Penn State Men's Soccer Looks to Remain Undefeated Against In-State Rival

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After jumping up six spots in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, Penn State will look to remain undefeated as they take on Penn this Friday.

The Nittany Lions recently climbed from No. 20 to No. 14 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. This sudden promotion came after they managed to hold the formerly No. 1 ranked Syracuse to a 1-1 draw last Friday.

The game was a battle to the bitter end. Penn State’s Caden Grabfelder scored the first goal in the 88th minute, and Syracuse found the equalizer just seconds later.

Penn State had a quick turnaround after this monumental match, as they were set to take on St. John’s the following Monday. Although the team took a little while to get going according to head coach Jeff Cook, they wound up earning a 2-0 victory, improving their overall record to 2-0-2.

This week, the Nittany Lions have been preparing for yet another Friday night matchup, this time against the UPenn Quakers.

The Quakers’ season has gotten off to a slower start. After falling to both Fordham and Hofstra last week, their record now sits at 0-2 heading into this Penn State matchup. This was the first time since 2017 that the team was defeated in their season opener.

For the Nittany Lions, freshman midfielder Caden Grabfelder has had an explosive start to the first season of his collegiate career. After just four games, he has become a top goal scorer, tied for first with Van Danielson and Peter Mangione.

Kris Shakes earned his 226th save between the pipes, moving him to number four all-time at Penn State in career saves. The fifth-year keeper also earned the 17th shutout of his career.

Overall, Coach Cook believes the team has been succeeding with their confidence in possession, creating scoring opportunities, and adapting well to changes that their opponents present.

The Quakers' only goal of the season thus far was scored by junior forward Stas Korzeniowski. Korzeniowski was a regular offensive threat last season, putting up a total of 11 goals, and will likely be an important player to watch for Penn State.

Although the Quakers have done well creating opportunities on the offensive end, their attacking strategies have been aggressive and costly. In their game against Fordham, the team acquired three fouls within the first five minutes. Later in the game, a foul by freshman Joaquin Niehenke gave Fordham a penalty kick, allowing the Rams to take a 2-1 lead.

Regardless of rank or record, both teams should prepare for an exciting matchup to close out the week.

The game will kick off at 7 p.m. this Friday at Jeffrey Field.

Anna Licastro is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email arl5942@psu.edu.