UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- No. 20 Penn State men's soccer continues its four-game home stand when they host St. John's on Monday, Sept. 4. The two teams square off for the first time in nearly 10 years at Jeffrey Field at 5 p.m.
The Nittany Lions 1-0-2 seek another point in the win column after a strong battle in a 1-1 draw against no. 1 Syracuse on Friday night. The match proved to be one of the toughest college soccer matches of the season.
GAME INFORMATION
vs. St. John's
- Date: Monday, Sept. 4, 2023 | Time: 5 p.m. ET
- Location: University Park Pa. | Venue: Jeffrey Field
- Live Stats | Watch: B1G+ | Notes
- Admission: Free
GAME PROMOTION
Monday's match is country night at Jeffrey Field. Fans are encouraged to dress in country themed apparel while enjoying country music throughout the night. The team will also be available post-game to sign autographs.
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.
Spectators can park in Stadium West parking lot for Penn State men's soccer games. Visitors can prepay for parking at a rate of $5.50/game through ParkMobile. The day-of-event rate will be $10/game. Prepayment is required by 11:59pm the night before the event to receive a discounted rate ($5.50/game).
LAST TIME OUT
- Penn State earned a 1-1 draw against the number one team in the country, Syracuse on Friday, Sept. 1.
- The Nittany Lions scored a goal in the 88th minute of the game and the Orange responded seconds later with the equalizer.
- The Syracuse goalkeeper was given a red card with 30 minutes to go in the second half and forced the team to play down a man for the remainder of the match.
- Freshman Caden Grabfelder scored the lone Penn State goal marking his second in the past two games.
- A pass out wide from Freddie Bell to Alex Stevenson began the surge. Stevenson juked the Syracuse defender and sent the ball in the air to Grabfelder who headed it past the Orange keeper.
- The Nittany Lions became the first team to score a goal on Syracuse this season.
- Friday night's attendance marked the largest crowd at Jeffrey Field since 2014.
- Kris Shakes moved to number five all-time at Penn State in career saves with 222.
NITTANY LIONS IN THE RANKS
- Danielson and Grabfelder are tied for first in the Big Ten ranks in goals with two in two games.
- Shakes sits first in the Big Ten in saves with 13 and third in save percentage with a .867.
- Penn State is fourth in the conference, one week into the season.
SCOUTING THE RED STORM
- St. John's currently sits at a 2-0-1 record this season with wins over Lehigh and Monmouth and a tie to Rutgers.
- The Red Storm concluded the 2022 campaign with a 4-8-5 record, losing in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament to Marquette.
- The team currently sits at fourth in their conference with their two wins.
- Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau ranks second in the Big East in points with six and Max McNulty sits third in the conference in points with five, from two goals and two assists in his opening games.
- Fleuriau Chateau leads the team in goals with three.
- Nutley was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll after tallying two goals in the Red Storm's 2-1 victory over Lehigh.
PENN STATE-ST. JOHN'S HISTORY
- The all-time series between the two teams sits at 3-3-1, with both teams looking for the go-ahead win.
- Penn State owns the most recent matchup in 2014 with a 3-0 win over St. John's at Jeffrey Field.
- Three of the seven matches in the series ended in overtime, two of them in triple overtime.
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.
2023 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 2023 captains.