Men's Soccer Travels to Rutgers for Big Ten Opener
Mercyhurst at Penn State
2-2-1 | 0-0-0 B1G
3-1-1 | 0-0-0 B1G
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State men's soccer kicks off the 2025 Big Ten campaign when the team travels to Rutgers on Friday, September 12 at Yurcak Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on B1G+.
Follow the Action
For fans of the Nittany Lions unable to attend the contest at Yurcak Field, the game will stream live to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+ and the B1G+ app. Dom Savino and Kristian Dyer will call the action live from the Yurcak Field press box. 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 Rutgers 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 recently got back to a .500 record with a dominant 5-0 win over Mercyhurst at Jeffrey Field.
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.
O CANADA
The Nittany Lion freshman Ben Nash received a call up from the Canadian u18 National Team, earlier this season, missing a pair of home contests.
The defender appeared in the first three games for the Nittany Lions before taking the flight to Finland with the national squad.
The rookie trained with the team from August 30 through September 8. In the stretch, he appeared in a pair friendlies, first facing Finland on September 5 and Switzerland on September 7.
Nash is one of just two athletes called up to be on an NCAA Division I roster.
He made a start for the national squad in the match against Switzerland.
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 Rutgers
Friday Knight Lights
Under the command of seventh-season head coach Jim McElderry, Rutgers has a 44-41-18 record.
The Scarlet Knights own a 3-1-1 record so far this season, with the sole loss coming at the hands of in-state rival, Princeton, in the team’s most recent outing.
Friday’s contest mark’s Rutger’s second home game of the season. After opening the 2025 slate at Yurcak Field, the Scarlet Knights have been road warriors for the last four contests
STORY OF THE SERIES
This metting mark’s the 30th all-time between the two schools, and Penn State boasts a 19-10 record against the Scarlet Knights.
Penn State has won three of the last five meetings, including the last two.
The Nittany Lions bested Rutgers in the post season in 2023, advancing the the Big Ten Tournament semifinals with a 3-1 victory over RU. In the meeting, current Penn Stater Van Danielson scored, while Morgan Marshall, Freddie Bell, Caden Grabfelder, nd Matthew Henderson all added assists on the scoresheet.
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.