Penn State men’s soccer will host No. 8 Indiana at Jeffrey Field this Sunday. If the past few seasons were any guide, many casual fans would predict this game to be a loss for the Nittany Lions.  

Those casual fans have not been paying attention to 2019.   

While the Hoosiers (6-1-2) are currently one of the strongest programs in the country, no one has risen from the pack quite like Penn State (5-1-2) in the early going of 2019.  

Sunday’s match, set to kick off at 1 p.m., may be the biggest the program has had in quite some time. The Park Avenue Army will be in full voice, the squad will be riding a dominant 3-0 shutout of Michigan State, and star striker Christian Sload will be back from suspension.  

After getting a long night’s rest following the Purdue football game, all eyes will be on Jeffrey Field to close out a weekend of Penn State sports. Here are four reasons to watch.  

Indiana is good… very good 

As a men’s college soccer fan, life in Bloomington has been far more satisfactory than life in State College over the past decade. 

Indiana haven’t lost in Big Ten season play since October 10, 2015 — that same year was the last time Penn State even scored a goal against the Hoosiers. Under Todd Yeagley’s nine-yeartenure, Indiana has made the big dance every season and has reached three College Cups, two of which came back-to-back in 2017 and 2018.  

With the two squads poised at the top of the Big Ten table, this match could decide the conference champion in a month’s time. The Nittany Lions haven’t been in this lofty company since 2013, when they last won the Big Ten regular season. Penn State has exceeded expectations thus far, but the Hoosiers will be its biggest test yet. A win would send shockwaves throughout the rest of the conference and the nation.  

In case anyone forgot, this is what happened the last time a top 10 team came to Jeffrey Field. 

Top 25 rank on the line 

The United Soccer Coaches would be forced to grant a Top 25 rank to Penn State if they defeated Indiana. A win would cap off the best week of soccer in Jeff Cook’s tenure, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to see Penn State as high as No. 20 on Tuesday. 

The Nittany Lions have received votes for the past two iterations of the ranking. They had a chance to break the glass ceiling, only to draw Michigan last week. While a draw against Indiana would most likely place a number beside the Nittany Lion logo in Week 7, a victorious performance would leave no doubt. It may even help solidify Penn State’s spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Lineup choices 

Freshman Liam Butts proved to Jeff Cook that he is a capable starter at the college level on Tuesday. Without Sload, the freshman stepped up with a brace. Cook now must decide who to run out as his starting strikers. Assuming Cook starts Sload, the best guess would be a 4-4-2 with Butts and Sload leading the line. The last time this lineup was used, Butts notched the game winner in an overtime thriller against Ohio State to begin conference play. 

With Sload being implemented back into the lineup, one field player will be relegated to the bench. Pierre Reedy may be an option, however he is riding high after assisting Butts on his two goals Tuesday night. 

While the defense has been a bright spot for the Nittany Lions, Jeff Cook still appears undecided on who his starting goalkeeper is. Senior Josh Levine seems to be solidifying his spot after getting two straight starts and earning Defensive Player of the Week for the Big Ten in Week 5. Freshman Kris Shakes has also been strong, letting in just one goal in his three appearances, albeit against weaker opposition than Levine. I expect Levine to get the start due to his current form and the magnitude of the match. However, it will be interesting to see who wins the spot when the postseason — hopefully — arrives in central Pennsylvania. 

The short term

Whoever wins on Sunday will lead the Big Ten with five match days left. Maryland and Michigan have proven themselves as the other heavyweights in the conference thus far. The Terrapins have a bye this weekend, which gives ample room for Penn State to grow its advantage.