Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516624
M A R C H 2 0 2 4 13 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M for me where I've had a lot of experi- ence, especially from my time in New York at Syracuse." Lustig will also oversee national re- cruiting of specialists and any other area the program needs him to handle. When it comes to the transfer portal, Lustig, like Franklin, said he does not believe Penn State needs to be overly invested. It's always an option, though, and PSU has pulled a number of out- standing specialists out of the portal in recent years, including last year's start- ing placekicker, Alex Felkins, and re- turning junior punter Riley Thompson. Another transfer, Chase Meyer, will vie for the placekicking job in 2024, with Felkins having departed. When it comes to scholarship spe- cialists, they may be few and far be- tween moving forward. But that's al- ways class- and talent-dependent. "I think each university is a little bit different [regarding the portal]," Lustig said. "I'm feeling my way through that right now. But I think we've got to do a great job of recruiting the best special- ists in PA. And at that position, histori- cally, it's very difficult to get a scholar- ship out of high school, even if you're one of the best specialists. "I believe that we're going to be able to recruit preferred walk-ons and do a good job of getting really good walk-ons here that, down the road, can develop and compete for jobs." ■ Brianna Brooks — Women's Ice Hockey Brooks was one of the key players in Penn State's sprint to the College Hockey America regular-season title. A senior transfer from the University of New Hampshire, she has twice been named CHA Forward of the Week, most recently for her performance in Penn State's two-game series at Robert Morris. Brooks finished with 4 points in those games, tallying 2 goals and an assist in the series opener Feb. 9, which ended in a 4-4 tie. She followed with a goal in Penn State's 4-3 overtime loss the next day. Through PSU's first 34 games, the Whitby, Ontario, native was second on the team in points (31) and assists (17) and was tied for second in goals (14). Toby Ezeonu — Men's Volleyball For the second time this season, Ezeonu was saluted by the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. The senior middle blocker from North Brunswick, N.J., was named EIVA Player of the Week after excelling in back-to-back road wins over 15th-ranked Princeton. Ezeonu hit .846 with 11 kills and 3 aces in the Nittany Lions' 3-1 victory over the Tigers on Feb. 16. The following night, he had a career-high 5 aces in the Lions' 3-0 sweep. Four of his aces came in Penn State's 26-24 victory in the first set. Earlier this season, Ezeonu was named EIVA Defensive Player of the Week for his role in leading the Nittany Lions to a pair of wins over No. 1 Ohio State. Ma Maloney — Baseball A junior catcher who spent his first two collegiate seasons at Dayton, Maloney made an impressive debut in blue and white. During Penn State's opening weekend, he went 5 of 8 at the plate, with a home run, 11 RBI and 3 runs scored. Maloney drove in 3 runs to lift the Lions past Monmouth, 6-5, in their season opener Feb. 16 at Cary, N.C. He also had 3 RBI the next day in a 4-3 win over Army, and he belted a two-run homer in a 12-4 victory over the Black Knights on Feb. 18. The Windham, N.H., native was named Big Ten Player of the Week for his role in Penn State's 3-1 start. Bridget Nemeth — So ball The freshman from Glendora, Calif., got off to a remarkable start for the Nittany Lions. Nemeth was the winning pitcher in four of Penn State's five games at the season-opening Paradise Classic in Boca Raton, Fla., Feb. 9-11, and she earned a save in the fifth game. In 19.1 innings pitched at the tournament, she compiled a 1.09 ERA, allowing just 13 hits and 3 walks while striking out 14. Nemeth struck out 3 batters and didn't allow a hit in two innings of relief work against 16th-ranked Arkansas on Feb. 10, earning the win in PSU's 3-2 triumph. She was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week after spearheading the Nittany Lions' 5-0 start to the season. — Matt Herb PENN STATE'S TOP PERFORMERS The Justin Lustig File Age: 45 Hometown: Erie, Pa. College: Bucknell, '00; B.A. English and his- tory; George Washington, '05; M.A. human resource management Family: Wife, Beth; sons, Samuel, Henry COACHING EXPERIENCE 2024-present: Penn State (special teams coordinator/outside linebackers/nickels) 2021-23: Vanderbilt (special teams coordi- nator/tight ends) 2018-20: Syracuse (special teams coordina- tor/outside receivers) 2017: Syracuse (special teams coordinator/ running backs) 2016: Edinboro (head coach, 9-2 record) 2011-15: Ball State (special teams coordi- nator/running backs) 2009-10: Louisiana Lafayette (special teams coordinator/running backs) 2006-08: Eastern Illinois (special teams co- ordinator/running backs) 2004-05: Christopher Newport University (special teams coordinator/defensive backs/ recruiting coordinator) 2003: Villanova (cornerbacks) 2001-02: Christopher Newport University (defensive backs)