Sept. 17, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's soccer team will hit the road this weekend, traveling south to Virginia for match-ups with a pair of Colonial Athletic Association opponents. The Nittany Lions will first face Old Dominion (4-1-0) on Fri., Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. at the ODU Soccer Complex in Norfolk. Penn State will wrap up its road trip on Sun., Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. when it takes on James Madison (3-1-0) at the JMU Soccer Complex in Harrisonburg.
Last weekend, the Nittany Lions captured the 2009 Penn State Classic title and upped its record to 4-1-0, securing the program's best start since 2001, with a 5-1 rout of Hofstra and a 1-0 nail-biting double overtime victory over Hartford.
Versus Hofstra, offense came from sophomore forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.) and junior midfielder Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), who each netted two goals, and junior midfielder Drew Cost (West Chester, Pa.), who scored one.
Against Hartford, senior midfielder Frank Costigliola (Dix Hills, N.Y.) converted on a penalty kick opportunity, by burying a shot in the upper left corner of the goal, in the 108th minute to power Penn State to its fourth win of the season.
Redshirt sophomore Warren Gross (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) logged every minute in goal over the weekend, totaling five saves and earning his Big Ten-leading third shutout of the year.
After senior forward Jason Yeisley (Allentown, Pa.) dominated the stat sheet in the season's first week, Penn State has proven to be much more than a one-man offensive show of late. Currently, Yeisley, Corey Hertzog, and Matheus Braga are tied for the team in lead in goals (3), assists (2), and points (8). In total, six different Nittany Lions have netted goals while nine have tallied points.
Penn State's defense has been rock solid through the first two weeks of the 2009 campaign, allowing just three goals and one assist in five games. Consistency has been the key, with Andres Casais (Caracas, Venezuela), Mark Fetrow (West Chester, Pa.), Andy Parr (Hummelstown), Justin Lee (Derwood, Md.), and Warren Gross in the starting line-up for every game.
After not scoring a goal in 2008, Matheus Braga is tied for the team lead with three this season |
As a result of its early season success, Penn State is garnering some recognition nationally. The Nittany Lions are No. 5 in the Great Lakes region, according to the Sept. 15 NSCAA rankings, up five spots from the previous week. However, they are only receiving votes (18) in the latest NSCAA poll. Penn State has also begun to receive votes in the College Soccer News Top 30 National Poll.
Pupil and teacher will meet when Penn State and Old Dominion clash on Friday 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. Old Dominion has won four of five games, with its lone setback coming at the hands of undefeated College of Charleston. Last weekend, the Monarchs knocked off Niagara, 1-0, and Temple, 4-0, at home to claim the Stihl Soccer Classic title. Like Penn State, ODU has achieved offensive balance thus far in 2009, as four players are tied for the team lead with two goals and eight have at least one point. Senior midfielder Nane Joseph, a native of Cameroon, tops the team in points with five while freshman forward Shane Howard, an Irish import, leads the Monarchs with four assists. Junior goalkeeper Evan Newton boasts a 0.60 goals against average and has three shutouts to his credit.
Penn State owns a 1-2-0 record in its all-time series with Old Dominion. The Lions last met the Monarchs two years ago at the 2007 Penn State Classic with ODU coming away with the 1-0 victory.
After dropping its season opener to Duke by a count of 2-0, James Madison has reeled off four consecutive victories, earning shutout wins over Rider (3-0), Richmond (2-0), St. Joseph's (1-0), and UNC Greensboro (1-0). The Dukes attack is headlined by 2008 JMU Offensive MVP CJ Sapong, a junior forward who tops the team in goals (3), assists (3), and points (9). Freshman forward Paul Wyatt (2 goals, 1 assist) is the only other player on the roster with a multiple numbers of goals or assists. James Madison's defense is anchored by junior back Jonathan Smithgall, the team's defensive MVP in 2008, and junior goalkeeper Ken Manahan, who boasts a 0.40 goals against average and .882 save percentage.
The Nittany Lions are 1-2-1 in all-time meetings with James Madison. In 2008, Penn State hosted the Dukes, playing them to a 1-1 draw despite holding a 31-11 advantage in shots.
Fans can follow all of the action as Penn State takes on Old Dominion 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. Penn State men's soccer supporters can also keep up-to-date on the team throughout the season with exclusive notes, information, and photos by way of Twitter. Go to twitter.com and search psusportsjr to become a follower.
The Nittany Lions return home next week to kick off a three game home stand, beginning on Wed., Sept. 23 when it hosts in-state foe Lehigh (2-2-1) at 7 p.m. at Jeffrey Field. Penn State is 12-2-3 all-time versus the Mountain Hawks but lost last season's match-up in Bethlehem, 2-1. The Lions will then open Big Ten play on Sun., Sept. 27 when Michigan (4-1-0) visits Happy Valley for a 2 p.m. contest. Penn State has won its last two meetings with Michigan at Jeffrey Field.