Nov. 9, 2009
Big Ten Tournament Notes | Bracket | Tournament central
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The second-seeded Penn State men's soccer team (10-6-2, 3-2-1) will begin pursuit of the program's fourth conference crown on Thurs., Nov. 12 at 3 p.m. when it faces No. 7 seed Michigan (10-6-1, 2-4-0) in an opening round match-up of the 2009 Big Ten Tournament in Bloomington, Ind. All games will be held at the home of host Indiana, Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
The Nittany Lions' contest with the Wolverines will be preceded by games featuring No. 3 seed Northwestern (10-3-4, 3-2-1) versus No. 6 seed Michigan State (10-6-2, 2-4-0) (10:00 a.m.) and No. 4 seed Indiana (9-8-1, 3-3-0) versus No. 5 seed Wisconsin (7-8-2, 3-3-0) (12:30 p.m).
Should Penn State get past Michigan in the first round, it would advance to face the winner of the Northwestern-Michigan State game in a semifinal contest scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 13. Top-seeded and Big Ten regular season champion Ohio State (10-4-4, 4-2-0) will take on the winner of the Indiana-Wisconsin game at 2 p.m. in the other semifinal. The championship game is set for 2 p.m. on Sun., Nov. 15.
Penn State finished out regular season and Big Ten play last weekend in Bloomington, Ind. by dropping a 2-1 decision to Indiana. The Nittany Lions jumped on top, 1-0, in the 20th minute when junior midfielder Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), off a pass from sophomore forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.), scored his seventh goal of the season. But two IU goals, one just before half and one 40 seconds into the second half, gave the Hoosiers the lead. Penn State had a goal by sophomore defender Mark Fetrow (West Chester, Pa.) disallowed and couldn't take advantage of a man-up opportunity when Indiana defender Tommy Meyer was sent off in the 66th minute with a second yellow card and the score stood.
In 2009, Penn State has fielded one of the Big Ten's most potent attacks, scoring 32 goals, the most since 2004 when it posted 37, and has been shut out just twice. The Nittany Lions lead the league in total goals scored and goals scored in conference play (8). The triple threat of Jason Yeisley (Allentown, Pa.), Corey Hertzog, and Matheus Braga has combined for 62 of the Nittany Lions' 89 points. Yeisley and Hertzog are tied for the team lead with eight goals but Hertzog tops the Lions in assists (6) and points (22). Braga, who has scored two of Penn State's last three goals, has set career highs with seven goals, five assists, and 19 points. 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.
Junior Andres Casais is one the key members of Penn State's formidable defense |
The Penn State defense, which has surrendered 19 goals in 18 games and has recorded seven shutouts, is in the midst of its best year since the Big Ten Championship season of 2005. Consistency and health has been the biggest key, as the starting back line of Justin Lee (Derwood, Md.), Mark Fetrow, Andres Casais (Caracas, Venezuela), and Andy Parr (Hummelstown, Pa.) have started 68 of a possible 72 games. In addition, all four rank among the team's top six 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 (0.86).
Michigan enters the Thursday's contest coming off a narrow 1-0 loss to Ohio State in Columbus last weekend, capping off an up and down final few weeks of the regular season. The Wolverines dropped three of their last four games but claimed a key win in that stretch, knocking off then-No. 12 Northwestern, 1-0, in double overtime in Ann Arbor. Michigan boasts a dangerous attack, posting 31 goals and featuring three double-digit scorers this season. Senior forward Mauro Fuzetti leads the team in goals with eight and ranks second in points (19) while junior forward Justin Meram tops the Wolverines with 20 points (7 goals, 6 assists). Freshman midfielder Hamoody Saad is tied with Meram with a team best six assists to go along with five goals (16 points). Senior Julian Robles and junior Jeff Quijano provide the Michigan defense with veteran leadership while redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Chris Blais anchors the back line. Blais owns a 1.19 goals against average with a .753 save percentage and six shutouts.
Penn State possesses an 8-3-1 record in its all-time series with Michigan. This season, on Sept. 27, the Nittany Lions shut out the then-No. 22 ranked Wolverines, 2-0, at Jeffrey Field. Penn State used goals from the forward tandem of Corey Hertzog and Jason Yeisley and a stellar defensive effort to gain the decisive Big Ten season opening victory.
Overall, Penn State owns a Big Ten Tournament mark of 22-12-4; one of just two conference teams to own a winning record in the postseason event. The Nittany Lions are undefeated versus Wisconsin (4-0) and Michigan (2-0), 5-2 against Northwestern, and have lost just once to Michigan State (5-1-1) and Ohio State (4-1). Their only losing record is against Indiana (2-8-3).
Penn State is 14-3-1 all-time in first round Big Ten Tournament games. Its only three opening round losses came in 1995 (Indiana), 2004 (Northwestern), and 2008 (Northwestern). In 2007, the Nittany Lions played Michigan State to a 0-0 tie but lost the penalty kick battle, 4-3.
The Big Ten Network will exclusively broadcast the Big Ten Men's Soccer Tournament, providing television coverage of the semifinals and the finals. Kenn Tomasch, Richard Broad, Chris Doran, and Dean Linke will provide play-by-play coverage, color analysis, and sideline reporting.
Fans can also follow all of the Penn State soccer action at the 2009 Big Ten Tournament 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.