Dec. 18, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The 2010 season for the Penn State men's soccer team was momentous in several respects. It ushered in the Bob Warming head coaching era. The program celebrated its 100th year of play. Penn State hosted the Big Ten Tournament for the third time ever. The season was also memorable for the team's success and its accomplishments. The Nittany Lions won 14 games, the program's most since 2002. Penn State advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game for the second straight year. The Lions earned a second consecutive NCAA Championship berth for the first time since the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Penn State won its first NCAA Championship game since 2005, defeating Old Dominion, 4-1, in the second round at Jeffrey Field.
Detailed below is a collection of additional milestones and memories from the 2010 Penn State men's soccer season.
Offensive Firepower
Penn State fielded one of the most prolific offenses in the nation in 2010. The Nittany Lions finished the season ranked No. 8 in the NCAA in goals scored, recording 45, the most by a PSU team since 1995 (59), and their 54 assists led the Big Ten. Penn State was nearly unstoppable on the attack, as it was shutout just twice, the fewest by a Nittany Lion team since 1995. Junior forward Corey Hertzog and senior midfielder Matheus Braga formed a historically productive partnership, combining to total 73 points, the most by a PSU tandem since Stuart Reid (37) and Travis Berger (35) together had 72 in 1995.
Records Fall and Others Threatened
Corey Hertzog and Matheus Braga made their mark in the NCAA stat rankings and etched their names in the Penn State and Big Ten record books with their exceptional 2010 offensive seasons. Hertzog led the nation in goals (20) and points (46) while Braga ranked in a first place tie with 17 assists. Hertzog set the program record for shots in a season (115) and the six game winning goals which he tallied for the second consecutive season ranks second in program history. His 46 points rank him second in the Penn State record book behind Dick Packer (50 in 1955) and second in Big Ten history behind Indiana's Aleksey Korol (50, 1999). Hertzog's 20 goals place him in a fourth-place tie in the Penn State record book (Jim Stamatis, 1977), behind only Dick Packer (24, 1955), Jack Pinezich (23, 1952), and Bill Fiedler (21, 1957) and in a first place tie in the Big Ten record book (Dema Kovalenko, 1997 and Aleksey Korol, 1999). Matheus Braga's 17 assists were both a Penn State and Big Ten single season record.
Awards and Accolades
Several Penn State players were recognized and decorated for standout 2010 seasons. Corey Hertzog, the nation's leaders in goals and points, was a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten, NSCAA First Team All-Great Lakes Region, and NSCAA Second Team All-America selection, and was nominated as a Hermann Trophy semifinalist. He was named the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Player of the Year and a First Team All-American by College Soccer News. Matheus Braga, the NCAA leader and Penn State and Big Ten single season record holder in assists, earned unanimous First Team All-Big Ten honors for the second consecutive season and was an NSCAA First Team All-Great Lakes Region and NSCAA Second Team All-America honoree. Senior midfielder Drew Cost joined Hertzog and Braga as an All-Big Ten selection, receiving second team honors for the second straight year. Brendan Birmingham, who started 14 of the last 15 games of the season at goalkeeper, earned All-Big Ten Freshman Team recognition. Senior defender Andres Casais was a Lowe's Senior CLASS Award candidate.
Attendance on the Rise
Spurred by the team's on-the-field success, its efforts to attract new fans through appearances around campus, and the advent of a student cheering section, Jeffrey Field became the place to be this fall in Happy Valley. Penn State's average attendance at home games in 2010 was 1,842, more than three times what it averaged in 2009 and the most this decade by nearly 700 fans per contest. The Nittany Lions drew the second most fans in the Big Ten, behind only Indiana (2,271), with a total of 23,951 Penn State faithful turning out to their 13 home games this season.
Road Progress
For Penn State to makes strides as a program within the Big Ten and on the national stage, it was essential for the Nittany Lions to improve their road record. As a special point of emphasis for head coach Bob Warming in his first season, Penn State did just that, claiming four true road victories, equaling the number it won in the past four years combined. The Lions surrendered just six total goals in eight road games and earned three shutouts. If two neutral site wins over Buffalo and the College of Charleston at the Wolstein Classic in Columbus are included, Penn State outscored its opponents, 17-6, and posted a 6-3-1 record in games played away from home in 2010.
Success in the Classroom
Upholding its commitment to producing true student-athletes, Penn State's success extended off the field and into the classroom in 2010. The Nittany Lions earned the NSCAA Team Academic Award by posting a collective GPA of 3.07. Individually, Andy Parr was selected to the CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District First Team while Andres Casais and Drew Cost received second team honors. In addition, a conference-leading nine Nittany Lions were recognized with Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Strength of Schedule
Penn State steeled itself against the NCAA's top competition in 2010, facing one of the nation's most challenging schedules. Of the 18 teams the Nittany Lions played in the regular season, more than half, 10, including six nonconference opponents, qualified for the NCAA Championship - Akron, Bucknell, College of Charleston, Denver, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn, and UMBC.
100 Years of Penn State Soccer
Penn State commemorated its 100th anniversary in 2010, honoring the players, coaches, and teams whose contributions have defined the program over the last century. On Oct. 23, a total number of alums nearing 100 strong, including representatives of eight decades of Penn State soccer, were welcomed home to Happy Valley to celebrate the centennial. Highlighting the day was Penn State's thrilling overtime win against Ohio State. Senior forward Treavor Gelsinger made his final regular season game at Jeffrey Field an unforgettable one and sent the alums in attendance home with a fond memory of the eventful day, as his overtime goal in the 97th minute propelled the Nittany Lions to a thrilling 2-1 victory over the No. 25-ranked Buckeyes. At halftime of the contest, alums who had returned were recognized on the field in a special ceremony. Following the game, current and former Nittany Lions, friends, and family gathered together for a banquet, bridging the past and the present one final time for the weekend. The 2010 senior class, head coach Bob Warming, former All-American and national champion Dick Packer, and legendary Hall of Fame coach Walter Bahr addressed a captive audience, sharing memories of the past and visions of the future.
Other Season Notes
- Fifteen different Nittany Lions, or 75 percent of the field players that saw action in 2010, registered at least one point. Twelve players scored goals, nine of which had two or more. Twelve players notched at least one assist.
- Twelve Nittany Lions, not including freshmen or first-year players, either tied or set a total of 27 single season personal highs in goals, assists, or points.
- Penn State recorded at least one assist on 39 of its 45 goals (one own goal, two penalty kicks) this season. In other words, the Nittany Lions scored just three unassisted goals in 2010.
- Penn State went 17 games into the 2010 campaign before suffering its first and only shutout, a 1-0 blanking in the regular season finale with Wisconsin. The last time a PSU team had a longer stretch without being shutout was in 1982 when Walter Bahr's Nittany Lions were held scoreless until their 23rd and final game of the season, a 2-0 NCAA Tournament loss to Philadelphia Textile.
- Corey Hertzog is also the only PSU player to have six or more game winning goals in consecutive seasons. With 13 for his career, he ranks in an eighth place tie in the Big Ten record book.
- Corey Hertzog's seven points versus Old Dominion (3 goals, 1 assist) are the second most by a player in a single game in Big Ten history (7 tied with 8, 6 others tied with 7). Hertzog, however, is the only player to make the list based on a NCAA Championship game performance.
- With nine assists, junior midfielder Mackenzie Arment ranked second in the Big Ten. - Jordan Tyler's 13 points were the most by a Penn State freshman since Jason Yeisley totaled 24 in 2005.