UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Penn State men’s soccer continues its presence in professional soccer leagues with seven Nittany Lions currently playing in the Major League Soccer league (MLS), MLS Next Pro, USL Championship League and USL League One.
Among the seven professional soccer players are Andrew Privett and Jalen Watson who played their senior season in 2022 and were drafted in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft.
Matt Bersano – Goalkeeper (2015) – Austin FC (MLS)
- Attended school at Penn State in 2015.
- Loaned to San Jose’s USL affiliate Reno 1868 FC in 2017, where he was named the team’s Goalkeeper of the Year at the end of the season.
- Made 60 appearances between the pipes and recorded 21 shutouts for Reno.
- Played from 2017-2022 with San Jose Earthquakes.
- Signed with Austin FC on January 3, 2023.
Connor Maloney – Forward (2013-2016) – San Antonio FC (USL Championship)
- Two-time captain of the Nittany Lions and three-time All-Big Ten first team honoree.
- Signed with San Antonio FC on January 6, 2020 and has appeared in 68 games throughout the last three seasons.
- Signed a multi-year contract extension with San Antonio FC in 2022.
- Drafted in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft to Columbus Crew.
Aaron Molloy – Midfielder (2017-2020) – Memphis 901 (USL Championship)
- Three-year letter winner at Penn State.
- Transferred from USL League One’s Forward Madison FC to Memphis 901 prior to the 2022 season.
- Earned All-League First Team honors and finished second in MVP voting in 2022. He also set the single-season club record for assists with 10 while scoring eight goals.
- Played in 23 matches in 2021 while recording two assists for Forward Madison FC in 2021.
- Drafted 16th overall in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft to the Portland Timbers
Andrew Privett – Midfielder (2019-2022) – Charlotte FC (MLS)
- Four-year letter-winner at Penn State
- Drafted 69th overall in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft to Charlotte FC and inked contract on February 24, 2023.
- Made first appearance for Charlotte Crown Legacy in April 25, 2023 recording 64 minutes of action.
- Saw first minutes with Charlotte’s first team on July 15 and made first professional start for the first team in the League’s Cup game on July 21, 2023 and played all 90 minutes.
Noah Pilato – Midfielder (2014-2018) – Triumph SC (USL League…
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