After winning the Big Ten regular-season title and the conference tournament last year, the Nittany Lions once again find themselves back on top.

Penn State men’s soccer earned the top spot on the Big Ten’s preseason poll Monday afternoon. The team joins Penn State women’s soccer, which was also ranked as the Big Ten’s No. 1 team last week.

In 2021, the team went 13-7-1 en route to a regular-season conference championship, a Big Ten Tournament crown, and its 34th NCAA Tournament appearance.

In addition to the team acclaim, three Nittany Lions earned spots on the Big Ten’s preseason players to watch list — forward Peter Mangione, midfielder Seth Kuhn, and defender Femi Awodesu. Mangione ended the 2021 season with a Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year award, while Kuhn was named the Offensive Player of the Tournament in the team’s Big Ten Championship run.

Penn State’s men’s soccer will officially begin its season with a home match against Rhode Island on August 25. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m., and the game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.