Penn State Nittany Lions men's soccer

Jeffrey Field

The Nittany Lions began play at Jeffrey Field in 1972 when the 5,000-seater stadium opened.[3] The stadium was dedicated to the late-Bill Jeffrey who was the team's head coach from 1926 until 1952 and a National Soccer Hall of Fame member.[3] Built for the soccer and lacrosse teams, Jeffrey Field had an initial seating capacity of 2,500. Jeffrey Field was first remodeled in 1978, bleachers were added to expand the capacity to 3,500 along with fencing and a practice field. In 1996 the lights were updated prior to the season start. During the summer of 2003, Jeffrey Field again underwent a facelift. In addition to the installation of a new field surface, a press box and a video booth were also added, and the bleachers were expanded to a capacity of 5,000. Team locker rooms were added in 2013, and in August 2014 branding windscreens were installed. Jeffrey Field was honored in 2006 as the Collegiate Soccer Field of the Year by the SportsTurf Managers Association.[3]

The first soccer match played at Penn State took place at the spring 1910 commencement between two teams made up of male students. Teams made up of members of the classes of 1910 and 1912 played against the classes of 1911 and 1913. The game ended in a 0-0 draw but helped lead the way for the formation of a formal school team.[4] As soccer grew in popularity at Penn State the freshman class of 1914 established soccer practices to train for a proposed match between them and the sophomore class of 1913 which was planned for June 12.[5] In May of 1911 Penn State athletic director and head football coach Pop Golden announced a plan for the addition of soccer to the athletics program after supporting the June match between the freshman and sophomore classes as well as the past commencement match.[6] After a baseball game against the University of Virginia failed to be scheduled in spring of 1911 another commencement soccer game was planned instead, it was again an interclass match.[4]

A photograph of the 1911 Penn State Men's soccer team.

In December of 1911 Penn State formally set a schedule of games. The team would go on the road from December 19 to 21 to face intercollegiate champion Haverford College, West Town School, and the University of Pennsylvania.[7] The team finished the road series drawing its matches against Westtown School and University of Pennsylvania 1-1 and 0-0 respectively, and losing its match against Haverford College 3-2.[8] In December of 1911 Penn State formally set a schedule of games. The team would go on the road from December 19 to 21 to face Haverford College, West Town School, and the University of Pennsylvania.[7] The team returned to Penn State drawing two of its matches against West Town School and the University of Pennsylvania and losing its match against the University of Pennsylvania 3-2.[8] The varsity team again slated a round of road matches in December of 1912. The team faced Franklin & Marshall College, Haverford College and Westtown School. The team attempted to schedule a match against the University of Pennsylvania but negotiations between the teams fell though.[9] The Nittany Lions defeated Franklin & Marshall College 4-1[10], drew Haverford College 1-1[11], and defeated Westtown College 2-0.[12] Penn State alumnus James G. White who was noted as having an interest in the development of a soccer program at Penn State donated $100 (equivalent to $2,649 in 2019) to fund the travel and equipment for both of these road trips.[13]

The first varsity soccer home game played at Penn State took place in April of 1914 when the Nittany Lions defeated the Lafayette Leopards 6-0.[14]

As the success of Penn State's soccer team began to show and the team attempted to find a way to continue to finance the sport the team pursued an invitation to the Intercollegiate Soccer League, the league in which the season winner was crowned as national champion. Two trips were planned for the spring of 1914 to face members of the league. Proposed opponents were University of Pennsylvania, Haverford College, Princeton, Columbia, Yale, and Harvard.[11] In May 1914 an application was submitted to the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association to join the Intercollegiate Soccer League.[15]At the time of petition Penn State and Princeton were being considered by the association, Princeton were admitted and Penn State never received an invitation to join the league.[16]

From the late 1920s into the late 1940s Penn State was noted as one of the top college soccer programs in the United States. Leading the team from the 1920s to the 1960s was head coach Bill Jeffrey who was able to accumulate ten national championship wins, a record 138 wins and a 65 game unbeaten streak. Jeffrey was inducted to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1951 for his coaching performance and help growing the game of soccer in the United States. The highest success of Penn State's soccer program as well as college soccer of the era was seen under Jeffrey. While head coach Jeffrey lead the Nittany Lions on multiple international tours where they played professional and semiprofessional sides.[17][18]

After an initial failure to receive an invitation to join the Intercollegiate Soccer League, Penn State continued to push for recognition scheduling games against its members and sending petition letters to league leaders. It wasn't until the dissolution of the league in January of 1926 was the team extended an invitation to be a part of the next version of the former league called the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association. The ISFA was created as a broader organization and governing body that would be support a for collegiate soccer play across the country. Receiving an invitation to join the association alongside Penn State were Lehigh, Army, Lafayette, Navy, Colgate, Dartmouth, Williams, Amherst, Wesley and all six former members of the Intercollegiate Soccer League. Under the new rules of the association Penn State would be required to play four members of the organization during each season. Instead of a league title, national championships would be awarded by the association at the end of each season.[19]

Team photo of the 1923 Penn State Soccer Team

Penn State holds one of the longest men's soccer collegiate unbeaten streaks at 65 games. The unbeaten streak spanned from 1932 to 1941 with the Nittany Lions claiming 60 wins and 5 draws. The streak started on November 5, 1932 in a match against Army that was won 2-1 and ended in a November 15, 1941 loss to Army.[20][21][22][23]One of the most notable seasons was 1935, where the team had a perfect 7-0-0 record and conceded zero goals to opponents.[24] At the end of the 1940 season the team had scored 250 goals while only allowing 31 goals. Citing the pressure to uphold the streak then head coach Bill Jeffrey told the Associated Press in 1940 a loss might be a good thing for the team after they had gone 61 games without a loss.[25]

1922 Penn State Varsity Soccer team photo

Arranged by the United States Department of State after an invitation by the Iranian Athletic Association for a diplomatic soccer tour of the country during the college's 1951 Easter break, the reigning 1950 National Champions Penn State were slated to play three goodwill games in Iran in the midst of the Cold War.[26][27] Complications arose weeks before the Nittany Lions were set to start their tour when Iranian Prime Minister Haj Ali Razmara was assassinated. After safety consideration, the team and games were allowed to go ahead as planned.[28][29]

The team consisted of head coach Bill Jeffrey, 15 players and a student manager.[26] On March 21, 1951, the team flew from the U.S. to Shannon, Ireland, then to Paris, Geneva, and Damascus before landing in Tehran two days later on Friday, March 23. After arriving in Tehran, Iran the team made an official visit to the U.S. Embassy in Iran and met with U.S. ambassador to Iran, Dr. Henry F. Grady.[28]

Their first match was played in Isfahan, Iran on March 24. An estimated crowd of 500 was waiting to greet the team while a line of soldiers restrained the crowd. As the team bus drove through the city, they were followed by bicyclists attempting to shake hands with the team. According to reports, one bicyclist was knocked down and killed under the wheels of a military truck. The Nittany Lions lost their first match 2-0 to the Isfahan club team in front of an estimated crowd of 5,000. After the match, spectators stormed the field celebrating both teams. The team’s second match was played in Shiraz, Iran on March 25. The match began with an own-goal scored by a Shiraz player. Goals from Harold Irvin and Ronald Coleman claimed a 3-0 final. After the match, Penn State’s goalkeeper Ron Coder was picked up and carried to the team bus in celebration by locals.[30] Their final match was played in Tehran, Iran at Amjadieh Stadium against an Iranian all-star squad. The Nittany Lions fell to the group 5-0. The match was photographed and published as part of George W. Long’s 1951 assignment for National Geographic entitled, “Journey Into Troubled Iran”.[28] The team left Tehran, Iran on April 3.[28][31][32]

Penn State men's soccer, and other school sanctioned sports, joined the Atlantic 10 Conference in 1987 as a charter member of what was then called the Eastern Athletic Association and informally known as the Eastern 8.[33][34] The league comprised Penn State, Rutgers, West Virginia, Duquesne, George Washington and UMass.[35] While participating in the league Penn State won three Atlantic 10 Men's Soccer Tournament championships, made it to four tournament finals, and finished first in the conference table winning the regular season three times.[36] After 4 seasons of play Penn State withdrew from the Atlantic 10 Conference at the conclusion of the 1990 season to join the Big Ten Conference.[37][38]

Penn State is currently a member of the Big Ten Conference and a participating school in its men's soccer league. The men's soccer team joined the Big Ten in the conference's first year of collegiate soccer play, 1991. The league comprises Penn State, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Rutgers and Wisconsin. While participating in the league Penn State has currently won three Big Ten Men's Soccer Tournament championships, made it to 12 tournament finals, and finished first in the conference table winning the regular season four times.[39][40][41]

As of May 25, 2020[43]

#	Name	Career	Total
1	Stuart Reid	1992-1995	56
2	Dick Packer	1953-1955	53
3	Jim Stamatis	1976-1979	52
4	Jan Skorpen	1986-1989	47
5	Bill McEwan	1934-1936	46
6	Chris Bahr	1971-1974	45
7	Peter Jancevski	1978-1981	43
8	John Pinezich	1951-1954	41
9	Chad Severs	2001-2004	38
10	Rich Reice	1974-1977	37

As of May 25, 2020[43]

#	Name	Career	Total
1	Chris Kelly	1990-1993	32
2	Ricardo Villar	1997-2001	31
3	Jim Stamatis	1976-1979	29
4	Neil Piper	1991-1993	28
	Matheus Braga	2008-2010
6	Duncan MacEwan	1978-1981	27
7	Simon Omekanda	2003-2006	26
8	Chris Bahr	1971-1974	22
	John Marsden	1972-1975
10	Niall Harrison	1983-1986	20

• Chris Bahr - 2× Super Bowl champion
• Matt Bahr - 2× Super Bowl champion
• Dan Canter - U.S. national team player
• Ronald Coder - Olympian
• Randy Garber - U.S. national team player
• Ted Gillen - U.S. national team player
• Dick Packer - Olympian
• Andy Rymarczuk - U.S. national team player
• Troy Snyder - U.S. national team player
• Kenji Treschuk - USL First Division Champion

• William Jeffrey - National Soccer Hall of Fame member
• Walter Bahr - National Soccer Hall of Fame member