A 20-month absence from regular season action did little to slow Jason Yeisley.
In his first week of game action since October 2007, the team captain announced his presence with a bang, netting three goals and an assist in three games.
For his prolific opening week, Yeisley was named co-Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday and added Soccer America Men's Player of the Week -- a national award -- yesterday. That honor included a spot on Soccer America's Team of the Week.
After coming up with a charley horse in his leg during the second half of his two-goal effort last Tuesday against St. Francis (Pa.), Yeisley showed no ill effects over the weekend at Ohio State's Wolstein Classic.
Friday night, he tallied Penn State's only goal in a 2-1 overtime loss to Cal State Fullerton. The goal came in the 30th minute off a cross from sophomore midfielder Mackenzie Arment, and gave the Nittany Lions a short-lived lead.
In Sunday's finale, Yeisley dealt with the team's first lineup change of the season, a change brought on by midfielder Matheus Braga's injury Friday. Yeisley played a shallower, more defensive role, and Treavor Gelsinger and Corey Hertzog split time at striker.
The changes didn't alter Yeisley's output, however, as he registered the assist on Hertzog's 89th-minute game-winning goal.
"For things to click into place so quickly I think is marvelous," coach Barry Gorman said. "I think Jason would be the first one to say if it weren't for his teammates he wouldn't have [won] this."
Goalkeeper Warren Gross, who's been making Yeisley's goals stand up with an .818 save percentage through three games, noted the boost the fifth-year senior has given the team.
"The ability that he has to strike fear whenever he gets the ball, it's really imposing to other teams," Gross said. "He's really been taking it to other teams and finishing and helping us out a lot."
When asked about the honors, Yeisley immediately deflected praise to his teammates.
"It's really a team award," he said. "They gave it to me for the three goals and the assist, but if you look at every one of those plays, all three of my goals were just one-touch shots inside. I haven't done anything fantastic; I've just been part of the team and been lucky enough to get on the end of those three shots."
