Penn State at Northwestern
5-8-2 | 2-5-2 B1G
8-7-1 | 2-6-1 Big Ten
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State men’s soccer is set for its regular season finale on Sunday, November 3 at 2 p.m.(ET) road match against Northwestern. The match will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
LAST TIME OUT
The Nittany Lions dropped their home finale on Saturday against Wisconsin, 2-0. Despite the loss, Penn State outshot the Badgers, 8-3 and held the 6-5 edge on corner kicks.
Freddie Bell and Ben Madore led the offensive efforts for the Blue & White with two shots each, one of which was on goal.
Penn State is 5-8-2 overall and 2-5-2 in the Big Ten.
2024 SEASON PREVIEW
Head Coach Jeff Cook returns at the helm of the Penn State men's soccer program for his seventh season. The two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year will aim to return to the conference tournament finals for the fourth time in his PSU career after earning a share of the Big Ten Regular Season Title in 2023.
Assistant Coaches Clint Long (fifth season), Sean Lawlor (second season) and Oscar Umar (second season) also return to Happy Valley to help Cook make another post season run.
Penn State was picked to finish second in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll behind Indiana. Last season the Nittany Lions finished 10-5-4 after falling to the Hoosiers in the Big Ten Tournament Finals.
The Nittany Lions begin 2024 with five openings from last year's starting XI.
The departure of Pete Mangione up front will be vital. The forward accounted for nearly 25 percent of the Blue & White's scoring last season.
Additionally, the exit of goalkeeper Kris Shakes and defender Femi Awodesu will be felt. The duo were a part of a backline that kept opponents to .79 goals per match and seven shutouts.
Penn State returns 14 letterwinners from last season, including Big Ten All-Freshmen honoree Caden Grabfelder. The sophomore is the team's second leading goal scorer from last season behind Mangione.
The Nittany Lions also welcome 12 newcomers to the squad with six freshmen, five graduate transfers and one junior transfer.
THE B1G THREE
Mohamed Cisset, Matthew Henderson and Caden Grabfelder were all selected as Big Ten Players to Watch this preseason. The trio will look to bring their momentum from last season to 2024.
Cisset returns to Happy Valley after an eventful offseason. The defender was called up to the Malian U23 team and made the 2024 Mali Olympic roster. At the conclusion of the 2023 season, Cisset was landed as No. 74 on Top Drawer Soccer’s Post Season Top 100 Freshmen.
Larkhall, Scotland native, Henderson had a standout sophomore season as a member of a Nittany Lion backline that contributed to seven shutouts and held opponents to .79 goals per match.
Grabfelder comes back for his second season in the Blue and White. The Northampton, Pennsylvania, native had a dominant rookie season as the top returning point scorer on the 2024 roster with three goals and three assists. Grabfelder was ranked No. 14 on Top Drawer Soccer’s Post Season Top 100 Freshmen.
AYE, AYE CAPTAIN
Redshirt-junior Ben Liscum and junior Matthew Henderson were voted as co-captains this preseason by their teammates and coaching staff.
Liscum appeared in all 19 matches last season, dishing out a goal and an assist.
Henderson started all 19 matches last season, registering a goal and five assists. The defender is the team's returning assist leader.
Next Up: Northwestern
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Northwestern enters Sunday’s match 8-7-1 on the season. The Wildcats have defeated Green Bay, DePaul, Drake, UIC, Marquette, Trine, Rutgers, and Michigan. Northwestern has averaged 11.6 goals per game and has tallied a total of 17 goals this season. The Wildcats are currently on a two-game losing streak after falling to Ohio State and Indiana.
The Wildcats roster boasts many goal scorers. Over the course of the season, twelve different players have contributed to the scoreboard. Bryant Mayer currently leads the team in points with seven assists. The Wildcats’ defense has earned four shutouts this season.
Northwestern goalkeeper Rafael Ponce de León has made a total of 35 saves this season and has a save percentage of .660.
Head coach Russell Payne entered his position in May of 2021 after eleven seasons as head coach at Army West Point. He is now in his third season with the program.
THE SERIES
Penn State leads the all-time series with Northwestern 22-6-5. In 2023, the Nittany Lions defeated the Wildcats 2-1 at home, with goals scored by Femi Awodesu and Peter Mangione.
Follow the Nittany Lions
Visit GoPSUSports.com for more information on Penn State men’s soccer. Fans can keep up to date with the Nittany Lion men’s soccer team on X and Instagram @PennStateMSOC, in addition to the team’s Facebook page at /PSUMensSoccer.