His name was on just about everyone's pre-season All-America, All-Big Ten and All-everything list.

Yesterday everyone finally saw why.

"I've been waiting for that," Simon Omekanda said in his best "it's about time" voice. "A game where I could get a couple opportunities and help my team out and put them in the back of the net."

The senior forward bullied the Buffalo defense yesterday, torching the Bulls for Penn State's first two goals, his second and third of the year, and assisting on the third that squashed any hopes of a comeback for the Bulls.

The game was his first multi-goal performance of the season, and the fourth in which he's had an assist.

Of all his offensive weapons, including a few ankle-breaking moves and a shot that could dent a brick wall, Omekanda's speed is scariest.

"He's probably one of the fastest players in the country," goalkeeper Conrad Taylor said. "There are not a lot of defenders that are going to be able to stay with him. When he's on his game and when he's able to run at people he's very dangerous."

With how dangerous Omekanda can be, it was just about getting the right ball played to him, head coach Barry Gorman said.

For weeks, the right balls were nowhere to be found. Yesterday, there were two, each showcasing one of the aforementioned weapons.

With less than ten minutes remaining in the first half, midfielder Chris Germani tracked down a ball in the corner to the right of Buffalo goalkeeper Daniel Bell and launched it up in front of the net. Omekanda, who was far from the tallest player in the box, at only 5-feet, 8-inches, pulled the ball down off his chest and before it could hit the ground, flicked a shot over Bell's right shoulder into the side of the net.

The goal that put the fans on their feet came only a couple minutes into the second half. Omekanda was hovering around midfield, watching Buffalo try to work the ball into the box, when his speed took center-stage.

Before most people watching knew what was happening, Omekanda was in a footrace with Bulls' defender Herbert DeLeon. It was no contest.

"I think Alex Wentzel stole it and played a perfect ball," Omekanda said. "I just tried to stay onside. I had one-on-one from there and just tried to push it by."

Bell was beaten again when a streaking Omekanda got him to slide before poking the ball into the right half of the net.

The fleet-footed forward's performance would be considered overdue if it weren't for the plague of injuries that has hobbled his fellow forwards.

"You're trying to give Simon that partner that can complement him," Gorman said. "It's tough at the moment because all the forward options are hurt or they're inexperienced."

Yesterday might have solved that problem.

"One of the keys today was we got someone up there working with him to take a little bit of pressure off him, doing more work so he's doing more attacking," Taylor said.

Omekanda, humble as always, deflected the praise to his teammates coming off the bench.

"As a striker, a lot of times you need people to provide you the balls," he said. "A lot of people stepped up and had good games. You put a couple in [the net] and you get confident. And we can build on this because, as a forward, it's all about confidence. Now we know we can score."