When the whistle blows Friday night to signal the start of the match, every single Cal men’s soccer player suited up for the contest against Penn State will have a chance to make this week’s big play, or this week’s big stop, or this week’s overtime winner. In what has become an early theme in the young season, a different Bear has played hero in each game, leading Cal (3-0-0) to three impressive nonconference wins.
“That is the uniqueness of our group,” said coach Kevin Grimes. “On any given day, we can have any player step up and make a play that makes a difference in a match.”
Last week, it was freshman Christian Thierjung, who scored the winner against the University of San Francisco with 19 seconds remaining. Before that, it was senior Alex Sundly’s overtime tap-in against then-No. 2 Maryland.
What remains to be decided is whom it will be this weekend in Happy Valley against the Nittany Lions (2-2-0), a team with a history of success, a solid defense and a new offense.
The 2012 Big Ten champs lost 10 players to graduation last year, including three All Big Ten performers, all of whom played on the offensive side of the ball. The new offensive unit has already had its fair share of issues, recording only three goals in four games against the likes of Radford and Central Connecticut.
“Like most teams in the country, the offense is the last thing that has clicked for Penn State,” Grimes said.
The team still has extensive experience and playing time on the defensive side of the ball. Nittany Lions keeper Andrew Wolverton and center back Akil Howard both spent time in the Premier Development League in Florida over the summer, building the type of chemistry that produces a coherent unit.
However, the Penn State defense was torn apart by Rutgers a week ago, yielding four goals in a drubbing at the hands of the Scarlet Knights. Days later, the Nittany Lions lost a close one to St. John’s, 1-0. On Friday, the team will be looking to finally get a signature win on its resume after a rough start to the 2013 campaign.
In comes Cal, the No. 5 team in the country and playing far from home. The Bears know the Nittany Lions have a target on them to go along with the eyes of the country, looking to see if the jump in rankings is deserved.
The game will likely play out with both teams struggling to find the back of the net. Cal’s offense may falter under the Nittany Lions’ defense, but the Bears’ defense will face few threats from the Penn State offense.
However, if the teams face a deadlock, the Bears will find themselves in familiar ground, waiting for a player to provide late-game heroics to win yet another game.
“(Late game wins) shows composure, it shows leadership and it shows the mentality of this team,” Grimes said. “We play every game out to the very end.”
Austin Crochetiere covers men’s soccer. Contact him at [email protected].