Nov. 22, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's soccer team's 2009 season came to a disappointing end on Sunday afternoon at Jeffrey Field, as the Nittany Lions fell, 2-1, to defending national champion Maryland (14-5-2) in a tightly-contested and evenly-matched second round NCAA Championship contest. With the loss, Penn State ends the year with a 12-8-2 record, its best since finishing 13-7-2 in its Big Ten Championship of 2005.
For the Lions, the defeat was the first suffered on its home turf after going 7-0-2 at Jeffrey Field during the regular season. The two goals scored by the Terrapins represent the most allowed in a single home game all year after Penn State entered the game having just surrendered four goals in nine games. The NCAA postseason appearance was the 13th under head coach Barry Gorman, with the Nittany Lion's amassing a 10-11-2 record.
The Penn State men's soccer team's 2009 season came to a disappointing end on Sunday afternoon at Jeffrey Field, as the Nittany Lions fell, 2-1, to defending national champion Maryland (14-5-2) in a tightly-contested and evenly-matched second round NCAA Championship showdown. With the loss, Penn State ends the year with a 12-8-2 record, its best since finishing 13-7-2 in its Big Ten Championship of 2005.
For the Lions, the defeat was the first suffered on its home turf after going 7-0-2 at Jeffrey Field during the regular season. The two goals scored by the Terrapins represent the most allowed in a single home game all year after Penn State entered the game having just surrendered four goals in nine games. The NCAA postseason appearance was the 13th under head coach Barry Gorman, with the Nittany Lion's amassing a 10-11-2 record.
Freshman defender Brian Forgue (Glenmoore, Pa.), a highly-touted, two-time high school All-American recruit, accounted for Penn State's goal, netting his first career goal on his first career shot. Forgue started his fourth game of the season in the stead of sophomore Patrick Krispin (The Woodlands, Texas), who missed the game due to an illness. Krispin had been serving as a replacement at left back for redshirt junior Andy Parr (Hummelstown, Pa.), who suffered a knee sprain in the Big Ten Tournament win over Michigan. Junior Andres Casais (Caracas, Venezuela) earned his first assist of the season and third on his career on the play.
For Penn State, the story of the game was finishing. Outshooting the Terrapins, 17-10, the Nittany Lions could not capitalize on numerous opportunities while Maryland was able to convert on its few chances. That trend started nearly immediately from the outset of the contest.
Sophomore forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.), the team leader in points with 28, nearly gave PSU a lead with less than a minute off the clock when, after senior forward Jason Yeisley (Allentown, Pa.) served the ball into the box with a cross, his header just sailed high of net.
Continuing to dominate possession with excellent midfield play, Penn State just missed another opportunity in the 22nd minute. Junior midfielder Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) won a ball deep in the Maryland zone on the left wing. Breaking free of his mark, he crossed a pass to Hertzog. Maryland goalkeeper Zac MacMath was surprised by the pass and was caught out of position, leaving an open goal for Hertzog. However, Terrapin defender Kevin Tangney had retreated to the back line and booted away Hertzog's shot attempt.
Maryland took the lead in the 25th minute on just its third shot of the game. Drew Yates found Billy Cortes wide open on the left wing with a pass and Cortes knocked in his second goal of the season far post.
After Corey Hertzog had a goal disallowed by a hand ball call with 16:42 remaining, the sophomore had two shots up close denied by MacMath in the waning moments of the half. Hertzog would finish the opening stanza with six shots but the Lions would head to the break down by one.
Penn State continued its aggressive approach in the second half, which would pay dividends less than four minutes in. From near midfield on the right wing, Andres Casais sent a deep pass into the box, targeting a group of Nittany Lions positioned in the box. Brian Forgue connected with the ball with his head and punched it into goal, equalizing the game at 1-1.
The teams battled back and forth evenly for much of the next 30 minutes but the tide began to turn in Maryland's favor when a string of non-serious but debilitating injuries struck the Penn State back line, forcing head coach Barry Gorman to move players around. Terrapin Billy Cortes nearly secured the advantage in the 82nd minute but his laser shot from 10 yards out was turned away by a brilliant diving kick save from redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Warren Gross (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.).
But just four minutes later, Maryland would tally the eventual game winner on forward Jason Herrick's ninth goal of the year.
Looking ahead to next year, the foundation for a successful 2010 season is in place with 10 of 11 starters and five All-Big Ten First and Second Team performers returning.