Sept. 13, 2009
Box Score | Photo Gallery | 2009 Penn State Classic All-Tournament Team
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Senior midfielder Frank Costigliola (Dix Hills, N.Y) converted on a penalty kick opportunity in double overtime to propel the Penn State men's soccer team to a 1-0 win over Hartford on Sunday at Jeffrey Field. The victory secured the Nittany Lions the 2009 Penn State Classic title while the golden goal locked up tournament MVP honors for Costigliola.
Penn State (4-1-0), which is off to its best start since 2001 when it began the season with a 5-1 mark, controlled possession throughout much of the game, earning a 20-9 advantage in shots, including an expansive 11-2 margin in shots on goal. Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Warren Gross (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) was rarely tested but stood firm when needed, registering two saves en route to his third shutout of the season.
In addition to Costigliola, sophomore forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.) and junior midfielder Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), who each scored two goals in Friday's 5-1 whitewashing of Hofstra, and senior forward Jason Yeisley (Allentown, Pa.), who tallied one assist and was the central figure in the predominance of Penn State's scoring chances this weekend, were also named to the Penn State Classic All-Tournament Team.
While it was Costigliola who netted the game winner by burying the penalty kick in the upper left corner of the goal, it was redshirt sophomore defender Marco Ciarla (Potomac, Md.) who, perhaps, made the play of the game. With time dwindling down in the second overtime, Ciarla hustled to a loose ball on the right wing, crossing it into the box. The pass hit a Hartford player, drawing a hand ball call from the referee and the resulting penalty kick.
The first half was a defensive struggle with Penn State earning more opportunities at breaking the scoreless deadlock. Its best came with 3:31 remaining when Jason Yeisley was the recipient of a Matheus Braga just outside the top of the box. Yeisley blasted a shot from 20 yards out that Hartford goalkeeper Nenad Cudic got a fingertip on. The ball sped on towards the goal but skipped off the crossbar.
The pace picked up for both teams in the second half. The Nittany Lions had an excellent chance to take the lead in the 58th minute when Matheus Braga and Corey Hertzog hooked up on a run. Near midfield, Braga served a pass that got by two Hartford defenders and skimmed along the near sideline. Hertzog brought it in, pushed passed his mark, and headed towards goal. He got off a shot but the charging Cudic was up to the challenge and made a sliding save.
The turning point in the game may have come with 19:22 left on the clock when Hartford's Anthony Buehler was sent off after receiving his second yellow card of the day, forcing the Hawks to play a man down for the remainder of the contest.
In the first overtime, viable chances never materialized but Penn State forced the issue in the second extra period, which eventually produced the penalty kick opportunity.
The Nittany Lions return to the road next weekend, traveling south for a pair of contests in the state of Virginia. On Fri., Sept. 18, Penn State will take on Old Dominion in an 8 p.m. match-up in Norfolk. Pupil and teacher will meet as Monarchs head coach Alan Dawson played under Nittany Lion head coach Barry Gorman at Orangefield Boys School in Belfast, Northern Ireland as a youth. Penn State will then trek from the coast to the mountains to clash with James Madison on Sun., Sept. 20 (2 p.m.) in Harrisonburg. The Dukes came to University Park in 2008 and escaped with a 1-1 tie.