Oct. 9, 2010
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State will continue Big Ten play on Sunday afternoon when it battles No. 18 Michigan State (8-2-0, 1-1-0) in a pivotal conference clash at 3 p.m. at Jeffrey Field. The Nittany Lions are seeking their first league win after early narrow losses to Indiana and Michigan.
Earlier this week, Penn State (7-3-0, 0-2-0) earned its first home shutout of the season on a slick, rain-soaked Jeffrey Field, blanking BIG EAST leader Villanova, 1-0, on Wednesday evening.
Senior midfielder Drew Cost (West Chester, Pa.) scored the non-conference contest's lone goal in the 20th minute, his second of the season. Junior midfielder Mackenzie Arment (Manheim, Pa.) earned his sixth assist of the year on Cost's game winner. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Brendan Birmingham (West Chester, Pa.) recorded his first career shutout, making three saves.
Through the 2010 season's first half, Penn State has established itself as one of the nation's most prolific offensive squads. Heading into this weekend's action, the Lions, as a team, lead the Big Ten in points (80), goals (25), goals per game (2.50), assists (31), and assists per game (3.1). Headlining the PSU attack is junior forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.) and senior midfielder Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Hertzog ranks No. 1 in the Big Ten in points (24), points per game (2.40), goals (10), and goals per game (1.00) while Braga is tops in assists (10) and assists per game (1.00). Junior midfielder Mackenzie Arment (Manheim, Pa.) has also been a key to Penn State's offensive success, tying for second in the league in assists (6) and assists per game (.60).
Michigan State is coming off a 2-0 non-conference win over New Hampshire on Wednesday, upping its 2010 record at home to a perfect 5-0-0. The Spartans, which currently sit in third place in the conference standings, knocked off Northwestern, 2-0, in their Big Ten opener on Sept. 26 but suffered a 2-1 setback to Ohio State on Oct. 3 in Columbus. The MSU attack is productive, ranking second in the Big Ten with 22 total goals, and balanced with nine players with goals, led by Domenic Barone's team-high five. Spencer Thompson (3 goals, 5 assists) and Cyrus Saydee (2 goals, 6 assists) have also been important factors in the offense. All-Big Ten goalkeeper Avery Steinlage spearheads the Spartan defense. The Hermann Trophy candidate possesses a 1.03 goals against average and has earned four shutouts.
Penn State owns a 17-8-2 record in its series with Michigan State. In 2009, the Nittany Lions used an early goal by Matheus Braga to gain a 1-0 regular season victory in East Lansing and got a hat trick from Corey Hertzog to down the Spartans, 3-0, in the Big Ten Tournament. Penn State is 5-4 all-time versus MSU at Jeffrey Field.
Fans can follow all of the action of the Penn State-Michigan State match on the Internet with live stats and instant scoring updates from GameTracker or with a live video webcast on BigTenNetwork.com. Find links on the official website of Nittany Lion athletics, www.GoPSUsports.com.
Penn State's challenging October schedule continues on Wed., Oct. 13 when 2009 NCAA runner-up and No. 1-ranked Akron (8-0-1) first visits Jeffrey Field for a 7 p.m. contest. The Nittany Lions are 13-12-5 versus Akron all-time but has gone winless versus the Zips in their last five meetings, including last season's 3-0 road loss. Penn State will then return to Big Ten competition and to the road next weekend, traveling to Evanston, Ill. to clash with Northwestern (5-4-1) on Sun., Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. ET. The Lions have dominated the series with the Wildcats, winning 21 of 26 games.
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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