Oct. 14, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's soccer team (3-7-2, 1-2-0 Big Ten) will begin a three-game road swing on Wed., Oct. 15 when it travels to Ithaca, N.Y. to meet Cornell (1-8-0, 0-2-0 Ivy League) in a non-conference contest set for 7 p.m. at Charles F. Berman Field.
The Nittany Lions enter Wednesday's game with momentum gained from last weekend's 3-2 come-from-behind upset victory over 2007 College Cup finalist No. 17 Ohio State at Jeffrey Field. After surrendering two early goals to the Buckeyes, junior forward Vincent Salvatico (Chester Springs, Pa.) got Penn State back into the game in the 28th minute with his first goal of the season. Freshman forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.) evened the contest with his first career goal in the 38th minute and then netted the game winner two minutes later. Redshirt sophomore Liam Fitzwater (Schuylkill Haven, Pa.) was brilliant in goal, registering a season-high eight saves.
For his standout performance versus Ohio State, Corey Hertzog was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. He was also honored by national media outlets, gaining recognition on the Soccer America and TopDrawerSoccer.com Men's Team of the Week. Hertzog is tied for the team lead in assists (2), points (6), and shots on goal (10) and ranks second in goals (2) and shots (27).
After scoring five goals in its first nine games, the Penn State attack has experienced a reversal of fortunes of late. In the last three games, all against Big Ten opponents, the Nittany Lions have caught fire, netting seven goals. The hot streak has vaulted Penn State to a tie atop the conference scoring rankings. In addition to Hertzog, sophomore forward Treavor Gelsinger (Shady Grove, Pa.) has spearheaded the offensive surge, scoring a team-leading three goals.
Treavor Gelsinger leads Penn State with three goals |
Cornell has struggled on both ends of the field thus far in 2008. The Big Red have scored just five goals in nine games and has been shut out on six occasions. Four players have netted goals, led by senior forward Joe Yonga's two. Junior forward Matt Bouraee is the only Cornell player to be in double digits in shots, recording a team-high 29. On defense, the Big Red have allowed 23 goals total, including 16 in the second halves of games. Sophomore goalkeeper Scott Brody has played in eight games, accruing a 2.18 goals against average while collecting 28 saves.
Penn State owns a 9-2-3 all-time record in games versus Cornell, including last season's 2-1 victory at Jeffrey Field. Goals by forward Jacobo Vera (Pamplona, Spain) and midfielder Drew Cost (West Chester, Pa.) lifted the Nittany Lions past the Big Red. Penn State's last road trip to Ithaca, in 2005, resulted in another 2-1 win.
Fans can follow all of the action of the Penn State-Cornell contest on the Internet with live stats and instant scoring updates. Find a link on the official website of Nittany Lion athletics, www.GoPSUsports.com.
The Nittany Lions continue their road stretch on Tues., Oct. 21 when they visit Bethlehem, Pa. for a match-up with Lehigh (5-3-3, 1-0-2 Patriot League). Penn State has lost to the Mountain Hawks just once in 16 all-time meetings, boasting a 12-1-3 series record. The teams last faced off in 2004, a 1-0 PSU win at Lehigh. Penn State will return to Big Ten play on Sun., Oct. 26 when it faces Wisconsin in Madison.