Baker gets last laugh over George Mason

For the upperclassmen on the men’s soccer team, last Friday’s victory over George Mason was vengeance after their 2008 NCAA tournament loss to the Patriots.

For freshman Stephen Baker, it was something else.

Baker, who has emerged as the Quakers’ top scorer this season, considered playing for George Mason but turned down the Patriots when he was told that he would not receive playing time until his sophomore season.

Joke’s on them.

Baker’s history with George Mason made his first-half goal — en route to a 2-1 Quakers overtime win — even more special.

During the offseason, coach Rudy Fuller described this year’s recruiting class — which includes several All-Americans and Olympic Development program players — as “a talented class which should make an immediate impact on our team.”

And while other freshmen have performed well on the field, Baker has stood out for his uncanny ability to create scoring chances and finish them off. He has 24 shots so far this season, more than double anybody else on the team.

The Fairport, N.Y., native originally stood out during the recruiting process because he “seemed to have a nose for the goal,” Fuller said. He has not disappointed in this regard — he already has four goals through the first four games of the season.

Whereas Fuller was attracted to Baker early on, Baker’s decision to play for Penn came only after visiting several other schools.

“My goal was always to go places where I wouldn’t be able to without [playing] soccer,” he said, noting that Penn’s strong academics gave it the advantage over other schools. “As much as I care about soccer, I am just one injury from soccer being over.”

Baker has attributed his quick transition to college play to two key factors: his participation in a soccer residency program in Iowa this summer and the chemistry he forged with his teammates early on.

Prior to coming to Penn nearly a month before classes to train, Baker lived in Iowa and played in a development league with college-aged players.

Because of his summer experiences, Baker said he “was already kind of used to the speed of play and the physicality” of the college game.

He believes that this comfort on the field allowed him to get settled in quickly and bond with his teammates.

“We definitely have really good chemistry, and when we play like we can the chemistry shows,” said Baker.

National soccer pundits have also taken note, voting the Red and Blue No. 22 in the top 25 poll for the first time since 2008.

The only other Ivy team to make the list was No. 6 Harvard, who won the Ivy League last year and advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.