UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- No. 14 Penn State men's soccer is set to face off against defending Ivy League Champions Penn on Friday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. The match will conclude a four-game home stint for the Nittany Lions at Jeffrey Field, where they look remain undefeated this season.
Penn State, 2-0-2, is in search of back-to-back victories for the first time this season after defeating St. John's, 2-0, on Monday, Sept. 4.
GAME INFORMATION
vs. Penn
- Date: Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Location: University Park Pa. | Venue: Jeffrey Field
- Live Stats | Watch: B1G+ | Notes
- Admission: Free
GAME PROMOTION
Friday's match is youth night at Jeffrey Field. Kids can partake in various activities throughout the night such as picking up a Cubs Club passport, playing yard games and picking up a 2023 men's soccer poster.
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 defeated St. John's, 2-0, on Monday, Sept. 4.
- The Nittany Lions used a balanced attack, scoring in both halves, to earn the victory against the Red Storm.
- Peter Mangione scored Penn State's first goal in the 26th minute off a feed from Matthew Henderson.
- Henderson earned his second assist of the night off of a corner kick to Alex Stevenson's header goal.
- Kris Shakes moved into fourth-place on Penn State's all-time saves list after recording four against the Red Storm to earn his 17th career shutout.
NITTANY LIONS IN THE RANKS
- Penn State swept the Big Ten Player of the Week Awards with Kris Shakes winning Defensive Player of the Week and Alex Stevenson winning Offensive Player of the Week.
- Shakes tallied five saves against Syracuse and a clean sheet with four saves in the win over St. John's. He ranks 13th in the nation in saver percentage (.895) and 20th in total saves (17). Shakes sits at the top of the Big Ten in both categories.
- Penn State is ranked no. 14 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. Their highest ranking since the 2020-21 COVID-19 affected season when the team was ranked 12th.
- Three Nittany Lions are in the race for number of goals in the conference, the most of any Big Ten school. Caden Grabfelder, Peter Mangione and Van Danielson all have two goals. Grabfelder is also tied for first in points (5).
SCOUTING THE QUAKERS
- Penn currently holds a 0-2-0 record this season with losses to Fordham and Hofstra.
- The Quakers started the season at no. 25 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll.
- Penn won the Ivy League in 2022 and was picked to repeat as champions this season in the Ivy League preseason poll.
- Penn finished the 2022 campaign with a record of 13-2-2 and earned a victory against Rutgers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In the second round, the Quakers lost in overtime to Syracuse, the eventual National Champion.
- Forward Stas Korzeniowski returns after a decorated 2022 season during which he was selected as a second team All-American, first team All-Ivy and the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year.
- Defender Leo Burney, a fellow second team All-American and first team All-Ivy selection, also returns for Penn. Burney was the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year a season ago.
PENN STATE-PENN HISTORY
- The all-time series between the Nittany Lions and Quakers sits at 26-6-3, with Penn State winning 12 of the last 14, including the last five contests.
- Penn State is undefeated against Penn at Jeffrey Field. The most recent matchup in Happy Valley came during the 2014 season, a 6-2 win for the Nittany Lions.
- The Quakers last won a game in the series during the 2010 season by a score of 3-0.
2023 PREVIEW
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.