Penn State men’s soccer looking to get back in win column against Michigan State

Story posted October 7, 2022 in CommRadio, Sports by Justin Ciavolella

Penn State is seeking to find its way back into the win column following a loss and a draw in its previous two matches when it hosts Michigan State.

The Spartans have found the win column in their previous two games, helping to improve on their undefeated 2-0-1 start in Big Ten conference play.

As for the Nittany Lions, they also remain undefeated in conference play, though it comes at a record of 1-0-2, after recording their second conference draw against Northwestern.

Now in the thick of the Big Ten schedule, Penn State is looking to find more consistency on the offensive attack. The inconsistency has led to the 4-3-3 overall record and was seen when they were shut out against Villanova the game before Northwestern.

In the game against the Wildcats, a new face scored in Ben Liscum, but it was a familiar sight in Peter Mangione that helped the Nittany Lions take a 2-1 lead. That 2-1 lead would be squandered as Northwestern bounced back to even the score.

Mangione has done everything to try to help the offense get going. The junior from Maryland is tied for second in the Big Ten in goals with five while ranking third in the conference with 12 points. Both of those marks are pacing the Nittany Lions.

Liam Butts is second on the team with three goals and eight points, but the rest of the team has been hit or miss in contributing to the 1.5 goals per game average for the Nittany Lions.

Just like Liscum did against Northwestern, the rest of the team will aim to add to the scoreboard when facing Owen Finnerty.

The task to get the ball behind Finnerty is not an easy one. The senior from Michigan was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his performances in which he put up two consecutive shutout efforts against Michigan and Wisconsin.

Finnerty is the lone goalkeeper that has seen playing time for the Spartans through their 10 contests. He will look to carry the momentum from his two previous starts to help add to his solid campaign he has allowed 1.4 goals per game while making 49 saves.

As for the offense that has helped secure victories for Finnerty, it is averaging 1.4 goals per game. Likewise to Penn State, it was an unfamiliar face who found the back of the net in the last contest.

Louis Sala had the lone goal, his first of the season, to propel the Spartans to a 1-0 victory over Wisconsin.

Greyson Mercer leads the team with three goals to go along with his two assists for a total of eight points. Will Perkins and Jack Guggemos are tied for second on the team with two goals apiece thus far.

Trying to stop them from scoring will be Kris Shakes. Likewise to Finnerty, Shakes is the only goalkeeper on the Penn State roster that has seen playing time. The senior from Florida has yielded 13 goals while recording 45 saves at a .776 percent clip.

The blue and white won both contests against Michigan State last season by a combined score of 3-0. The first game was a regular season contest in East Lansing. Then at Jeffrey Field, the Nittany Lions won 2-0 to secure the victory in the Big Ten Quarterfinals in the first of three Big Ten Tournament wins to help secure the championship.

With the Jeffrey Field home-field advantage on their side, the Nittany Lions have gone 3-1-1 this year. Penn State’s annual Thon Match will kick off at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Justin Ciavolella is a second-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jtc5751@psu.edu.