Nov. 15, 2010
2010 NCAA Championship bracket
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State was awarded the No. 15 seed and earned a first round bye for the 2010 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship when the tournament field was revealed on Monday afternoon live on ESPU. The Nittany Lions will face the winner of the Virginia-Old Dominion game in a second round match-up on Sun., Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. at Jeffrey Field.
Penn State (13-7-1) is coming off a strong showing as hosts of the 2010 Big Ten Tournament, advancing to the title game for the second consecutive season after defeating Northwestern (3-1) and conference regular season champion Indiana (2-1). The Nittany Lions fell to Michigan, 4-1, in the championship match. Junior forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.) scored three goals and had an assist while senior midfielder Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) tallied three assists to earn spots on the all-tournament team.
Penn State posted a 7-5 record at Jeffrey Field this season, including wins over nationally ranked opponents Michigan State, Ohio State, and Indiana. The Nittany Lions also battled No. 1 Akron into double overtime before falling on a penalty kick with less than three minutes remaining.
Virginia (11-5-3), which received an at-large bid, was ranked nationally in the top 10 for much of the 2010 season rising as high as No. 2 for three weeks early in the year. The Cavaliers finished in a sixth place tie in the highly competitive ACC in 2010 with a 2-4-2 record and were eliminated in the semifinals of the conference tournament by Maryland. Virginia is making its 30th-consecutive NCAA appearance.
Old Dominion (9-6-2) was also the recipient of an at-large bid after finishing in a tie for fourth place in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Monarchs have three wins over teams that made the NCAA Championship field, including a victory at home over the tournament's No. 4 seed, North Carolina.
Virginia will host Old Dominion at Klöckner Stadium at 7 p.m. on Thurs., Nov. 18 in Charlottesville. Should Virginia advance, it would mark the second consecutive year that Penn State hosted the reigning national champion in the second round of the tournament. A year ago, the Nittany Lions faced 2008 title winner Maryland.
A year ago, Penn State returned to the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2005, earning the No. 7 seed. Hosting the Terrapins at Jeffrey Field, the Lions fell, 2-1, in a hard-fought and tightly contested second round showdown. Overall, the Penn State program possesses a 24-28-1 record in NCAA postseason play.
First-year Penn State head coach Bob Warming has been a fixture in the NCAA Championship throughout his career. During his four-year stint at Saint Louis, he guided the Billikens to four consecutive NCAA appearances, including a College Cup run in 1997. At Creighton, Warming's Bluejay teams earned NCAA Championship berths in 11 of 14 years, including the second College Cup appearance of his career in 2002.
Tickets for the second round contest are $8 for adults and $5 for students. Advanced tickets can be purchased at the Bryce Jordan Ticket Center starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. Tickets will be also sold at the gate beginning one hour prior to the game.