Aug. 18, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The 2008 edition of the Penn State men's soccer team will see its first action of the season when the Nittany Lions host Conference USA opponent Marshall in an exhibition game on Tues., Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. at Jeffrey Field.
Head coach Barry Gorman, entering his 21st season at the helm of the Penn State program, returns eight of 11 starters and 15 letterwinners for the 2008 season. He has also added a strong recruiting class numbering eight freshmen and one transfer.
In 2008, the Penn State attack will feature an array of offensive weapons, led by forwards Treavor Gelsinger and Jacobo Vera. Gelsinger, a sophomore, finished second on the team in points with 12 and lead the Nittany Lions with six assists while Vera, a junior, netted a career-high four goals in 2007. Attacking midfielders Drew Cost, who was a unanimous All-Big Ten Freshman Team selection a year ago, and junior Frank Costigliola, who tallied three goals and three assists last season, will also be key offensive contributors.
The defense will be headlined by seniors Ryan Badaracco and Andy Machi and sophomore Andres Casais. Badaracco, a 33-game career starter, is back at full strength after missing the 2007 season with a knee injury. Machi, whose forte in his versatility, is coming off his best season as a Nittany Lion. Casais started more games than any other freshman a year ago, earning All-Big Ten recognition. Sophomore Liam Fitzwater and redshirt freshman Warren Gross will battle it out for the starting goalkeeper position.
Marshall opened preseason play on August 16 with a 1-0 loss to the University of Rio Grande in Huntington, W.Va. Senior Kolby LaCrone, the Thundering Herd's top scorer in 2007, led the team with two shots. Senior Greg Walter, who missed last season due to an injury, started in goal. Fourteen-year Marshall head coach Bob Gray returns 20 letterwinners from a 2007 squad that went 10-9-1 overall and 3-5-0 in Conference USA play.
Fans can follow all of the action of the Penn State-Marshall exhibition on the Internet with live stats and instant scoring updates from Gametracker. Find a link on the official website of Nittany Lion athletics, www.GoPSUsports.com.
The Nittany Lions' exhibition season continues on Sat., Aug. 23 when Pitt visits Jeffrey Field for a 7 p.m. showdown. The Panthers are coming off a 2007 season in which it went 3-13-2, including a 1-9-1 record in BIG EAST Conference play. The 2008 regular season begins for Penn State on Fri., Aug. 29 at the Bert & Iris Wolstein Soccer Classic hosted by The Ohio State University. The Lions will kick off the year by taking on Central Florida in a match-up scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Penn State will wrap up opening weekend tournament play on Sun., Aug. 31 with a 12 p.m. contest against Florida Gulf Coast.