Penn State was one game away from winning the 2023 Big Ten Championship and making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021.
After a 1-0 loss to top-seeded Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament finals, the Nittany Lions will have to wait until the 2024 season for a chance to win a conference title.
Penn State has the talent to do that, but finding replacements for key players Chris Shakes, Peter Mangione, Liam Butts and Femi Awodesu will be a tough task.
With the talent development abilities of Jeff Cook and the rest of the coaching staff, the Nittany Lions should be ready to make another Big Ten Tournament appearance in 2024 and perhaps even achieve something that eluded last season's team: a Big Ten title and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Here are some of the Penn State players who need to make a significant impact next season to achieve that goal.
Returning players
Many of the Nittany Lions' key midfielders will return next year.
Kayden Grabfelder was a mainstay for the blue and white. The freshman midfielder appeared in 16 games in 2023, totaling three goals and three assists.
A selection to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, Grabfelder will continue to be a key player for Cook's squad.
Van Danielson, who plays alongside Grabfelder in the midfield, is also in his senior season at Penn State. Danielson appeared in 19 games and scored four goals.
Another returning midfielder is Ben Liscome, who has played in eight games and recorded one goal and one assist.
Midfielders Freddie Bell, Shawn Bettenhausen and Quentin Flowers also return, adding depth to Penn State's midfield corps.
In addition to the midfield, Penn State will have two forwards heading into the 2024 season.
Samson Kparde enjoyed an impressive rookie season with the Blue and White, with the forward starting the final 12 games of the season and recording two goals and two assists.
Penn State returns another forward alongside Kparde, Atem Cato. The third-year forward, who totaled one goal and two assists, will look to continue to be a key member of Cook's team heading into his senior season.
Defensively, Matthew Henderson, Morgan Marshall, Mohamed Cisset and Samuel Ovesen all return as they look to replicate Penn State's mark of allowing 0.79 points per game in 2023.
Freshman/Transfer Student
The blue and white team made a number of acquisitions during the offseason.
Canadian midfielder Malick Dauda would be a great addition to the Nittany Lions' midfield corps. Dauda played for the CF Montreal Academy from 2019-2023.
Coach Cook also added transferred midfielders Christian Dionne and Chase Oliver, adding even more talent to Penn State.
In an effort to improve their defense, Penn State signed Sebastian Dela Cruz in early May. Dela Cruz has spent the past eight years playing for USL League Two club Weston FC.
Jack Bonas is another transfer defender who will bolster the Penn State defense. Bonas was a key defender at Villanova and will bring experience to the Blue and White defense.
At goalkeeper, Cook will need to find a replacement for Chris Shakes, who currently plays for New Mexico United. Cook has acquired experienced Colgate University transfer Andrew Cook and has also added freshman Jonathan Evans.
Thanks to new recruits and returning stars, Penn State has a good chance of making another trip to the Big Ten Tournament in 2024.
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