Reading United A.C. and Penn State forward Corey Hertzog will forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility and enter the 2011 MLS Draft as a member of Generation adidas.
Not long after his interview on Monday’s Reading United Soccer Scene TV show, Hertzog declared his intentions of making the jump to the next level of his soccer career.
“My three years at Penn State were the best three years of my life,” Hertzog wrote to a Penn State alumnus, “I am going to leave Penn State early and go into the draft with Generation adidas. I can honestly say that it was the hardest decision that I have ever made in my entire life.”
Generation adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young soccer talent in the United States. The program encourages early entry of American players into MLS. In addition, players are provided with money to continue their education.
Hertzog is expected to be a first-round selection in the 2011 MLS draft, with SoccerbyIves.net ranking him the 11th-best prospect available in this year’s class.
“I am very thankful for the opportunity provided by Reading United’s staff and coaches,” Hertzog said via phone. “I enjoyed the chance to train, play, and be exposed to a higher level with some of the top collegiate talent in the country. Reading United helped me to build the confidence to make me the player I was this season.”
A native of Reading, Hertzog firmly established himself as one of the nation’s most talented and prolific offensive players in 2010. His nomination (along with Reading teammate Andrew Wenger) as a semi-finalist for the MAC Hermann Award cemented his status as one of the top forwards in the nation.
Hertzog finished the season with 16 goals, which placed 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 were also a conference best.
Hertzog also received numerous accolades throughout the season, receiving TopDrawerSoccer.com’s National Player of the Week honors on Sept. 19 while also being named to Top DrawerSoccer.com’s Team of the Week twice (Aug. 30 & Sept. 19) and College Soccer News National Team of the Week twice (Sept. 5 & 19). He was also named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week once (Oct. 18).
Hertzog was also named tournament MVP of the 2010 Wolstein Classic, selected to the Penn State Classic All-Tournament Team and named the Philly Soccer News Player of the Week for Sept. 5.
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