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Sunday, November 23
SU Soccer Stadium
2 p.m.
Syracuse University
vs
Penn State
Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski
'Cuse Hosts Penn State in First Home NCAA Match
11/21/2014 1:57:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Orange begins College Cup quest Sunday
SYRACUSE, N.Y. --Â No. 4 Syracuse (15-3-1) entertains the Penn State Nittany Lions (13-5-1) in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship on Sunday, Nov. 23 at the SU Soccer Stadium. The match will be the first home NCAA Tournament game in program history and marks the just the second time the Orange and Nittany Lions will square off on the pitch since 1960.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for youth, seniors and students with a valid university ID. The first 250 Syracuse/ESF students will receive a complimentary ticket, courtesy of Syracuse head coach Ian McIntyre. Gates open at 1 p.m. and all fans are encouraged to arrive early for the 2 p.m. kickoff.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Syracuse received one of the tournament's 24 at-large berths and earned the No. 9 seed and a first-round bye. This is the Orange's third NCAA appearance and second in the last three seasons. Syracuse owns a 2-1-1 record in NCAA Tournament play.
Penn State also received an at-large bid and is appearing in the tournament for the 32nd time. The Nittany Lions are 28-30-1 in 59 NCAA Tournament matches and defeated Hartwick, 2-1, in Thursday's opening round.
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
Syracuse has won 19 straight games against non-conference opponents, including a pair of victories against Cornell and VCU in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. The Orange is 9-0-0 versus non-ACC foes in 2014. The team's last loss to an out-of-conference opponent was on Sept. 16, 2012 at Cal State Fullerton.
BONO CAN TIE SYRACUSE CAREER SHUTOUT RECORD
Alex Bono has 30 career clean sheets and needs one more to tie the Syracuse all-time record of 31 held by Joe Papaleo (1979-82). Papaleo's career shutout total is tied for 16th in NCAA history. Bono is on an incredible pace, posting one shutout every 1.9 games (30 sho/57 gms). Papaleo recorded one clean sheet every 2.3 matches (31 sho/70 gms).
BIG WINNERS
With 15 victories, Syracuse has amassed double-digit wins for the third consecutive season and is two victories shy of matching the team record of 17 wins set in 1982. The last time the Orange posted at least 10 wins in three straight years was 1989-91.
Syracuse currently owns the nation's highest winning percentage (.816) and its 15 victories are tied with UC-Irvine for the second-most in Division I soccer. Coastal Carolina leads with 16 wins.
DOMINATING DEFENSE
Syracuse has allowed nine goals this season, the fewest in the nation. The Orange leads the country in goals-against average (0.46), ranks second in save percentage (.875) and is third nationally with a .630 shutout percentage (12 shutouts in 19 games).
SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS
Penn State opened the season 10-0-1 and was ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation back in October. The Nittany Lions struggled down the stretch and trailed Hartwick early in the second half of their first-round NCAA Tournament contest before rallying for a 2-1 victory.Â
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Connor Maloney leads the team in both points (21) and goals (9).Â
Keeper Andrew Wolverton was the last Division I starting goalie to allow a goal in 2014. The Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, Wolverton owns a 0.84 goals-against average with nine shutouts.Â
Two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year Bob Warming is 58-33-11 in five seasons with the Nittany Lions. Warming is third among active Division I coaches in career victories (441). His previous head coaching stops include St. Louis (1997-2000) and two stints at Creighton (1990-94, 2001-09).
THE PENN STATE SERIES
Penn State leads the all-time series, 30-2-4, but the teams have played only once since 1960.Â
In the 2007 season opener, the Orange posted a 4-0 win against the Nittany Lions at the Wolstein Soccer Classic in Columbus, Ohio behind four points (1 goal, 2 assists) from Hansen Woodruff. Syracuse's other victory in the series was a 2-1 triumph in 1932.
UP NEXT ...
The winner of Sunday's contest advances to the Round of 16 and will face the winner of the Georgetown-Old Dominion match on Sunday, Nov. 30.
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Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for youth, seniors and students with a valid university ID. The first 250 Syracuse/ESF students will receive a complimentary ticket, courtesy of Syracuse head coach Ian McIntyre. Gates open at 1 p.m. and all fans are encouraged to arrive early for the 2 p.m. kickoff.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Syracuse received one of the tournament's 24 at-large berths and earned the No. 9 seed and a first-round bye. This is the Orange's third NCAA appearance and second in the last three seasons. Syracuse owns a 2-1-1 record in NCAA Tournament play.
Penn State also received an at-large bid and is appearing in the tournament for the 32nd time. The Nittany Lions are 28-30-1 in 59 NCAA Tournament matches and defeated Hartwick, 2-1, in Thursday's opening round.
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
Syracuse has won 19 straight games against non-conference opponents, including a pair of victories against Cornell and VCU in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. The Orange is 9-0-0 versus non-ACC foes in 2014. The team's last loss to an out-of-conference opponent was on Sept. 16, 2012 at Cal State Fullerton.
BONO CAN TIE SYRACUSE CAREER SHUTOUT RECORD
Alex Bono has 30 career clean sheets and needs one more to tie the Syracuse all-time record of 31 held by Joe Papaleo (1979-82). Papaleo's career shutout total is tied for 16th in NCAA history. Bono is on an incredible pace, posting one shutout every 1.9 games (30 sho/57 gms). Papaleo recorded one clean sheet every 2.3 matches (31 sho/70 gms).
BIG WINNERS
With 15 victories, Syracuse has amassed double-digit wins for the third consecutive season and is two victories shy of matching the team record of 17 wins set in 1982. The last time the Orange posted at least 10 wins in three straight years was 1989-91.
Syracuse currently owns the nation's highest winning percentage (.816) and its 15 victories are tied with UC-Irvine for the second-most in Division I soccer. Coastal Carolina leads with 16 wins.
DOMINATING DEFENSE
Syracuse has allowed nine goals this season, the fewest in the nation. The Orange leads the country in goals-against average (0.46), ranks second in save percentage (.875) and is third nationally with a .630 shutout percentage (12 shutouts in 19 games).
SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS
Penn State opened the season 10-0-1 and was ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation back in October. The Nittany Lions struggled down the stretch and trailed Hartwick early in the second half of their first-round NCAA Tournament contest before rallying for a 2-1 victory.Â
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Connor Maloney leads the team in both points (21) and goals (9).Â
Keeper Andrew Wolverton was the last Division I starting goalie to allow a goal in 2014. The Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, Wolverton owns a 0.84 goals-against average with nine shutouts.Â
Two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year Bob Warming is 58-33-11 in five seasons with the Nittany Lions. Warming is third among active Division I coaches in career victories (441). His previous head coaching stops include St. Louis (1997-2000) and two stints at Creighton (1990-94, 2001-09).
THE PENN STATE SERIES
Penn State leads the all-time series, 30-2-4, but the teams have played only once since 1960.Â
In the 2007 season opener, the Orange posted a 4-0 win against the Nittany Lions at the Wolstein Soccer Classic in Columbus, Ohio behind four points (1 goal, 2 assists) from Hansen Woodruff. Syracuse's other victory in the series was a 2-1 triumph in 1932.
UP NEXT ...
The winner of Sunday's contest advances to the Round of 16 and will face the winner of the Georgetown-Old Dominion match on Sunday, Nov. 30.
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Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Soccer
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/ Men's Soccer
D
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