The Penn State men's soccer team was dealt another loss on Saturday -- this time a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Boston University -- and added to its ever-expanding injury report in the process.
The most recent casualty: junior forward and co-captain Jason Yeisley.
Yeisley, whose 16 points lead the Big Ten this year, collided with a Boston player in the 15th minute. Yeisley's knee was hit on a clearing attempt, sending him to the turf in agony.
"When he was yelling and screaming we knew it was bad," Nittany Lions defender Andres Casais said. "You could feel the pain in the whole stadium."
Yeisley didn't return to the game. He is scheduled to have an MRI today to determine the extent of the injury, but Penn State coach Barry Gorman said that team trainers believe Yeisley suffered a tear of his lateral collateral ligament (LCL) with a possibility of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) damage, as well.
Yeisley battled knee and foot injuries over the last year, but entered the season fully recovered. This most recent setback has the forward frustrated, but he is trying to think positively.
"I'm keeping as optimistic as possible," Yeisley said. "Until the doctors come back and tell me what the word is, I won't know the deal."
The Lions, who were down 1-0 at the time after Boston forward Shaun Taylor scored in the 11th minute, were forced to play the rest of the game without their leader in almost every statistical offensive category. Yeisley leads the team in points, assists, goals, shots and shots on goal.
"Jason is not only our main forward, he's our captain and we really need him," Penn State forward Jacobo Vera said. "I don't know what's going to be the deal with his knee, but we have to deal with it."
Vera got Penn State back in the game when he scored in the 77th minute off a pass from midfielder Frank Costigliola to tie the game at 1. Briefly, it was a game again. But the Terriers jumped back on top just three minutes later with a Samuel Appiah goal that would prove to be the game-winner.
Penn State has now gone three straight games without a win. With Yeisley now on an injury list that includes defenders Geordie MacNeill and Andrew Parr, things aren't going to get easier for the banged-up Lions.
"Stuff happens," Gorman said. "You have to deal with it and move on. It's up to the other players to step in."
The Lions were once again hindered by a slow start against Boston. By letting up a goal in the first 11 minutes, they dug themselves a hole that they struggled to get out of. Slow starts have plagued the team all season, and some of the players are attributing it to a lack of mental focus.
"We don't pick up the pace early in the game," Vera said. "When you start 1-0 down, it's very difficult to come back again and focus in the game."
Gorman attributes Penn State's woes to having a makeshift lineup rather than a lack of energy.
He insists that the Lions are still a good team that has suffered some bad breaks throughout the year.
If Yeisley has to sit out for an extended period of time, or possibly the entire season, Gorman's task becomes even tougher.
"It's a case of guys having to get the job done," Gorman said. "You can call it mental or whatever, but you have to get the job done."
