Penn State men’s soccer will return to the pitch Friday after more than a year-long absence. The Nittany Lions will be thrown into the fire right away as they kick off their 10-game regular season against three-time national champions Maryland.

Despite it being more than a calendar year in the rearview, Jeff Cook’s team is coming off of a second-place finish in the Big Ten and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014. The team lost three key figures from that memorable squad, Aaron Molloy, Will Campbell, and Christian Sload, but there is a lot to like about the 2021 Nittany Lions.

Overview

Our prediction for Penn State’s starting eleven remains unchanged from the summer, although the Nittany Lions will be losing a key defensive piece off the bench. Due to a season-ending injury, sophomore Michael Gaines announced he would sit out the spring campaign.

“In his usual graceful manner, [Michael Gaines] has handled himself really well,” Cook said. “We expect him to return eventually, but it is a loss because he was developing really well and looking to play a significant role in the spring.”

Despite Gaines missing out, the team still has a lot of firepower. Forward Liam Butts and center-back Brandon Hackenberg have both been touted in the preseason as top players in the nation; the former is considered the best sophomore in the Big Ten, and Hackenberg will most likely leave after the season to join Orlando City SC of the MLS.

Beyond the obvious stars, Cook is also excited about the team’s depth. Pierre Reedy will enter his second year as captain, Duke transfer Seth Kuhn will become a focal point in build-up play, and Jalen Watson and Kris Shakes return for their sophomore years after joining Liam Butts on the 2019 All-Big Ten Freshman Team of the Year.

“We have a great amount of depth,” Cook said. “The speed we can play at, our passing, our technical level is the highest since I’ve been at Penn State.”

In this unforeseen year, depth will be more important than ever. Due to the spring start, Penn State’s conference-only slate is jam-packed into the months of February and March. When the Nittany Lions take the field against Maryland on Friday, it will be the first of five games in 19 days.

“We are going to play every four days after not playing for more than a year. The physical and psychological demands of that will be significant,” Cook said. “So we don’t think that we can just throw a starting eleven out there and ride them until they can’t walk anymore.”

No matter the roadblocks this team will face, captain Reedy is adamant that this team is the real deal.

“We want to win the Big Ten and then compete for a national championship,” Reedy said. “That is always our goal.”

Offense

Of the three big-time graduates, both Sload and Molloy’s departures will hurt the offensive production in 2021. Collectively, they attributed 37% of the goals last season and 32% of the assists.

Of course, that burden will be shouldered by Butts, who tied Molloy for a team-high nine goals in his freshman campaign. The question for Penn State: Who can help the star sophomore?

“We play in both phases of the game with that team concept,” Cook said. “We have a great amount of depth in our attacking positions.”

Cook tabbed redshirt sophomore Josh Dabora and freshmen Daniel Bloyou and Peter Mangione as the options up front beyond Butts. Due to the cramped nature of the schedule, there will be ample time for squad rotation.

“We have four guys who are very talented in that position who could play on many Division 1 teams,” Cook said. “Rather than worry about [playing time], can we think about being the best group of forwards in the country?”

The forwards who are on the field will get a lot of good service this season with a core group of returning midfielders. Along with Reedy and Kuhn, Kyle May and Callum Pritchatt should make up the middle of the park for the Nittany Lions.

Defense

On the defensive end, Hackenberg will be the anchor. The future Orlando City Lion will be without his partner from last year Campbell, although he isn’t worried over possible replacements.

“We have a lot of depth at every position. Since we’ve gotten back this spring everyone has put themselves in good spots to get the starting spot or minutes off the bench,” Hackenberg said. “I am super confident in our backline, and I think everyone will be ready come Friday regardless of who the coaching staff puts out there.”

Behind Hackenberg, it will most likely be Kris Shakes in goal. The sophomore is one of the better shot-stoppers in the conference and has a good distribution that will be key for quick wingbacks Jalen Watson and Alex Stevenson, among others.

“We have an outstanding goalkeeping crew, and in front of them we have a tremendous leader in Brandon Hackenberg,” Cook said.

Cook said he’s happy with how the team has played thus far in preseason training sessions.

“Defensively, we have been showing great tenacity to get the ball back when we lose it,” Cook said. “There is a spirit in the group of, ‘Hey, if you give the ball away, I’ll help you get it back.'”

Penn State’s best offense is typically played in transition, and that could be a very key asset this year. Hackenberg, alongside his presumed starting partner Mason Deeds, won’t let much get past him, and the Nittany Lions’ quick-twitch players on the wings should be able to get the ball up the field quickly.

Prediction (W-L-D): 6-2-2

There has been a lot of talk about Penn State finally getting over the hump and running the table in the Big Ten this season. However, the conference still contains one of the best teams in the nation, the Indiana Hoosiers.

Cook’s team will travel to Bloomington on March 7 for a critical matchup with Indiana. Penn State must get a result in that fixture to have a chance to win the regular-season title, but we believe that the Hoosiers still remain supreme in the Big Ten.

Penn State plays Maryland, another likely favorite in the conference, twice. It is unlikely the Nittany Lions will be able to sweep the Terrapins, especially considering their first fixture is the season opener. Beyond Indiana and Maryland, Cook’s team will drop points in one or two other games, with tough matches including a March 3 trip to Michigan and an unpredictable away trip to Northwestern (March 19).

Penn State may not win the regular season, but the team is poised for a tournament run. The NCAA Tournament field has shrunk from 48 to 32 teams due to the coronavirus, but we expect the Nittany Lions to nonetheless qualify for the second year running and make some noise in the Big Dance.