University Park, Pa. — Penn State will host No. 25 Ohio State (7-4-2, 2-1-0) on Saturday in a 3 p.m. match at Jeffrey Field in what promises to be a historic and memorable day for the Nittany Lion program.
In addition to the importance of the game to Penn State’s place in the Big Ten standings, Nittany Lion soccer alumni, friends, and family will gather to commemorate the program’s 100-year anniversary. Former greats and legends who are in attendance, a group which will include Hall of Fame head coach Walter Bahr, 1979 Hermann Trophy winner Jim Stamatis, and two-time All-American and national champion Dick Packer, will be honored at halftime. Representatives from eight decades of Penn State soccer are expected to be on hand for the special ceremony.
Senior Day festivities will also highlight Saturday, with Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Andres Casais (Caracas, Venezuela), Drew Cost (West Chester, Pa.), Treavor Gelsinger (Shady Grove, Pa.), and Andy Parr (Hummelstown, Pa.) scheduled to be recognized for their contributions to the program in a postgame tribute.
The pivotal conference contest will be broadcast on a tape delay basis by the Big Ten Network, with the air time scheduled for 7 p.m. on Sun., Oct. 24. Fans can also follow all of the action of the Penn State-Ohio State match on the Internet with live stats and instant scoring updates from GameTracker.
Winless in its last three games, Penn State (8-5-1, 1-2-0) will look to get back on track and make a move up the Big Ten standings when it meets the Buckeyes. In their last outing, on Wednesday evening, the Nittany Lions suffered a tough 2-1 overtime setback to UMBC at Jeffrey Field. Illness forced junior forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.) from the starting line-up but not even a weakened state could stop the Big Ten’s leading scorer, as he came off the bench in the second half to tally a goal in his fourth straight game. Freshman forward Jordan Tyler (Rochester, Mich.) recorded his first point since Sept. 17 on the play, earning an assist.
Headlined by the NCAA’s top scoring tandem, Corey Hertzog and Matheus Braga, the Penn State offense has been one of the most prolific in the nation in 2010. As a team, the Nittany Lions rank first in the Big Ten in points (96), assists (36), and assists per game (2.57). They are positioned second in goals (30) and goals per game (2.14), behind only Michigan State, a team Penn State defeated, 2-1, on Oct. 10. Individually, Hertzog, the reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, leads the NCAA, like he has for much of the year, in goals (14) and points (32). Braga, who has combined with Hertzog for a total of 49 points, ranks first in the Big Ten in assists (11) and assists per game (0.79). Junior midfielder Mackenzie Arment (Manheim, Pa.), who is second in the conference in assists with seven, midfielder Drew Cost (2 goals, 5 assists), and Jordan Tyler (3 goals, 2 assists) have also been keys to Penn State’s offensive success.
Ohio State, the preseason Big Ten favorite, has had its struggles as well of late, dropping consecutive road games to Northwestern (2-1) and Illinois-Chicago (1-0) before getting back in the win column in its last contest, a 1-0 overtime victory over Valparaiso in Columbus on Oct. 17.
The Buckeyes’ top offensive weapons are Konrad Warzycha, Austin McAnena, and Chris Hegngi. Warzycha leads the team in goals with five, three of which have come off penalty kicks, and points (10) while Hegngi ranks first in assists with three. McAnena (3 goals, 1 assist) and Hegngi each have contributed seven points. Only three other players, Sam Scales (2), Joshua Breto (1), and David Tiemstra (1), have netted goals in 2010.
Ohio State boasts the Big Ten’s No. 1 defense, anchored by the conference leader in goals against average (0.74), save percentage (.855), and shutouts (6), sophomore goalkeeper Matt Lampson. The Buckeyes, as a team, have allowed just 10 total goals, surrendering no more than two in a game this season. Seniors Matt Gold, freshman Sage Gardner, and Tiemstra, a junior, lend strong support along the back line.
Saturday’s Penn State-Ohio State match-up will be the 27th meeting between the teams, with the Nittany Lions leading the series 14-10-2. A year ago, Penn State dropped two games to the Buckeyes, falling 2-1 in the regular season in Columbus and 1-0 in the waning moments of the 2009 Big Ten Tournament championship game. The Nittany Lions are 7-3-1 all-time versus OSU at Jeffrey Field, including a 3-2 PSU win in the teams’ last meeting in Happy Valley in 2008.
Next week, the Nittany Lions begin a three-game road swing to finish out the 2010 regular season on Wed., Oct. 27 when they visit Philadelphia for a 7:30 p.m. game with No. 15 Penn (10-2-0). Penn State holds a 20-6-3 record in its all-time series versus the Quakers. A year ago, the Lions routed Penn, 5-0, at Jeffrey Field.