Penn State Men's Soccer takes on St. Johns in a Battle of the Unbeatens

Penn State Men’s Soccer (1-0-2) looks to stay unbeaten Monday as they host the fellow unbeaten St. John’s Red Storm (2-0-1) at Jeffrey Field.

Penn State is coming off a signature draw against the defending National Champion Syracuse Orange, a thrilling match that ended in a 1-1 stalemate. A header from midfielder Caden Grabfelder in the 88th minute gave the Nittany Lions a late lead, but the Orange would equalize just moments later.

That draw was Penn State’s first draw versus a No. 1 opponent since 2002, a signature building block that could bolster the Nittany Lions throughout the remainder of the season. The attendance of 2,684 was the most at Jeffrey Field since 2014 as well.

The star from Friday’s matchup against the Orange was goalkeeper Kris Shakes, who solidified his place as a top goalie in the Big Ten. Shakes moved into fifth all-time in saves in Penn State school history, including a diving stop at the beginning of the second half that kept the game scoreless.

Going into Monday’s match versus the Red Storm, Penn State’s offense will start and stop with senior forward Peter Mangione. Mangione, the 5-foot-10 star from Hunt Valley, MD, scored 21 goals in two full seasons as a starter in 2021 and 2022, nine of which were game-winners. If this one is as close as some of the Nittany Lions’ earlier matches this season, Mangione will need to come in clutch once again.

Flanking Mangione will be the Kenyan junior Atem Kato and the experienced fifth-year Liam Butts. Kato, a transfer from Portland, was a West Coast Conference All-Freshman and has already made an impact since coming over to Penn State. Butts is more of an imposing presence, with 22 goals all-time with the Nittany Lions.

Butts was drafted 33rd overall in the 2022 MLS Draft by the San Jose Earthquakes but decided to stay with the Nittany Lions for another season.

Aside from a dynamic attacking line, St. John’s will have a lot to handle with the rest of Penn State’s lineup. Freshman midfielder Caden Grabfelder has scored in two straight games, and fellow freshman Freddie Bell has been exciting since coming over from England.

On the back line, defenders Femi Awodesu and Alex Stevenson have over 100 Penn State starts combined, and their experience has rubbed off on younger starters like Matthew Henderson and Samuel Ovesen. Overall, great defensive chemistry has kept things close for the blue and white against tough opponents to start the year.

While Penn State sports some great athletes at all levels of the pitch, St. John’s is not a team to be overlooked. The Red Storm have a dynamic tandem of starters and substitutes that have contributed offensively this season.

The two main contributors for St. John’s have been graduate-level forward Max McNulty and redshirt junior Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau. McNulty has been outstanding for the Red Storm in his first season with the squad after playing four years with Division II Lander University, notching two goals and two assists in three games.

Fleuriau Chateau has bounced back since missing 2022 with injury in a big way, leading the team in goals while coming off the bench. The 5–foot-10 Ottawa native notched two goals versus Rutgers and one versus Monmouth, both of which turned out to be the game-winners.

All in all, we’re in for a back-and-forth battle on the pitch. But as all things go, one deflection or one mistake could change the outcome of the entire match. Stay tuned for all the action at 5 p.m. Monday night, as Penn State and St. John’s look to keep their winning ways alive.

Parker Silverman is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email pws5405@psu.edu.