M. Soccer begins Ivy League season

You can sense the anticipation – the urgency – the hunger. With its eyes on the prize, the Penn men's soccer team stands like a confident mountain lion, a hunter, licking its paws after mauling the Wildcats of Villanova. Gleaming with sweat, its hind legs tensed and eager, Penn is stalking its next opponent, looking to dig its claws into some red, preferably some Big Red. The wait will not be long because tomorrow, Cornell (2-0) ventures into Quaker domain, where Penn (1-1) will be awaiting the Big Red hunted prey. The Quakers' first Ivy League soccer match of the season is upon them (11 a.m., River Field). Both Cornell and Penn have been mired in seasons of mediocrity for the last few seasons, but both teams feel that this year they can contend for the Ivy League title. Last year, the Big Red pulled out a 1-0 squeaker over the Quakers, and are looking to trip up Penn once again this year. Although Cornell head coach Dave Sarachan admits to not knowing much about this year's Penn team, he still expects a battle. "I haven't heard much about Penn other than their scores," Sarachan said. "But, I've always found the Penn team to be very organized and well-coached, and they also play with a lot of emotion. Their team will be very similar to the team we beat last year, so we are hoping to do it again. "Still, every Ivy game is going to be very intense and competitive, so I expect nothing less from the Penn game. It's going to be close." Leading the Big Red attack are four-year starters and senior captains, Stefan Greenberg (back) and Patrick Walsh (midfield) who both have one goal apiece through two games. However, the Big Red realizes that they will need a team effort to defeat Penn. "We're not the kind of team with a lot of star players," Sarachan admitted. "We're more of a team with solid all-around players, and that's how we win games." After letting the season opener against St. Joseph's slip through its grasp, Penn picked up its first win of the season against Villanova on Tuesday. Coming off the 4-1 beating of the Wildcats, the Quakers are poised to make a run at the Ivy Title. One can almost sense the eagerness and confidence of the Penn squad as it prepares for this game. The Quakers believe that the Cornell game is an important stepping stone towards their ultimate goal. "This is a game we can win if the players do what they did against Villanova," assistant coach Brian Kammersgaard said. "We should win this game. If we want to go anywhere this year, we need to beat Cornell." "The Villanova win gives us confidence," senior captain Mike Gomez said. "We got a gut-check against 'Nova when they tied the game up at 1-1. But then we put it together and buried them. Now, we are ready for Cornell and we are focused." However, it will not be an easy task to beat the Big Red. Cornell employs an offside trap defense which is something the Quakers will need to keep in mind tomorrow. When an opposing team is on the offensive, the Cornell defense frequently will pull up to catch the opposing team's players offsides. "They play tough and they work hard," Gomez said. "We need to win this game by working harder than them. We can play with anyone, but that's not our goal. Our goal is to win this game, the Ivy League, and go to the [NCAA] tournament." For the time being, Penn is riding a high, attempting to refine its skills in the upcoming games. "The players are as high as kites," Penn coach George O'Neill said. "But, we need to continue to play on our strengths and reinforce what we are good at, which will boost our confidence further." "Right now, we are psyched up," freshman forward Timothy Rusche said. Yes, the Quakers are psyched, anticipating tomorrow's game, which at the end, will reveal who is the predator, and who is the prey.