Aug. 21, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - First-year head coach Bob Warming had a successful start to his Penn State career, as his Nittany Lions downed visiting Hartwick, 3-1, in an exhibition game on Saturday night at Jeffrey Field.
Freshman Jordan Tyler (Rochester, Mich.), who earned the start in his first collegiate game, sophomore Rafael Faria (Miami, Fla.), and senior Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) each netted goals for Penn State. In all, five different Nittany Lions notched points in the win. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Warren Gross (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) went the distance between in the pipes, totaling six saves, including one key stop in the second half, in 90 minutes of work.
After near miss scoring opportunities by Braga and junior forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.), Hartwick drew first blood on its first shot of the game. Awarded a free kick from 20 yards away on the left wing, Hartwick defender Owen Botting struck a perfect ball to the far post just over the leaping reach of the 6-3 Gross, giving the Hawks a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute.
Penn State answered back with the equalizer just over 11 minutes later. Hertzog fed a beautiful through ball to Tyler, who was on a free run through the Hartwick defense. With the Hawks goalkeeper committed and on the ground, Tyler easily pushed past him and sent a grounding shot into net from 10 yards out.
The Nittany Lions then took their first lead of the game in the 41st minute. Matheus Braga started the play by drawing a foul near the elbow just outside of the box, earning a free kick. Senior midfielder Drew Cost (West Chester, Pa.) took the kick but put a shot directly into the wall. The ball bounced directly back to him, which he immediately passed off the Braga. Locating junior midfielder Mackenzie Arment (Manheim, Pa.) open in the box, Braga found him with a pass. After a move to get open, Arment sent a cross into the box that connected with an unmarked Rafael Faria, who headed the ball into net.
Less than one minute into the second half, Penn State nearly went up by two when Mackenzie Arment corralled a loose ball near midfielder after a Hartwick turnover. Arment fed a pass to Corey Hertzog, who had gotten behind the defense. With the Hawks goalkeeper off his line, Hertzog chipped a high, arcing shot that sailed just inches above the cross bar.
Warren Gross took center stage in the 53rd minute, coming through in the clutch with a game-changing play. Hartwick was awarded a penalty kick after John Gallagher (Pine Bush, N.Y.) was whistled for taking down a player in the box, setting up Gross' heroics. The Hawks' Steven Amaya attempted to put his shot into the lower left of the net but Gross turned him away with a diving save.
Matheus Braga finished off the scoring for Penn State and for the game in the 71st minute. Wide open from 22 yards out, Braga surprised the Hartwick goalkeeper with a well-aimed, left-footed blast that found net in the lower left corner.
Penn State outshot Hartwick, 18-11, for the game and owned a 5-3 advantage in corner kicks.
The Nittany Lions will conclude their preseason schedule on Sat., Aug. 28 when they face No. 20 Louisville at the Shindigz National Soccer Festival in Fort Wayne, Ind. in a 6 p.m. contest. Penn State will begin regular season play the following week on Fri., Sept. 3 (5 p.m.) when it meets Buffalo at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus as part of host Ohio State's Wolstein Classic. The Lions will conclude participation in the Buckeyes' annual tournament on Sun., Sept. 5 when they battle the College of Charleston at 12 p.m. for the first time in program history. A reminder to fans that on Sun., Aug. 22, the Penn State men's team, in conjunction with the PSU women's squad, will co-host a free youth clinic and autograph session at 2:30 p.m. on Little Jeffrey Field, allowing fans and youths of all ages to meet the teams and learn instruction from two of the foremost coaches in college soccer.