will welcome the Hofstra Pride to Happy Valley in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, Nov. 21 at Jeffrey Field. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. and will stream for free on B1G+.
 
GAME INFORMATION

  • Date: Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021 | Time: 5 p.m. ET
  • Location: University Park, Pa. | Venue: Jeffrey Field
  • Live Stats: gopsusports.com | Watch: B1G+ (free)

Tickets (cash only at either gate)
Adults - $8
Students - $5 (first 50 students free with valid student ID)
Youth - $3
Groups of 20+ - $3
 
Parking Information
Parking for all Penn State Athletics' non-football events will require a valid permit or payment of the applicable parking fee for campus lots. Fans with valid Penn State University Park parking permits will be permitted to park at non-football athletics events for free, following Transportation Services parking policies and access.
 
For men's soccer matches, fans are asked to park in the Jordan East, Stadium West or Porter North lots. Fans without a permit are encouraged to prepay for event parking at a discounted rate of $5.50 through ParkMobile - https://psu.parkmobile.io/. Prepayment is available through 11:59 p.m. the day prior to each event. Event day parking will be $10 per vehicle and is cash only/can be purchased on the ParkMobile app. The East Deck is also available for most events for $1 per hour.
 
Parking for all non-football athletics events is managed by Penn State Transportation Services. For more information or questions, visit transportation.psu.edu or email parking@psu.edu.
 
PENN STATE IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

  • Penn State is making its 35th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament after earning the Big Ten Conference's automatic bid by winning the 2021 Big Ten Tournament. It also marks the Nittany Lions' third-straight trip to the national tournament for the first time since 1993-95. Penn State is 29-33-1 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including 22-8-1 at Jeffrey Field.
  • Penn State received the No. 12 overall seed in the big dance and a first-round bye. It is the second national seed in the Jeff Cook era after earning the No. 15 seed in 2019. It's the highest seed for the Nittany Lions since being the No. 7 seed in 2009.
  • The Nittany Lions are one of three Big Ten teams in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Indiana and Maryland both earned at-large bids and the Hoosiers also received the No. 15 seed.

LAST TIME OUT

  • Penn State captured its first Big Ten Tournament title since 2005 after dominating Indiana, 3-0, in the championship match Sunday afternoon at Jeffrey Field.
  • Indiana started on the front foot, controlling the majority of the possession in the early stages of the game, registering the first shot on target in the second minute.
  • It wasn't until the 36th minute that the Nittany Lions broke through. Danny Bloyou held up a ball for classmate Seth Kuhn and his shot deflected off a Hoosier defender and past back-to-back Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year Roman Celentano for the 1-0 lead.
  • The second half started out fast as Penn State found the insurance goal 10 minutes into the frame. Tyger Evans picked up the ball in a one-on-one against an Indiana defender, was able to dance around him, and slotted the ball into the bottom-right corner at the far post for the 2-0 advantage.
  • Penn State's defense was able to shut down Indiana's lethal attack in the second half, limiting the Hoosiers to just two shots. Goalkeeper Kris Shakes, along with the backline anchored by Brandon Hackenberg, put out any fire that the visiting offense was causing.
  • After the strong defensive half, it would be Pierre Reedy in the 85th minute to officially seal the deal for the Nittany Lions. Kuhn lofted a ball over the top, Peter Mangione chested it down, and Reedy put the ball into the bottom-left corner with his left foot, giving Penn State a three-goal lead and putting the preverbal nail in the coffin.

AND WE CAN'T STOP, AND WE WON'T STOP

  • The Nittany Lions are in the midst of a five-game winning streak to win both the Big Ten regular season and tournament crowns after hitting a road block of three-straight losses in mid-October.
  • In those five games, Penn State has outscored its opponents 12-2, including 11-0 from the second half of the Maryland game (10/26) through the conclusion of the Big Ten Tournament (11/14).
  • Junior goalkeeper Kris Shakes and the backline have recorded four consecutive shutouts, while Shakes has a current 419-minute shutout streak, part of which earned him the title of Big Ten Defensive Player of the Tournament.
  • Of the Nittany Lions' 12 goals in the last five games, senior midfield maestro Seth Kuhn has played a role in seven of them, including five goals and three game-winners. He was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Tournament.

B1G PERFORMANCE

  • Penn State had an outstanding Big Ten Tournament, culminating in lifting the trophy to become the 2021 Big Ten Tournament Champions for the first time since 2005.
  • The Nittany Lions outscored their opponents 7-0, the largest margin in conference tournament history.
  • Penn State also won each game by two or more goals, the first time the champion has done so since the format changed from two games to three.

I'LL TAKE A DOUBLE, PLEASE

  • Penn State claimed both the 2021 Big Ten regular season and Big Ten Tournament crowns for the first time in program history.
  • The 2005 team also technically won both, but prior to 2009 the conference "champion" was not determined until the conclusion of the conference tournament. 

SCOUTING HOFSTRA

  • Hofstra is led by 33-year head coach Richard Nuttall and is 17-1-2 overall on a 16-game unbeaten streak. The Pride beat Lipscomb in the first round of action on Thursday, 4-2, to advance in the national tournament.
  • Sophomore Ryan Carmichael paces the Pride with 35 points on a team-high 14 goals and seven assists. Graduate student Matthew Vowinkel has 32 points on 12 goals and eight assists. Senior Hendrik Hebbeker and graduate student Storm Strongin add a team-high 10 assists each. In all, 14 different players have recorded at least one point this season.
  • In net, sophomore goalkeeper Wessel Speel has played nearly every minute this season. He holds a 0.74 goals-against average and 0.803 save percentage with 61 saves and eight shutouts, plus one combined.
  • Hofstra has one of the best offenses in the country, holding top 10 in points per game (7.30; sixth) and goals per game (2.40; ninth). The Pride defense also has the 11th-best goals-against average in the nation at 0.734.

PENN STATE AGAINST HOFSTRA

  • The all-time series between Penn State and Hofstra is tied at 1-1-1.
  • The two teams last matched up in the 2017 season opener at Jeffrey Field in which the Pride won, 1-0, on an early goal. Both redshirt senior captains Pierre Reedy and Brandon Hackenberg were on the roster that season, with Reedy seeing minutes in the contest.
  • The Nittany Lions and the Pride have never met in the NCAA Tournament.

NEXT TIME OUT
The winner of No. 12-seed Penn State/Hofstra will face the winner of No. 5-seed Pittsburgh/Northern Illinois in the third round of action on Saturday, Nov. 27.