Feb. 4, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Rising seniors Andres Casais (Caracas, Venezuela) and Drew Cost (West Chester, Pa.) have been selected to serve as team captains for Penn State men's soccer team for the 2010 season.
"Andres and Drew are tremendous student-athletes and they embody everything that is good about Penn State Soccer," said head coach Barry Gorman. "I am convinced they will be outstanding captains who will represent our program in an exemplary fashion both on and off the field."
Casais was a mainstay on the Penn State defense in 2009, standing as one of three Nittany Lions and the only defender to start all 22 games. Returning from a broken orbital bone that cost him seven games in 2008, he proved his toughness and durability by serving as the team leader in minutes played. Patrolling the back line from his central defense position, Casais played a major role in securing nine shutouts a year ago. For his standout season, he was selected First Team All-Big Ten, becoming Penn State's first defender to earn the conference honor since Ben Dawson in 2001, and Third Team NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region. Casais, a 48-game career starter, will be the centerpiece of a Penn State back line that returns all four starters and two significant contributors for the 2010 season.
Also an excellent student, Casais, a Energy, Business, and Finance major, has earned Academic All-Big Ten honors twice and was a Academic All-America candidate in 2009.
In the starting line-up for 20 of the 21 games in which he appeared, Drew Cost was a steady force in the midfield for Penn State in 2009, earning Second Team All-Big Ten recognition. An offensive-minded midfielder, he was a part of an attack that netted 37 goals, Penn State's most since 2004. Cost scored a career-high three goals, ranking fourth on the team, and also finished fourth in points (8). For his career, he has started 49 games, totaling seven goals and five assists. In 2010, Cost will team with First Team All-Big Ten selection Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Mackenzie Arment (Manheim, Pa.), and Matt Smallwood (Cochranville, Pa.) to form a dangerous midfield unit.
Also highly successful in the classroom, Cost, an Economics major, is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and was a Academic All-America nominee in 2009.
The 2010 season will be a special one for the Penn State men's soccer program. It will mark its 100th year of existence with a season-long celebration that will begin this spring and culminate in the fall with a weekend of events including a reunion reception and a banquet surrounding a key Nittany Lion game versus a Big Ten rival. Information, announcements, and any updates will be posted to the GoPSUsports.com website as they are solidified and become available, along with special historical features throughout the season. In 2010, Penn State will also serve as hosts of the Big Ten Tournament (Nov. 11-14) for the third time since joining the conference in 1991.