A wide feeling of disappointment fell over the Penn State men’s soccer program on Monday afternoon when the Nittany Lions’ name was left out of the NCAA Tournament selections.

Despite not having the opportunity to compete against the nation’s best in the NCAA Tournament, Penn State’s 2023 season was far from a failure.

The Nittany Lions finished the regular season as Big Ten Co-Champions, tying Indiana with 14 points, and went on to fall to the Hoosiers in the Big Ten Tournament Championship 1-0. Indiana was the only Big Ten program awarded a bid into the NCAA Tournament this fall.

Games

Penn State ended the 2023 season with a 10-4-5 overall record and a 4-2-2 Big Ten campaign. The Nittany Lions started the season off strong by winning each of their first four contests. The blue and white had notable draws against ranked Pitt and defending National Champion Syracuse to open the season, too.

The Nittany Lions suffered a tough loss at home against in-state rival Penn in September and lost to eventual Big Ten Champion Indiana in Bloomington a few weeks later.

Penn State rebounded with big wins against Northwestern and Michigan to find itself at the top of the Big Ten table. Jeff Cook’s squad won the first two games of the Big Ten Tournament against Rutgers and Ohio State. Then, the Nittany Lions knocked off the Buckeyes in penalties thanks to two massive saves from goalkeeper Kris Shakes. Indiana knocked off the blue and white to win the Big Ten Tournament title 1-0 in what ended up being the final game of Penn State’s season.

Players

Penn State had no shortage of individual accolades at the arrival of the postseason. The Nittany Lions brought home four individual Big Ten awards to Happy Valley.

Cook was named the Coach of the Year in his sixth season at the helm, and Kris Shakes was dominant all year in net, earning Goalkeeper of the Year honors. Captains Peter Mangione and Femi Awodesu both found themselves on the award list. Mangione was named Offensive Player of the Year, while Awodesu was named Defensive Player of the Year.

Mangione finished the campaign with 10 goals and four assists. Traditional substitute Van Danielson had four goals, while Caden Grabfelder and Liam Butts each had three goals. Butts’ season was cut short, though, due to an injury.

Sophomore defenders Matthew Henderson and Sam Ovesen played crucial roles in the starting 11 all year and will aim to build upon that success going into their junior campaigns. Freshmen Freddie Bell and Grabfelder were bright spots in the midfield as the season progressed.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions lose a large portion of their production heading into next season. Shakes, Mangione, and Awodesu all have the option to move on from Penn State and are heavily expected to. Penn State could lack the experience the team has next season, but it won’t lack talent.

While Cook and the Nittany Lions were left out of the NCAA Tournament, they’ll eventually turn their focus toward 2024. Penn State, behind its consistent recruiting and excellent player development, should be right back in the mix for a Big Ten title come next fall.