Oct. 26, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's soccer team will begin a regular-season ending, three-game road swing on Wednesday evening when it travels east to Philadelphia for a 7:30 p.m. contest with No. 14 Penn (11-2-0) at the Quakers' Rhodes Field. The Nittany Lions, which are ranked No. 12 in the latest RPI rankings, are 4-1-1 away from home this season and are 7-3-0 in non-conference action.
Senior forward Treavor Gelsinger (Shady Grove, Pa.) scored in the 97th minute to lift Penn State (9-5-1) to a come-from-behind 2-1 overtime victory over Big Ten rival No. 25 Ohio State on Saturday afternoon at Jeffrey Field. Gelsinger's golden goal was his first of the season and his first since 2008, when he led the Nittany Lions with six. The thrilling finish capped off a memorable and historic day for the program, as alums from eight decades returned to Happy Valley to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Penn State soccer.
Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) also starred on his Senior Day, scoring his fourth goal of the season and notching his NCAA-best 12th assist. Sophomore forward Daniel Burnham (Boise, Idaho) tallied his first point as a Nittany Lion, earning an assist on Braga's second half equalizer. Junior forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.) had his four-game goal streak snapped versus the Buckeyes but, with seven shots, moved eight of breaking the single season Penn State shots record set by Hermann Trophy winner Jim Stamatis in 1977 (95).
Penn's rapid turnaround from its 6-8-3 2009 finish can largely be attributed to its stout defense. Quakers' opponents have scored a total of just six goals in 13 games and have not netted more than one in any game. Penn has recorded five consecutive shutouts, all wins, and has not allowed a goal in an impressive stretch of 485:52. Senior goalkeeper Ben Berg headlines the unit, ranking fourth in the nation in save percentage (.889) and seventh in goals against average (0.45).
The Quakers' offense features five players with three or more goals, led by freshman forward Stephen Baker's seven. He also ranks first on the team in points with 16 but has gone five straight contests without adding to that total. Junior midfielder Christian Barreiro leads Penn in assists with five. Sophomore midfielder Travis Cantrell (4g, 3a), senior midfielder Loukas Tasigianis (3g, 1a), and junior defender Thomas Brandt (3g) have also been key contributors on the attack.
Penn State holds a 20-6-3 record in its all-time series with Penn. A year ago, on the strength of two goals by Jason Yeisley and two assists from Corey Hertzog, the Nittany Lions routed the Quakers, 5-0, in University Park. In its last meeting with Penn in Philadelphia, in 2008, Penn State suffered a 3-0 setback.
Fans can follow all of the action of the Penn State-Penn match on the Internet with live stats and instant scoring updates. Find a link on the official website of Nittany Lion athletics, www.GoPSUsports.com.
Next week, the Nittany Lions will finish out their 2010 regular season schedule, beginning on Tues., Nov. 2 when they visit Easton, Pa. for a 7 p.m. match with Lafayette (6-6-3). Penn State owns a dominating 28-2-1 record in its series with the Leopards. The Lions will then play their Big Ten finale later in the week on Sat., Nov. 6 when they travel to face Wisconsin (1-11-2, 0-3-1) at 8 p.m. ET at the McClimon Soccer Complex. Penn State has lost four straight to the Badgers in Madison.
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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