Big Ten stakes ride high as IU welcomes Penn State

In the past two weeks, Penn State has faced two ranked opponents: No. 23 UCLA needed a goal in the final minutes to win 1-0, and No. 16 University of Maryland fell in a one-goal game. \nFor their third consecutive week, the Nittany Lions are scheduled to play a ranked opponent as they come to Bill Armstrong Stadium tonight to face the Hoosiers. And for the third consecutive week, a tough game is expected.\n"It's a scary situation," IU head coach Mike Freitag said. "If you look at the numbers, and you look at the records, you can let your guard down and get punched in the nose. I kept warning our guys all week, 'Don't look at that.'\n"If you look at (Penn State's) two toughest games -- UCLA and Maryland -- they should have beat UCLA and Maryland they did beat. They show up for the big games and this will be a big one."\nAfter losing its No. 1 ranking earlier this week, No. 5 IU plays tonight in front of not only the usual cream and crimson crowd, but a national television audience watching the Fox Soccer Channel. The Hoosiers also play host to the IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis Jaguars (2-5-1 Overall, 0-1-0 Mid-Continent Conference) at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.\nIU (4-0-3 Overall, 0-0-1 Big Ten) ranks ninth overall in Division I men's soccer in scoring offense with 2.57 goals per game, and will look to improve on that versus the Nittany Lions as the Hoosiers are 12-3-1 all-time on television and 12-1-1 all-time at home versus Penn State.\nOne Hoosier, who is no stranger to scoring goals versus the Nittany Lions, is senior midfielder Mike Ambersley. Ambersley scored IU's only goal versus Penn State during the 2002 Big Ten Tournament. The senior also scored the first goal versus Penn State last season in University Park, Penn.\n"I like playing against Penn State," Ambersley said. "Anytime you play in a Big Ten game, you gotta bring your best game obviously. I've scored against Penn State in the past so hopefully I can keep that streak going."\nA familiar face returns to Bloomington Sunday as former IU assistant and current Jaguars' head coach Steve Franklin comes to Yeagley Field. Franklin coached under former IU coach Jerry Yeagley during the 1993 and 1994 seasons.\nFranklin has also worked as a counselor at the IU summer soccer camps for the past 23 years. Freitag joked that with all the time Franklin has spent working IU soccer camps, he has probably lived two complete years of his life in Briscoe Quad. But the second-year IU coach doesn't want the familiar face to feel too comfortable on his trip to the IU campus Sunday afternoon.\n"He's a good friend and I wish his team a lot of success, except for when they play the Hoosiers," Freitag said jokingly.\nIUPUI is led by sophomore midfielder Vangel Nacovski who has four goals and three assists on the season. IU looks to stop Nacovski and his 17 shots on goal this season as the Hoosiers hold the sixth-best goals against average in Division I men's soccer, allowing .39 goals per match.\nIU was able to put up this number without the services of junior back and Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy candidate Jed Zayner, who had to sit out the first five games to retain his amateur status. However, sophomore keeper Chris Munroe has proven to be strong in filling former keeper Jay Nolly's shoes as Munroe ranks ninth in the country in goals against average with .405 in 666 minutes through seven matches.\n"(To continue the defensive success), I think it's what we've been doing the whole season, just a lot of communication," junior back Julian Dieterle said. "I think Jed has gelled pretty well with Munroe and (sophomore back Greg) Stevning back there... We just need to keep up the communication"