Nov. 8, 2007
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Five members of the Penn State men's soccer team have been honored for their standout 2007 seasons with awards from the Big Ten Conference, the league office announced Thursday. Junior forward Jason Yeisley (Allentown, Pa.) was named First Team All-Big Ten while forward Treavor Gelsinger (Shady Grove, Pa.), midfielder Drew Cost (West Chester, Pa.), and defender Andres Casais (Caracas, Venezuela) were recognized to the conference All-Freshman team.
A team co-captain for the 2007 season, Jason Yeisley had established himself as the frontrunner for Big Ten Player of the Year and a legitimate All-America candidate before suffering a season-ending knee injury versus Boston University on October 13. Despite missing the final six games of the regular season, he remains the team's leader in goals (6), points (14), and shots on goal (15). At the time of his injury, he led the Big Ten in several offensive categories and still ranks first in points per game (1.33) and second in goals (6) and goals per game (0.61). Yeisley is Penn State's leading active scorer with 43 career points (16 goals, 11 assists). Also an accomplished student, he was honored on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team in 2007.
Yeisley is Penn State's 41st First Team All-Big Ten honoree and is the 10th forward to earn the conference accolade, following in the footsteps of former Nittany Lion greats Stuart Reid, Chris Kelly, Ricardo Villar, Chad Severs, and Simon Omekanda.
A sign of good things to come and a testament to the profound impact of its younger players on the 2007 season, Penn State placed three players on the All-Big Ten Freshman team, more than any other conference squad.
Treavor Gelsinger saw action in 19 games, drawing 14 starts, including 12 straight to end the regular season. He totaled 12 points in 2007, good enough for second on the team behind only Jason Yeisley. Gelsinger's six assists, three of which were earned on game-winning goals, lead Penn State and his three goals tied him for third on the team.
A unanimous selection to the conference All-Freshman team, midfielder Drew Cost emerged as Penn State's top offensive weapon down the regular season stretch, recording five points in the final four games. He also proved to be a clutch player, as he tied for the team lead in game winning goals with two. A starter of 16 games, Cost finished the season ranked fifth on the team in points with seven and tied for third in assists with three.
Andres Casais led the freshman class with 18 starts, becoming a fixture on the Penn State back line in his rookie campaign. Despite routinely giving up several inches and pounds to his opponents, Casais is a fearless and tenacious defender with a superior knowledge of the game. He registered his first collegiate point by assisting on one of Jason Yeisley's two goals against Michigan State (Sept. 23) and recorded another when he assisted on Drew Cost's game winning goal in a 2-1 overtime win over Cornell (Oct. 23).
Junior defender Andy Machi (Upper St. Clair, Pa.) was named a recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. The honor is given to the one player from each team in the conference who best reflects the principles of sportsmanship and fair play established by the Big Ten. Machi had the finest season of his Nittany Lion career in 2007, becoming a valuable defensive stopper and a key component to the Penn State transition game. Inserted into the starting line-up versus UCLA on Sept. 16, he never left, earning starts in the final 14 games of the season.