There are enough examples of the dreaded "sophomore slump" to give credence to the saying. When baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays won the rookie of the year award in 1951, one could bet that he didn't expect to bat .236 with four home runs in 1952.

But Penn State men's soccer forward Richard Costanzo won't get the chance to test out the theory in his sophomore year, as he will redshirt this season. The decision was made recently after he saw his surgeon, Dr. Christopher Harner, late last week.

Costanzo has been out all season with a torn meniscus, injured while training with the Columbus Crew during the summer. His potential return had been up in the air -- while he said he wanted to make a healthy return, it was anticipated he would most likely miss the season.

Now, however, he's been told not to run for another month, at which point returning would be inconsequential. By the time he trained back into game shape, it would be nearly the end of the regular season. Theoretically, he may have been ready for December's Big Ten championship tournament, but the risk of further damage was too high.

"My thoughts toward him are: Heal it well, then get back on track with your career once you're fully healthy," Penn State men's soccer coach Barry Gorman said. "We've had a couple of situations here where kids have had surgical repairs, come back, and it's taken them at least a year [to return], beyond the year after the surgery."

The finality of the decision is a reminder of the potential Costanzo would have added to the team's offense. In scoring eight goals on the season through 11 games and 142 shots, it has been the team's sore spot all season.

With four goals and seven assists, he was named the 2004 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and to the Under-18 U.S. National Team the previous summer.

"I would have liked to have helped us in the losses [this season]," Costanzo said. "I understand how it is. I mind, but I'm not gonna rush into anything."

For the time being, Costanzo will be able to concentrate on what he can do to stay in shape, specifically low-impact exercises like cycling. It's a course of action that comes down safely on the side of caution, so he will not miss any more time than he needs to.

"It's just best that I redshirt and come back stronger next year," Costanzo said.

That's offensive

On something of a scoring binge of late, with three goals in his last two games, freshman forward Jason Yeisley was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.

Yeisley is the team leader in both goals and points, with five and 12 respectively. The team likes the threat he and fellow forward Omekanda bring to the Lions' attack. The Big Ten also seems to like it, as Omekanda won the same honor the week before.

The duo has been by far the most effective approach on the attack this season for the Lions, scoring seven of the team's eight goals.

Injury updates

Defender Markku Viitanen did not make the trip to Akron on Monday with a knee injury, a potentially crushing injury given the leadership and experience he gives to Penn State's back line. If he practices today and tomorrow, the team believes he should be OK to get back in action Friday against Northwestern.

The Lions hope to get more good news when team doctors examine sophomore Grady Renfrow. Renfrow twisted his knee when he planted his cleat during last Friday's game vs. Indiana. Though he played Monday vs. Akron, he tweaked it some and the team wants to make sure he's good to go before stepping back on the field.

Last to be examined will be junior midfielder Jeff Chambers, who had to exit the Akron game because his nose was bleeding so badly it would not stop -- the team wants to make sure it's not broken.