Sept. 5, 2010
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Junior forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.) scored in the 88th minute to propel the Penn State men's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over the College of Charleston (0-2) on Sunday afternoon on the final day of the Wolstein Classic in Columbus, Ohio. With the win, the Nittany Lions capture the 2010 Wolstein Classic title and earn their first 2-0 start since the 2000 season.
Hertzog received Wolstein Classic Most Valuable Player honors for his standout performance this weekend while Drew Cost (West Chester, Pa.), Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), and Andres Casais (Caracas, Venezuela) were named to the all-tournament team.
Hertzog's goal was his team-high third of the season and his second straight game winner. Senior midfielders Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Drew Cost (West Chester, Pa.) were credited with assists on the play. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Warren Gross (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) earned his second consecutive shutout, preserving it with three saves. Penn State outshot the College of Charleston 22-5 for the game, including a 10-3 advantage in shots on goal.
Penn State controlled pace and possession for the game's outset and peppered the College of Charleston with 12 shots in the first half. Eight of those 12 shots made it in goal, including three by Hertzog. Cougar goalkeeper Kees Heemskerk made several saves but got some help from his teammates, as defenders cleared away three balls of the line. Despite the Nittany Lion offensive onslaught, the teams went to the break knotted at 0-0.
Most of the second half played in much the same way as the first half did with Penn State dictating play but narrowly missing opportunities. Freshman Jordan Tyler (Rochester, Mich.) nearly gave the Nittany Lions the lead in the 73rd minute when his shot glanced off the crossbar. Four more chances came before Penn State was finally able to break through with just over two and a half minutes remaining.
Drew Cost gained possession from 35 yards out, made a move around a C of C defender to get space and spotted Hertzog making a diagonal run into the box. Receiving Cost's flick in, Hertzog slid a grounding shot past the charging goalkeeper to the far post for the game winner.
"It was going to take that kind of goal today," said Penn State head coach Bob Warming. "They cleared three balls of their back line and their team battled. We played well but some days goals come in bunches like they did on Friday but, today, it was more of a fight."
The Nittany Lions begin their 2010 home schedule next weekend by welcoming 2009 Big Ten title winner No. 18 Ohio State (2-0-0), defending Patriot League champion Bucknell (1-1-0), and Binghamton (0-2-0) to Jeffrey Field for the annual Penn State Classic. On the first day of play, Fri., Sept. 10, Ohio State will take on Binghamton (5 p.m.) to be followed by Penn State facing Bucknell (7:30 p.m.). Day two action, scheduled for Sun., Sept. 12, will pit Ohio State versus Bucknell (noon) and Penn State against Binghamton (2:30 p.m.). Admission to the Penn State Classic and to all home men's soccer games is free.
NOTES: Penn State outshot its opponents by a 41-7 margin this weekend at the Wolstein Classic...Just two of the opponents' seven shots came in the second half...Corey Hertzog game winning goal versus C of C was the ninth of his career...Warren Gross' shutout today was the 12th of his career...Bob Warming upped his career win total to 385...Seven different Nittany Lions have at least one point through the season's first two games...Ohio State also finished the Wolstein Classic with a 2-0 record but Penn State was awarded the tournament championship based on goals scored (PSU 6, OSU 3).