University Park, Pa. — Four members of the Penn State men’s soccer team have been honored for their standout 2010 seasons with awards from the Big Ten Conference, the league office announced on Thursday (Nov. 11). Junior forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.) and senior midfielder Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) were unanimously named First Team All-Big Ten while senior midfielder Drew Cost (West Chester, Pa.) earned second team honors and redshirt freshman Brendan Birmingham (West Chester, Pa.) was recognized on the conference all-freshman team.
In 2010, Corey Hertzog firmly established himself as one of the nation’s most talented and prolific offensive players. His 16 goals place him in a tie for the Big Ten lead and his 37 points in 19 games are the most by a Nittany Lion since Chad Severs totaled the same number in 26 games in 2002. Hertzog’s five game-winning goals are also conference best. Late in the 2010 season, he broke the Penn State record for shots in a season (103), surpassing the previous mark owned by Hermann Trophy winner Jim Stamatis (95). An All-Big Ten Second Team honoree in 2009, Hertzog is Penn State’s leading active scorer, totaling 29 goals and 13 assists (71 points) in 57 career games.
Hertzog has captured national attention for his exceptional 2010 season, receiving TopDrawerSoccer.com National Player of the Week (Sept. 19), Top DrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week (Aug. 30 & Sept. 19), College Soccer News National Team of the Week (Sept. 5 & 19), and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 18) honors. He was also named tournament MVP of the 2010 Wolstein Classic and to the Penn State Classic All-Tournament Team and was the Philly Soccer News Player of the Week for Sept. 5.
Matheus Braga has teamed with Hertzog to provide Penn State with one of the nation’s most dynamic and productive offensive tandems. With 14 assists this season, he tops the Big Ten and stands as the program’s all-time single season leader; a record achieved Thursday in Penn State’s first round Big Ten Tournament victory over Northwestern. Possessing a total of 25, Braga also resides in seventh place on the Penn State career assists list. He is currently second on the team in goals (5) and in points, amassing a career-high 24. In 53 career games, Braga has recorded 49 points (12 goals, 25 assists).
Receiving both national and conference recognition for his stellar play throughout the 2010 season, Braga, who was also a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection in 2009, was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week on Oct. 31 and was honored as Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 20.
A 2010 team co-captain, Drew Cost has been a major factor in the success of the Penn State attack this season from his central midfield spot. Starting all 17 games in which he has played, missing two games only due to a foot injury, he has helped the Nittany Lions emerge as one of the Big Ten’s top offenses, totaling 38 goals and a conference-best 46 assists and 122 points. Cost ranks third on the team with a single season career-high five assists and fourth in points with nine. One of his two goals was a game winner, lifting Penn State to a key 1-0 victory over Villanova on Oct. 6. A starter of 64 games of the 73 in which he has appeared, the 2009 Second Team All-Big Ten selection has compiled 28 career points on nine goals and 10 assists.
Also a standout in the classroom, Cost was named to the CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District Second Team earlier this month and has been an Academic All-Big Ten honoree in each of the past two seasons.
Taking over Penn State’s goalkeeping duties near the midpoint of the season, Brendan Birmingham has flourished in net, posting a 7-2-1 record in nine starts with two shutouts. In 952-plus minutes, he has recorded 28 saves while compiling a 1.13 goals against average.