UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; October 27, 2006 - The Penn State men's soccer team will wrap up the 2006 regular season when it takes on Michigan (5-9-4, 0-2-3) on Sat., Oct. 27 in a pivotal conference match-up that will assuredly have Big Ten Championship seeding implications and could decide the Big Ten regular season title. Kick off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the U-M Soccer Complex in Ann Arbor, Mich. As the Nittany Lions head into their conference finale with the Wolverines, the goal to repeat as Big Ten regular seasons champions remains very much attainable. Penn State (3-2-0) currently sits in second place in the Big Ten standings, just one point behind Indiana (3-1-1) and Wisconsin (3-1-1). Should the Hoosiers and the Badgers play to a tie when they square off Friday night in Bloomington and Penn State beats Michigan on Saturday, the Lions will secure the regular season title and the number one seed for the 2006 Big Ten Championship. If either Wisconsin or Indiana claims victory, a win over the Wolverines would lock up second place and the championship's second seed for Penn State. In its last outing, Penn State suffered a tough 1-0 double overtime setback to No. 13 Lehigh at Jeffrey Field. The Nittany Lion defense held a potent Mountain Hawk attack, which entered the match-up averaging over two goals a game, at bay until the 102nd minute when Lehigh sophomore Adam Gazda scored on a breakaway. Back line mates sophomore Ryan Badaracco (Wexler, Pa.) and senior Markku Viitanen (Pirkkala, Finland) gave standout defensive performances. Within the last several weeks, seniors Simon Omekanda (Rochester Hills, Mich.), Jeff Chambers (Christiana, Pa.) and David Gray (Lemont, Pa.) have stepped to the forefront on offense, accounting for 15 of the Nittany Lions' 22 points in a five-game span. Omekanda remains the team's top threat on the attack, leading Penn State in nearly every offensive category, including goals (4), assists (4), points (12), shots (54), shots on goal (26), and game-winning goals (2). Chambers owns at least a share of second on the team in goals (2), assists (3), points (7), and shots (32). Gray, ordinarily a key member of the Nittany Lion defense, is a surprise contributor to the offense. With the plague of injuries that have decimated the Penn State front line this season, Gray has taken on an expanded role in the attack, responding with two goals in as many games. Michigan enters Saturday's final Big Ten contest mired in a nine-game winless streak and in the midst of a dire offensive slump. The Wolverines have not won a game since Sept. 20, a 3-0 defeat of non-conference foe Oakland, but have been able to secure ties against Indiana (2-2), Detroit (0-0), Michigan State (1-1), and Ohio State (0-0) during the stretch. The Michigan offense has scored just one goal in its last eight games, a Mauro Fuzetti score in a 1-1 tie with in-state rival Michigan State on Oct. 8. Freshman forward Perica Marosevic is Michigan's top attacker, leading the team in goals (5), points (12), shots (54), and game-winning goals (2). Michael Holody (3), Fuzetti (2), Jake Stacy (2), and Brian Popeney (2) have also scored multiple goals this season for the Wolverines. Sophomore forward Steve Bonnell tops the team in assists with four. Michigan goalkeeper Patrick Sperry possesses a 5-8-4 record as a starter and a 1.23 goals against average. He has three shutouts to his credit in 2006. Senior co-captains Kevin Savitskie and Kevin Hall have been mainstays on the Wolverine defense, starting 35 games between them. Penn State has faced Michigan just eight times since its first meeting with the Wolverines in 2000, possessing a 6-1-1 record in the series. A year ago, the Lions topped the Wolverines in an offensive shootout at Jeffrey Field, 3-2, in overtime. Jason Yeisley (Allentown, Pa.) netted the game-winner just 32 seconds into the extra period, securing for Penn State its first ever undefeated and untied Big Ten season. Next week, the Nittany Lions will begin defense of their 2005 conference title when they travel to Columbus, Ohio for the 2006 Big Ten Men's Soccer Championship. To be hosted by The Ohio State University, the battle for the 2006 title is set to begin on Thurs., Nov. 2 with three first round match-ups. Second round games will take place on Fri., Nov. 3 with the championship contest set for Sun., Nov. 5. All games will be played at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on the Ohio State campus. Game times will be determined once seeding is established upon the conclusion of regular season competition.
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