Penn State will look to bounce back from its first loss of the season when it hosts Pittsburgh at 7 p.m. Friday at Jeffrey Field.
The Nittany Lions enter the matchup 1-1 after opening the season with a 3-2 win over Mercyhurst before falling 3-1 to Missouri State on the road. Pittsburgh also holds a 1-1 record after losing 2-1 to then-No. 7 Maryland in its opener before responding with a 3-1 win over Bucknell.
Notably, a familiar face will return to Happy Valley in Friday’s matchup, this time representing the opposing team.
On July 28, former Nittany Lion star midfielder Caden Grabfelder transferred to Pittsburgh after three seasons with Penn State. Grabfelder appeared in 49 games during his time at Happy Valley, recording nine goals and nine assists before joining the Panthers.
Midfielder Caden Grabfelder (11) fights for the ball during the Penn State men’s soccer game against Michigan at Jeffrey Field on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 in University Park, Pa. The Nittany Lions tied the Wolverines 0-0.
Owen Bellard
Grabfelder was one of Penn State’s main contributors last season, starting 14 of 16 games and finishing with two goals and five assists. His move to Pittsburgh gives the Nittany Lions an early contest against a player who already knows the team and its home field well.
The Panthers are coming off a rough 6-7-5 season in 2025, while Penn State finished 5-8-4. Both teams have a chance to put those records behind them after getting their first wins of the new season.
Just as Pittsburgh rebounded with a two-goal win over Bucknell, Penn State looks for a similar response after its loss to Missouri State. The Nittany Lions took an early lead when senior midfielder Luca Sowinski scored his first collegiate goal in the 18th minute, with senior forward Amadou Kone earning his first collegiate assist on the play.
Missouri State tied the game before halftime and took control early in the second half, scoring just one minute after the break. The Bears added another goal from the penalty box in the 51st minute before things took a turn for the worse for the Nittany Lions.
Freshman Joe Buckley was sent off in the 56th minute after receiving his second yellow card of the match. Coach Rob Dow was also ejected later in the game after receiving a red card, meaning both he and Buckley will be unavailable against Pittsburgh.
The Nittany Lions will have to adjust without their coach and one of their defenders, but also have a chance to use Friday’s game as a reset. Penn State has historically controlled the series, holding a 24-9-4 record across 36 meetings with the Panthers.
However, Pittsburgh has had the upper hand in recent years, going 3-2-2 against the Nittany Lions since 2008. The Panthers won the most recent meeting, a 2-1 victory at Jeffrey Field in 2024.
With both teams sitting at 1-1, Friday’s matchup gives Penn State a chance to move back above .500 while facing a former teammate and a Pittsburgh team looking to build off its first win of the season.
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