PITTSBURGH, Pa.- Penn State men's soccer is set to face in-state rival no. 5 Pittsburgh in its season opener on Thursday, Aug. 24. Kick off at Ambrose Urabnic Field is set for 7 p.m. with streaming of the match available on the ACC Network Extra.
The two squads look to continue an old feud with Thursday's contest. In games between head coach of Penn State Jeff Cook and head coach of Pittsburgh Jay, the teams are split 1-1 with the Panthers owning the most recent win back in 2021.
GAME INFORMATION
at no. 5 Pittsburgh
- Date: Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Location: Pittsburgh Pa. | Venue: Ambrose Urbanic Field
- Live Stats | Watch: ACCNX (ESPN+)
- Admission: Ticketed
2023 PREVIEW
Strong Schedule
- Penn State has no shortage of tough opponents throughout the fall, playing the top-two teams at the end of the 2022 season, Syracuse and Indiana. Five of the Nittany Lions opponents finished last season in the top-25 and in the 2023 preseason poll.
No Place Like Happy Valley
- Four Nittany Lions return home to use their fifth year of eligibility at Penn State.
- Starting goalkeeper Kris Shakes makes his return for a final season with eyes from the Big Ten on him as he was named a Preseason Player to Watch.
- 2023 MLS SuperDraft pick Liam Butts made the decision to return for a fifth season in Happy Valley while pursuing a second undergraduate degree. Butts is a major component of the Nittany Lions offense and brings strength and speed to the attack.
- Alex Stevenson, a key to the Nittany Lions in both the defense and midfield, joins the blue & white one last time while he completes a second undergraduate degree.
- Owen Elliott will graduate this fall while playing a fifth season at Penn State. The keeper brings experience and leadership to the program as a veteran player.
2022 Newcomers
- Penn State welcomed ten incoming freshmen throughout the off season. Among the ten newcomers is no. 6 ranked Mohamed Cisset. He joins the rest of head coach Jeff Cook's recruiting class as the no. 10 ranked recruiting class in the country this year.
- In addition to the new athletes, Cook added two new faces to his staff. Assistant Coach Sean Lawlor joins the Nittany Lions coaching staff after his four-year stint at the 2022 National Champions Syracuse. Oscar Umar, a Villanova graduate, came to Penn State this spring after spending two seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Washington University in St. Louis. Lawlor and Umar join Clint Long as he enters his fourth season as an assistant coach of the Nittany Lions.
2023 Captains
- Seniors Peter Mangione and Femi Awodesu were named the 2022 captains.
2022 IN REVIEW
- The Nittany Lions finished the 2022 campaign ranked fifth in the Big Ten with an overall record of 6-4-4 and a conference record of 3-2-3.
- Penn State earned ranked wins against no. 18 West Virginia and no. 15 Akron on Senior Day.
- Six Nittany Lions received Big Ten postseason honors. Peter Mangione and Seth Kuhn earned first team All-Big Ten, Femi Awodesu and Liam Butts earned second team and Ben Liscum and Matthew Henderson landed on the All-Freshman team.
- Mangione (second team), Kuhn (third team) and Awodesu (third team) garnered All-North Region as well.
- Mangione led the team in goals with eight and points with 18 for the second time in his career as a Nittany Lion.
- Three Nittany Lions were drafted in the MLS Superdraft, Butts, Jalen Watson and Andrew Privett.