After appearing in 10 matches this season and playing eight minutes in Penn State’s 2-2 draw against Wisconsin on Saturday, midfielder Vladislav Cherny was expected to remain part of the team’s plans for its upcoming clash against Duquesne on Wednesday, October 28. However, his future with the Nittany Lions now looks uncertain after he was reportedly arrested on Sunday on two charges.

Dominick Pizzelanti, a sports commentator with the Big Ten Network, shared the news on X on October 26, writing, “BREAKING: Penn State Men’s soccer’s Vladislav Cherny was arrested yesterday on charges of public drunkenness and evading arrest/detention on foot.” He also shared a link to the public court summary relating to Cherny’s case, available through the Pennsylvania Judiciary Web Portal.

According to Penn State CommRadio, the program later issued a statement following the initial publication of the report, saying, “We are aware of these charges and take this matter seriously. As this is a legal matter, we cannot comment further.” The team had not announced a decision regarding Cherny’s future on the roster at the time of reporting, leaving his status for Wednesday’s match unclear. The charges remain allegations and do not establish guilt.

The situation comes just months after Cherny began his collegiate career at Penn State. The midfielder from Bielefeld, Germany, joined Penn State’s 2026 roster under head coach Rob Dow and made his collegiate debut against Yale on September 4. The Nittany Lions secured a 1-0 victory, with Joe Buckley scoring the decisive goal in the 50th minute.

Cherny gradually contributed to the team’s attacking play, recording three assists during the season. He set up Morgan Marshall’s goal in a 2-1 defeat to Indiana on September 25 and helped create Etienne Reck’s goal in a 4-2 loss to UCLA three days later. His third assist came against Northwestern on October 16.

Cherny’s reported arrest adds another concern for Penn State during a difficult campaign. The Nittany Lions suffered a 5-0 defeat to Rutgers on October 20 before drawing 2-2 with No. 13 Wisconsin four days later. After nine Big Ten matches without a win, they remain at the bottom of the conference standings. Interestingly, Cherny’s reported arrest comes at a difficult time for Penn State, which is also dealing with uncertainty surrounding defender Joe Sheridan

Penn State faces more uncertainty as Joe Sheridan’s injury adds to the team’s concerns

Penn State is already facing further uncertainty over defender Joe Sheridan’s availability after the sophomore appeared to suffer an injury against Wisconsin on October 24. Sheridan had earlier scored the equalizer in the Nittany Lions’ 1-1 draw against Northwestern on October 16, converting a rebound from Cherny’s shot in the 80th minute. However, he received a red card late in the match and missed the subsequent fixture against Rutgers through suspension.

Sheridan returned against Wisconsin on October 24 but was substituted off in the first half and did not return. The nature and severity of the apparent injury remain unclear, leaving his availability for Wednesday’s match against Duquesne uncertain.

The situation adds to Penn State’s challenges as the team continues to search for its first Big Ten win. With Cherny facing reported legal charges and Sheridan’s fitness in question, the Nittany Lions could have further availability concerns ahead of their next fixture. The two situations are separate, and the university has not announced any disciplinary action against Cherny.