Nov. 5, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 25-ranked Penn State men's soccer team (10-5-2, 3-1-1 Big Ten) will meet archrival Indiana (8-8-1, 2-3-0 Big Ten) in a pivotal conference showdown on Friday afternoon with the Nittany Lions' opportunity to clinch the 2009 Big Ten regular season championship riding on its outcome. Game time is set for 3 p.m. at Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium on IU's Bloomington campus.
The Nittany Lions, which currently are positioned in sole possession of first place in the Big Ten with 10 points, can earn the conference title and secure the No. 1 seed in next week's Big Ten Championship with a victory over Indiana. However, Penn State can still claim the championship with a setback versus the Hoosiers if second-place Ohio State (9 points) loses to Michigan and fourth-place No. 17 Northwestern (7 points) ties or falls to Michigan State on Saturday evening. Wisconsin, which is tied with the Buckeyes for second place with nine points, has completed its conference schedule. The Nittany Lions last won the regular season Big Ten Championship in 2005 when it ran the conference table, finishing with an unblemished 6-0-0 mark.
Penn State, which was slotted at No. 16 in the latest RPI rankings, completed its first undefeated season at home (7-0-2) since 2001 on Saturday when it downed Wisconsin, 2-1, at Jeffrey Field on Senior Day. Junior midfielder Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) gave the Lions a 1-0 lead just before halftime with his sixth goal of the year when he scored off a penalty kick opportunity, PSU's fourth successful conversion of the season. Sophomore forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.) netted his Big Ten best fifth game winner and team high eighth goal of the season in the 78th minute, rifling in a left-footed liner from 14 yards out off a pass from senior forward Jason Yeisley (Allentown, Pa.).
Heading into its final game of the regular season, the Penn State attack has totaled 31 goals, the most since 2004 when it posted 37, and has been shut out just twice. The triple threat of senior Jason Yeisley, Corey Hertzog, and Matheus Braga has combined for 59 of the Nittany Lions' 86 points. Yeisley and Hertzog are tied for the team lead in goals (8) and points (21) and are knotted with Braga for the top spot in assists with five. Junior midfielder Drew Cost (West Chester, Pa.) has added a career-high eight points (3 goals, 2 assists) while senior midfielder Frank Costigliola (Dix Hills, N.Y.) has contributed two goals and two assists.
The Penn State defense, which has surrendered just 17 goals in 17 games is on the verge of posting its best year since the Big Ten Championship season of 2005 when it allowed 18 goals in 22 games. Consistency and health has been the biggest key, as the starting back line of Justin Lee (Derwood, Md.), Mark Fetrow (West Chester, Pa.), Andres Casais (Caracas, Venezuela), and Andy Parr (Hummelstown, Pa.) have started 65 of a possible 68 games. In addition, all four rank among the team's top five in minutes played this season. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Warren Gross (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) is among the Big Ten leaders in shutouts (7) and goals against average (0.79).
Warren Gross is tied for tops in the Big Ten with seven shutouts |
Indiana, which in coming off a tough 1-0 home overtime loss to Ohio State, has struggled to find consistency in 2009 against one of the nation's most daunting schedules. The Hoosiers have faced eight ranked teams this season, including four in the top 10 and five on the road. The IU attack is headlined by forwards Will Bruin, 2008's Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and Andy Adlard, a Second Team All-Big Ten selection a year ago. Bruin is the team leader in goals (6) and points (15) and is tied with Adlard for the top spot in assists with three. Lee Hagedorn, Darren Yeagle, and Nick Blevins have also netted multiple goals with each posting two. Defensively, the Hoosiers are fronted by Ofori Sarkodie, a senior who has started 61 consecutive games over the last three years. In goal, Luis Soffner (1.05 GAA, 6 shutouts) started the first 15 games of the season before giving way to Nemanja Kostic (1.19 GAA, 1 shutout) for the last two.
Penn State owns a 10-25-3 record in its all-time series with traditional power Indiana but has taken four of the last six meetings, including last season's 1-0 upset of the then-No. 17 ranked Hoosiers at Jeffrey Field. Indiana is just 2-4-1 at home this season but the Nittany Lions have won in Bloomington only twice since joining the Big Ten, with the last victory coming in their Big Ten Championship season of 2005. Then-freshman Jason Yeisley scored two goals, including the overtime game winner, to deal Indiana just its third conference regular season loss ever on its home field and its first defeat of the year.
Fans can follow all of the action of the Penn State-Indiana match-up 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.
Next week, the Nittany Lions will begin pursuit of their fourth conference crown when they return to Bloomington, Ind. for the 2009 Big Ten Men's Soccer Championship. To be hosted by Indiana University, the battle for the 2009 title is set to begin on Thurs., Nov. 12 with three first round match-ups. Semifinal games will take place on Fri., Nov. 13 with the championship contest set for Sun., Nov. 15. All games will be played at Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium on the IU campus. Game times and match-ups will be determined once seeding is established upon the conclusion of regular season competition. The semifinals and finals will air live on the Big Ten Network. Penn State possesses a 22-12-4 record in Big Ten Championship play, one of just two conference teams to possess a winning mark in the postseason tournament.
Senior forward Jason Yeisley has been named a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, an honor that recognizes excellence in four areas - classroom, community, character, and competition. Fans can vote for Yeisley EVERY DAY by texting M9 to 704567 and by visiting www.seniorclassaward.com. Fan balloting, which counts for 1/3 of the final vote, continues until Nov. 13.