Oct. 5, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Two members of the Big Ten-leading Penn State men's soccer team, senior forward Jason Yeisley (Allentown, Pa.) and junior midfielder Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), have been recognized with conference and national honors for their standout play in two Nittany Lion victories last week.
Yeisley, a candidate for All-America honors and Big Ten Player of the Year, was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week. In a 5-0 pounding of Penn on Sept. 30, the team co-captain scored his fifth and team-high sixth goals of the season. The effort was the sixth multiple goal game of his career. On Sunday versus Michigan State, Yeisley's contribution to Penn State's 1-0 conference victory came in other areas, demonstrating his versatility and team-first mentality. Forced to play down a man for much of the second half, Yeisley's main focus changed from scoring to disrupting, as he harassed Michigan State defenders from sideline to sideline to slow the Spartan attack.
Yeisley currently tops the Nittany Lions in goals (6), points (14), shots (43), and shots on goal (26). The two-time All-Big Ten forward is also the program's active career scoring leader, totaling 59 points on 22 goals and 15 assists.
Braga was honored as Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week for tallying an assist in Penn State's rout of Penn on Wednesday and for scoring the game-winning goal in the victory over conference foe Michigan State on Sunday. Versus Penn, he assisted on Jason Yeisley's second goal of the game. Braga triggered the scoring run by sending a beautiful cross-field pass to Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.), who then found Yeisley for the score. Against Michigan State, Braga converted on a free kick opportunity, firing a shot from 25 yards out that glanced off a defender and into the lower right corner of the goal. He shares the weekly conference honor with Indiana's Andy Adlard.
Braga is tied for the team lead in assists with four and is second in goals (5) and points (14).
Not only are individual Penn State players drawing the attention of collegiate soccer observers, so is the team. For the first time this season, the 7-3-1 Nittany Lions are nationally ranked, appearing in the College Soccer News poll at No. 21 and the Soccer America rankings at No. 24. Penn State is positioned at No. 5 in the NSCAA Great Lakes Region rankings but the national poll is not released until Tuesday.
The Nittany Lions return to action this weekend when it hosts No. 25 Northwestern (5-1-3, 1-0-0 Big Ten) at Jeffrey Field on Sun., Oct. 11 at 2 p.m. Penn State has dominated the all-time series, holding a 21-3-1 record, but fell to the Wildcats twice last year, once in the regular season (2-1 at Evanston) and once in the postseason at the Big Ten Championship (2-1 in double overtime). The last time the Lions welcomed NU to Happy Valley, in 2007, the Wildcats couldn't uphold their No. 3 national ranking and were sent away 2-1 losers.