Penn State Men’s Soccer to Open NCAA Tournament Against UMass

Penn State men’s soccer will continue its season against UMass in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32. The contest is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 2 and will be played in Cary, North Carolina.

The Minutemen had a 7-1-3 season, including a 3-3 draw against fellow tournament entrant Virginia Tech. Freshman Alec Hughes leads the squad with seven goals and two assists.

This year, only eight teams got “seeded.” However, the Nittany Lions (8-1-2) received the No. 9 overall seed based on their positioning in the bracket.

The No. 9 seed is well deserved, after taking Indiana all the way to penalties in the Big Ten championship match. To put that performance in perspective, the Hoosiers received the No. 3 seed, and will play the winner of Milwaukee and St. Francis Brooklyn.

In addition to the Hoosiers and Nittany Lions, one other Big Ten team qualified. Maryland will open the tournament against Missouri State, while Michigan wasn’t selected despite finishing ahead of the Terrapins in the conference.

Clemson will be the overall No. 1 seed, after a strong year in the ACC. The Tigers will play the winner between Jacksonville and American.

Should the Nittany Lions advance, they would prolong their stay in the Tar Heel State. Penn State would play the winner of High Point University and defending-champion No. 8 Georgetown, scheduled for Thursday, May 6.