Oct. 17, 2010
EVANSTON, Ill. - The Penn State men's soccer team had to settle for its first tie of the season on Sunday afternoon, drawing with Northwestern (6-5-2, 1-1-1 Big Ten), 1-1, at Lakeside Field in Evanston, Ill. For the Nittany Lions, it was their second straight double overtime affair, after falling to Akron in the 107th minute on Wednesday night, and marked the second consecutive year that their match-up with the Wildcats ended up in a 1-1 draw.
Junior forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.) provided Penn State (8-4-1, 1-2-1 Big Ten) with its lone score of the conference contest, netting his Big Ten-leading 13th goal of the season. Senior midfielder Drew Cost (West Chester, Pa.), who missed the previous two games due to injury, returned to the line-up and earned his fifth assist of the season on the play.
The Nittany Lions struck first, taking a 1-0 lead exactly 39 minutes into the game off a scramble in front of the Northwestern goal. After Hertzog hit the crossbar with a shot, freshman forward Jordan Tyler (Rochester, Mich.) had a good look blocked. With the Wildcats unable to clear their line, the ball came out to Cost, who popped the ball into the box to Hertzog. Spinning around a defender, Hertzog hit a volley that found net just under the crossbar from five yards out.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Northwestern responded just 41 seconds later. Off an entry pass from Scott Lakin and a cross from Piero Bellizzi, Kyle Schickel put in his second goal of the year to the far post.
Penn State regrouped in the second half, controlling pace and possession. The Nittany Lions limited the Wildcats to just two total shots but could not net the game winner.
Penn State outshot its opponent for the 12th time in 13 games, holding an 18-13 advantage over Northwestern.
Penn State returns to Happy Valley for its final home stand of the 2010 regular season, beginning on Wed., Oct. 20 when the Nittany Lions face UMBC (6-4-2) for the first time in program history at 7 p.m. at Jeffrey Field. On Sat., Oct. 23, Penn State will host conference rival No. 16 Ohio State (7-3-2, 2-1-0) in a rematch of the 2009 Big Ten Tournament championship game that will air tape delayed on the Big Ten Network (Sun., Oct. 24, 7 p.m.). Game time is set for 3 p.m.
In addition to the pivotal match-up between the Nittany Lions and the Buckeyes on the pitch, the weekend promises to be special for another significant reason. Penn State soccer alums, friends, and family will gather to honor and commemorate the program's 100-year anniversary. Alumni in attendance will be honored in a ceremony at halftime of the game.
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PENN STATE TO HOST 2010 BIG TEN MEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT
From November 11-14, Penn State will host the 2010 Big Ten Tournament at Jeffrey Field. The Nittany Lions have hosted the annual conference postseason event on three occasions, with the last coming in 2002. Call 814-865-5555 (Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.) to order tickets or download a ticket order form