2012 Penn State Thread

Three of the Penn State losses this year were to Akron, Georgetown and Indiana -- all in close games, and the Indiana loss was in overtime. One of the other losses was to the Michigan State team that won the Big Ten tourney. But the loss that killed Penn State in terms of rankings was to Lehigh, a 1-0 loss with 60 second left in the game, and with PSU down to 10 due to a straight red ... but whatever ... they should have got that W, no excuses. That was probably the main killer in terms of Penn State not making the NCAAs this year.

 

The thing that killed PSU was the weak schedule that resulted in an RPI ranking of #49, placing them behind the likes of Villanova, Loyola, etc. Beyond the Lehigh game, blowing a 2-goal lead against Ohio State with 10 minutes remaining also kept PSU from reaching 10 wins and the outright Big Ten title, and by extension a NCAA bid. PSU really didn't have any high profile wins, as you noted they lost to the top teams they played, and I would disagree that the Akron game was close, Akron controlled that match. At the end of the day, I maintain that the Big Ten regular season crown masked an otherwise lackluster season.

 

I know all about the media guide hubbub. The spring guide from 2011 included the entirety of JoePa's career stats and is the last piece of published material that will include them. I don't want this to devolve into a rehashing of the last year's events, and please don't read this the wrong way because I'm not making light of anything or suggesting my fandom in any way compares to what transpired, but the NCAA erased my entire history with PSU football. I began grad school in 1998 and had season tickets ever since starting then (I had gone to one game the year before), so essentially all those memories and wins and losses and amazing plays are gone. Again, it pales in comparison to what Sandusky took from those children, but it's weird to have a 15-year history with a team erased.

 

" ... If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools ... "

R. Kipling

 

Very sad news regarding the loss of Mack Brady of State College, PA, an 8 year old goalkeeper whose dream was to play soccer for Penn State one day. Mack is the son of Christian Brady, Dean of Penn State's Schreyers Honors College, and Elizabeth Brady, a professor at Penn State. A Penn State soccer scholarship has been established in Mack Brady's memory. In announcing the scholarship, Dean Brady said that through such an annual award to a Penn State soccer player his son "will, in some sense, 'be on the field' that he had hoped to play on someday ..."
https://www.shc.psu.edu/news/news_item.cfm?id=221
http://www.kochfuneralhome.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=1891453&fh_id=12859

 

Article from the Penn State student newspaper about the new scholarship named for Mack Brady, the young goalkeeper and Penn State fan who tragically passed away. Includes quotes from PSU head coach Bob Warming and former PSU coach Walter Bahr ... http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2013/01/07/Soccer_scholarship_to_Brady_.aspx

 

http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/011413aae.html

 

from the Penn State soccer webpage:

" The Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer selected Penn State defender John Gallagher with the 30th overall selection of the MLS Supplemental Draft Tuesday afternoon.


The Nittany Lion left back played in 54 games while starting 36 contests. Gallagher (Pine Bush, N.Y.) was selected as a captain for the 2012 Penn State squad that captured the program's first Big Ten regular-season championship since 2005. After transitioning to left back from midfield as a senior, Gallagher posted a career-high five points on three assists and a goal while handling set piece responsibilities on the way to earning first-team All-Big Ten honors.

Gallagher is the sixth Penn State player to be drafted into the MLS in program history. Mark Fetrow was the most recent draftee before Gallagher, going in the fourth round of the 2012 Supplemental Draft. Before Fetrow, Corey Hertzog was selected by the New York Red Bulls in the first round of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft with the 13th overall pick and Drew Cost was taken by Real Salt Lake in the second round of the supplemental draft.

Jason Yeisley, the 2009 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, became the second three years ago when he was chosen by FC Dallas with the sixth pick in the third round of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. Ted Gillen was Penn State's first MLS draftee, selected in the sixth round (59th overall) by the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in 1996 in the league's inaugural draft.

A proven developer of professional talent, Penn State head coach Bob Warming has had at least one of his players selected in every MLS draft since the league's inception in 1996 and is the only college coach to do so."

 

A few of Warming's players from Creighton are still playing in the MLS.

 

Simon Omekanda drafted in 2007.

 

Ricardo Villar no longer appears on FC Dallas' roster, meaning if Gallagher doesn't stick, PSU will have nobody in MLS. This isn't too surprising considering that Nittany Lions have made zero impact in the league: Villar's 28 games and 2 goals leads the way for former Penn Staters with Ted Gillen having appeared in 15 matches and Jason Yeisley and Corey Hertzog tied with 5 league appearances each. Have any other former Nittany Lions appeared in a MLS game? Doesn't look like it:

http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/msoc-in-the-pros.html

 

One former Penn Stater re-signs with MLS, another let go:

Corey Hertzog signs with Vancouver Whitecaps
http://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/2013/01/vwfc-add-paulo-jr-heinemann-hertzog

Ricardo Villar released by FC Dallas
http://www.fcdallas.com/news/2013/01/fc-dallas-waives-ricardo-villar-and-james-marcelin

Good move for Corey, the Red Bulls were not a good fit with Henry, Cooper, and LeToux (last season, that is) ahead of him in the pecking order, so hopefully he gets a chance to make some noise with Vancouver. He's still just 22 years old and played very well in USL-PRO. On the other hand, gotta wonder if this is the end for Villar, he's 33 years old and missed a lot of games with injuries (granted, one was an unfortunate tackle that took him out while he was playing well). In any case, should be interesting to see if John Gallagher sticks with Chicago, but there will be at least one Nittany Lion in MLS in 2013.

 

More on John Gallagher being drafted by the Chicago Fire from the PSU student newspaper ... http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2013/01/23/soccer_player_going_to_MLS.aspx

 

In first spring scrimmage, Penn State beats Wright State 3-1 ... here is the report from Penn State's student newspaper: http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2013/03/18/Spring_Soccer_game.aspx

 

Good start to the spring but interesting to see that 2 of the 3 goals came from guys that won't be there next fall. With 15 returning field players that don't have a ton of experience, I would think it be beneficial to play these guys a lot, not seniors that can't help the program down the road.

 

I think only one of the goals was socred by a senior who won't be there in the fall, although a senior who won't be there in the fall also did assist on one of the other goals, if that's what you are referring to.

 

Sorry about that. I read that Cardona set the goal up and counted that as one of the 2.

 

Why do they even bother playing guys in spring ball who won't be there next year?

 

I have seen it happen if the squad gets short-handed by injuries. They are already playing without next year's Freshmen.