Penn State men’s soccer went undefeated in the month of September for the first time since 2014. The Nittany Lions are 4-0-2 since losing to No. 5 Stanford in their opener back in August.

The month got off to an emphatic start with a 4-1 victory at Stony Brook. After playing to a draw against No. 15 UCF, Penn State went on a three-game winning streak against Stetson, Villanova, and Ohio State. A hard-fought scoreless draw against Michigan rounded out September for Jeff Cook’s team (4-1-2). 

Penn State’s backline has recorded three shutouts in its last four games. Eight Nittany Lions have scored this season, with captain Aaron Molloy and senior forward Christian Sload leading the team with three and two goals, respectively. Sload has also notched four assists.

Last season, Penn State hobbled through September by winning just one of their six fixtures. Despite losing attackers Jeremy Raffanello and Ethan Beckford to the pros, the squad has sprinted out of the gates early in the 2019 season. The Nittany Lions have scored 11 goals so far this season, which is just seven less than their total haul in 2018. 

The 2014 squad, who went 6-0-1 in September, advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. This was the last time the program qualified for the Big Dance. 

Penn State will begin October with a Tuesday night match at Michigan State. The struggling Spartans are currently 1-5-2 overall and are winless at home. The game, which is set to kick off at 6 p.m., will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network. Penn State will then return to Jeffrey Field Sunday, October 6 to face Indiana at 1 p.m.