8 I WEDNESDAY, OCT. 13, 2010
Lions
dealing
with
mjunes
Bencsko
nearly healed
By Steven Petrella
FOR THE COLLEGIAN
Penn State women's gymnast
Whitney Bencsko's fall training
workouts have been different
from those _
she's done in
the past of her WOMEN'S
gymnastics GYMNASTICS
career.
The junior
co-captain
hyper extended
her knee last
season on Feb.
27 at Ohio State
and is still
recovering,
gradually work-
Bencsko
ing her way
back up to full
strength.
- The doctor said I have to take
my time at this point," Bencsko
said.
- I've been slowly progressing
and I started adding small
things. If things keep going this
way I should be ready [for the
season opener]."
Bencsko said she is cleared to
do any move as long as she feels
comfortable and there is no pain
in her knee. She expects to com
pete in Penn State "s first meet of
the regular season on Jan. 7 at
Alabama.
"I was doing rehab with the
trainers and getting small stuff
back so I could start getting back
to fully training," Bencsko said.
"Now I'm touching every event
every day."
Last season, Bencsko suffered
the knee injury after a dismount
off the uneven bars during the
Lions' 194.950-193.850 loss to the
Buckeyes, causing her to land on
the mat straight-legged.
First-year head coach Jeff
Thompson said he expects the
all-around gymnast to be back
competing by the time the sea
son begins.
As a freshman in 2009,
Bencsko was named second
team All-Big Ten and was a
NACGC/W first-team All-
American on vault and second
team All-American in the all
around.
Another injury concern for
Penn State is sophomore Susan
Martens, who slipped off the
back of the beam last week dur
ing practice and sprained her
ankle.
She is taking it day-by-day and
should be ready to go against
Alabama. - Typically you're in a
boot for a week or two,"
Thompson said about the injury.
See GYMNASTICS, Page 12.
Freshman quarterback Rob Bolden (1) attempts a pass vs. Illinois
- - -,-, T'S ON Tv
NCAAF
Central Florida at Marshall
8 p.m., ESPN
Q: Who is the last New York Yankees
shortstop to bat below .250 in the regu
lar season?
Monday's answer: Tom Brady has thrown
for 4,000 yards in a season 3 times.
PARK AVE. HOOLIGANS
"Hertzog's Hooligans"
Fans making an
By Andrew Robinson
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
The discussion started at
Denny's during a meal between
friends.
Brian Wrodel
sat with Corey MEN'S
Hertzog and SOCCER
Daniel Burnham,
forwards on the
Penn State men's soccer team
when conversation turned to the
famed "Lambeau Leap," which
takes place after a touchdown by
the Green Bay Packers. Realizing
the bleachers at Jeffrey Field
aren't that high off the ground,
the talk turned to goal scoring
celebrations.
Thomson remaining consistent
By Andrew Robinson
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Jackie Molinda knew last
spring Emma Thomson was
going to make for a great leader.
It was durin:
routine sprints in
training last year WOMEN'S
and Molinda was SOCCER
struggling to fin
ish them. Molinda
said Thomson, who had already
finished, jumped in and encour
aged her to push through.
Branch practicing with Pats
(AP) Together again, Deion Branch
and Tom Brady walked side-by -side to the
sunny practice field.
The Patriots new wide receiver was get
ting a crash course on plays installed since
he left in 2006 after they were part of two
NFL championships.
"I still remember some plays," Branch
said Tuesday. "They didn't call those plays
today"
The Patriots reacquired the player they
drafted in the second round in 2002 and
the MVP of the 2005 Super Bowl from the
Seattle Seahawks on Monday for a fourth
round pick in the 2011 NFL draft.
"I'm not here to replace Randy," he said.
the men's soccer team's student section pump up the Jeffrey Field crowd during the Lions' loss to Indiana
Sunday afternoon, Hertzog cel
ebrated the first of what Wrodel
hopes is many "Jeffrey Jumps."
"We just said we should do
something like that here and
"Jeffrey Jump" came to mind and
we had wanted to do it ever
since," Wrodel said. "When it hap
pened against Michigan State it
was the most glorious thing ever
so hopefully we get to see some
more of those."
Wrodel (junior-business man
agement) has been friends with
Hertzog since seventh grade and
after transferring to University
Park from Penn State Berks,
decided to start a student section
for the men's soccer team. Right
See FANS, Page 12.
This fall, Thomson, a junior co- keep an open mind to everything
captain on the Penn State that's been changing."
women's soccer team, has played Nittany Lions coach Erica
at a consistently high level despite Walsh tries to have at least one
frequent changes along the junior captain every year, and lets
defense. the players vote on captains every
As the only defensive player to spring,
start every game, it's helped the Molinda, now the starting left
junior grow as a leader. back on defense, said she voted
"The key has been to keep for Thomson in the spring and
doing what I can do, communicat- added the junior has been the
ing and organizing the back line," anchor of the defense this season.
Thomson said. "Whoever's in Thomson started the year as
there, just making sure I help the right back, but moved to Sarah Finnegao
them out and communicate and See THOMSON, Page 12. Thomson (25) pushes the ball.
Bolden still evolving at QB
By Andrew J. Cassava!!
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
The playbook is getting thicker
for Rob Bolden.
Six weeks into the season, the
freshman . uar-
terback has been
given new plays FOOTBALL
basis, while still learning the ins
and outs of being a Division I quar
terback.
Bolden's progression, statisti
cally, hasn't been much. He strug
Defense figuring out
best lineup for Akron
"They're obvi
ously the No. 1
team in the coun-
Brian Forgue knows the Akron try," Forgue said.
men's soccer team is the real deal. - They're a great
The No. 1-ranked Zips have team and doing a
outscored their opponents 26-2 en lot of things right
route to an undefeated 9-0-2 this year"
record this season. In preparing for Warming
When the Nittany Lions host such a dangerous
Akron at 7 tonight at Jeffrey Field, offensive team as
they know they'll be up against the Zips, Penn State is working to
arguably the country's most tal- figure out what defensive
ented team. See DEFENSE, Page 1?
gled last week against Illinois,
going 8-for-21 for 142 yards
most of the yardage coming on an
80-yard second quarter touch
down pass to Derek Moye.
But senior tailback Evan
Royster said Bolden has done a
good job comprehending the
schemes quarterbacks coach Jay
Paterno has been adding, and his
progression, while not apparent in
the stats, has been evident in the
huddle.
"He's calming down a little bit
back there," Royster said.
Lions wrap up fall season
Despite putting up a decent effort, the
Penn State women's golf team finished in
10th place out of 12 squads Tuesday at the
Lady Northern golf tournament in Chicago,
The Nittany Lions closed their fall season
with a total score of 915 (51-over-par), a
three-round total that ties with the per
formance at the Cincinnati Fall Classic on
Sept. 22 for the team's worst finish this sea
son.
The team fell one place after Monday's
competition, where they finished with a
two-round score of 603 (301-302), putting
them in ninth place. The Nittany Lions
struggled...
To read the rest of Katie Montgomery's
story, check out psucollegLan.com.
impact
By Mike Still
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Rematch a possibility
It happened in 2009 and there's a good
chance it'll happen again.
The New York Yankees and Philadelphia
Phißies are the most likely matchup to
come out of the League Championship
Series
The Phillies boast one of the greatest 1-
2-3 punches since the Braves had the
Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz trifecta from the
19905.
The. Yankees are riding a hot streak
including a sweep of the Minnesota IWins
and are riding high on C.C. Sabathia, Andy
Pettitte and Mariano Rivera performing as
well as they did in the most dominant
stages of their careers.
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN
----'
"They've opened up the playbook
a little bit more for him, and
they're getting him more compli
cated stuff on offense. He's still
learning. It's gonna take time
because we keep adding to the
playbook."
Bolden, who is unavailable to
the media per Joe Paterno's poli
cy, has struggled in the last three
games. He has thrown one touch
down pass during that time, and
the Lions have dropped to 3-3, win
less (0-2) in Big Ten play.
See BOLDEN. Page 11.