No. 23 Missouri State Comes to Take on Men's Soccer in Labor Day Showdown
Missouri State at Penn State
1-1-1 | 0-0-0 B1G
1-1-0 | 0-0-0 American
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State men's soccer returns home for the first time since the season opener to take on a top-25 ranked Missouri State team on Monday, September 1 at Jeffrey Field. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. on B1G+.
Follow the Action
For fans of the Nittany Lions unable to attend the contest at Jeffrey Field, the game will stream live to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+ and the B1G+ app. Owen Gelber and Jeremy Rose will call the action live from the Jeffrey Field press box, with Michela Barbanente on the sideline. Click the link here to be redirected to the live stream of the broadcast and sign in with credentials for access. Live stats provided by Penn State and StatBroadcast are available here.
KICKIN’ IT
Penn State men’s soccer looks to return to the Big Ten Tournament this year after a falter in the 2024 season, and earn an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since the 2021 season.
The Blue and White currently holds a 1-1-1 record three matches into the season, most recently battling Syracuse to a 1-1 draw at SU Soccer Stadium.
Malick Daouda, Caden Grabfelder, and Kai Phillip were each named Big Ten Players to Watch in the preseason. Daouda returns to the pitch this year after an All-Big Ten Freshman campaign in 2024. Grabfelder is the Nittany Lions top returning scorer and is expected to have a big season on the score sheet. Phillip comes to Happy Valley after three seasons with the University of Evansville, where the forward totaled 15 goals, including five game-winners and five assists. He guided his team to a 2024 NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and was selected as the tournament MVP. In 2023, he was honored by the United Soccer Coaches with All-Region honors.
WHAT WE GOT BACK
Penn State returns 75% of its goal scoring from last year, including two of its top three scorers in junor Caden Grabfelder and senior Matthew Hederson. The Blue & White also welcomes back 73% of its overall scoring, with returning assist leader Christian Dionne tallying four in the last campaign.
Scouting Missouri State
The Bear Necessities
Under the command of fourth-season head coach Michael Seabolt, Missouri State boasts a 37-11-9 record.
The Bears opened 2025 with a dominant 4-1 victory over Seattle. The Bears had a stumble in game two of the season, dropping a 2-1 decision to No. 19 Kansas City.
The Bears are in their first season in the American Conference in 2025 after spending the previous 34 seasons in the Missouri Valley. MoState enjoyed plenty of success in the MVC, with the program’s 12 regular season championships, four conference tournament crowns and nine NCAA Tournament appearances all coming since 1997.
MSU is picked to finish fifth in the American Conference this season with a first-place vote. The Bears are just two points from second in a tight preseason polls, and Alex Matthews is a preseason all-league selection.
The Bears return four all-Missouri Valley Conferences selections from a season ago, including first-team pick Alex Matthews and second-team choices James Jennings, Fumiya Shiraishi and Will Lowry.
STORY OF THE SERIES
Penn State leads the all-time series against the Bears, 1-0-0, only facing off once before in program history.
The lone meeting, occuring in 2001, came in a season where the Nittany Lions posted a 14-5-1 overall record, appeaing in both the Big Ten and NCAA tournament that season.
The game concluded in a 1-0 win for Penn State, in a nuetral site contest at the Ohio State Nike Classic.
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 /PennStateMensSoccer.