University Park, Pa. — Junior forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.) and senior midfielder Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) have been selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-America Second Team.
Hertzog and Braga were previously honored on the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region First Team, continuing the Penn State men’s soccer tradition of excellence, as Nittany Lions have been received all-region recognition on 66 occasions. For Braga, the regional award is the second of his career after earning second team honors in 2009.
In the Penn State program’s 100th year of existence, Hertzog and Braga combined to form one of the nation’s most prolific scoring tandems, putting together a record-breaking offensive season. They teamed to total 73 points, the most by a pair of Nittany Lions in a single season in program history, edging out Stuart Reid and Travis Berger, who amassed 72 in 1995.
In 2010, Hertzog burst onto the national scene by putting together the most productive offensive season by a Nittany Lion in 55 years and one of the greatest in Big Ten history.
The Hermann Trophy semifinalist and unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection netted an NCAA-best 20 goals this year, the most by a Penn State player since all-time leading scorer and future Hermann Trophy winner Jim Stamatis equaled that mark in 1977. Hertzog’s goal total also ranks him fourth in the program record book behind only Bill Fiedler (21, 1957), Jack Pinezich (23, 1952), and Dick Packer (24, 1955) and positions him in a first place tie for the most goals in a single season in Big Ten history with Indiana’s Dema Kovalenko (1997) and Aleksey Korol (1999). With 13 career game winning goals, including a Big Ten-leading six this season, the second consecutive year in which he reached that mark, he resides in eighth place on the Big Ten’s all-time list.
With 46 points, Hertzog sits in second place in the Penn State and Big Ten season points rankings, trailing only Packer (50, 1955) and Korol (50, 1999), respectively. In 2010, he also established himself as the all-time Penn State record holder for shots in a season, totaling 115, shattering Stamatis’ 33-year old mark of 95.
Hertzog, who has totaled 80 points (33 goals, 14 assists) in three years (61 games), good enough for 13th on Penn State’s career list, currently leads the nation in three major offensive statistical categories, points per game (2.09), total points (46), and total goals (20).
In recognition of his exceptional 2010 season, Hertzog was honored as the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Player of the Year and was named First Team All-America by College Soccer News. During the season, he earned three national player of the week awards and was selected to six national teams of the week. Hertzog was also recognized as the MVP of the Wolstein Classic and on the Big Ten Tournament All-Tournament team.
A unanimous First Team All-Big Ten honoree in both 2009 and 2010, Braga etched his name in both the Penn State and Big Ten record books this year, becoming the single season leader in assists, totaling an NCAA-best 17. Leading the Nittany Lions in assists all three of his seasons in Happy Valley, Braga notched a total of 28, ranking him in a fourth-place tie with Neil Piper (1991-93) on the PSU career assists list. In 57 career games, the native Brazilian recorded 52 points (12 goals, 28 assists).
In honor of his standout senior year, Braga was recognized on the TopDrawerSoccer.com and Goal.com Third Team "Team of the Season" and was selected Third Team All-American by College Soccer News. During the season, he 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. Braga was also selected to the Big Ten Tournament and Wolstein Classic All-Tournament Teams.
Braga has received an invitation to participate in the 2011 adidas Major League Soccer Player Combine, scheduled for Jan. 8-11 at Central Broward Regional Park in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
