Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.) has been selected as the Philly Soccer News Player of the Year for 2010, as announced on the outlet's website on Wednesday evening. In related news, the junior forward finished second in the voting for the Soccer News Network National Player of the Year award.
The nation's leader in goals and points in 2010, Hertzog recently decide to forego his senior year at Penn State and sign a contract with Generation adidas. He will participate in the upcoming Major League Soccer Player Combine, scheduled for Jan. 8-11 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and will be available for selection by MLS teams in the 2011 SuperDraft, which is set for Jan. 13 in Baltimore, Md.
In 2010 Hertzog, an NSCAA First Team All-Great Lakes Region selection and Second Team All-American, emerged as the nation's most dangerous striker on one of the NCAA's top attacking units, 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 in 2010, tied for the most in Big Ten history. Hertzog's 46 points positioned him in second place in the Penn State and Big Ten record books, trailing only Dick Packer (50, 1955) and Indiana's Aleksey Korol (50, 1999), respectively.
Highlighting Hertzog's season were several standout efforts, including a seven-point (3 goals, 1 assist) outburst in a 4-1 win over Old Dominion in a second round contest of the 2010 NCAA Championship, the program's first NCAA postseason victory since 2005.
Hertzog finished his career ranked 13th on Penn State's points list, totaling 80 points (33 goals, 14 assists) in three years (61 games).