M. Soccer looks to spoil celebration

Talk about being a partypooper. Dartmouth men's soccer coach Bobby Clark had better enjoy his birthday cake, because he'll have to deal with a poised and confident Penn team who will certainly not be singing Happy Birthday to him. The Quakers (0-1 Ivy League, 2-2 overall), coming off of a dominating win over then-No. 14 Philadelphia Textile, host perennial soccer power Dartmouth (2-0 overall) on Sunday at River Field (1 p.m.). While it is Clark's birthday, Penn isn't exactly lining up at the door with presents in hand. Clark and Penn men's soccer coach George O'Neill go back a while. They played against each other in Europe, and this match should revive some old rivalries. "I'm looking forward to seeing Bobby," O'Neill said. "Let's hope it's not too happy a birthday for him." Things are looking good for the Quaker squad. Penn defeated Textile 4-2 on Wednesday – a convincing victory that catapulted the spirits of team members and evened the Quakers' record at .500. "Anytime you have 27 shots on goal, you know you're doing something right," Penn assistant coach Brian Kammersgaard said. "Our guys have been doing very well." Without much time to bask in its success, Penn will try to move up to the next level as the Big Green is currently ranked No. 12 in the Intercollegiate Soccer Association of America. "It's a good test for us right now," senior captain Mike Gomez said. "We're 2-2 and if we come out and win this one – there we go, on a roll." Winning this one will definitely be a challenging task for the Quakers. Dartmouth defeated Penn last season 3-2 (in OT) and entered 1993 sitting atop the New England preseason poll and 12th in the nation. In 1992, the Big Green won the Ivy League title for the third time in five years and made their second trip into the NCAA quarterfinal round in three seasons (losing 3-0 to eventual national champion Virginia). Dartmouth has returned a veteran unit, seasoned with big-game experience. The team won its first two contests of this season, defeating Providence (4-1) and Vermont (1-0), though neither foe is considered to be of powerhouse stature and neither is an Ivy League rival. "Ivy League games are always tough," Kammersgaard said. "They're always decided by one or two goals." While Dartmouth did lose two of its starting midfielders to graduation – Ivy player of the year Justin Head and four-year starter Geoff Wheeler – the Big Green are still well endowed across the field. Senior tri-captain Blaine LeGere returns at midfield and will be joined by newcomer Methembe Ndlovu, a member of Zimbabwe's under-20 national team. The team's two other captains – sweeper Ian Saward and left back John Faubert – anchor a solid backfield, and David Moran, last year's Ivy Rookie of the Year, heads the attack. But Penn isn't fazed by the abundance of talent on the Big Green's roster. After all, the Quakers virtually controlled a formidable Textile team for an entire half, while unleashing a barrage of their own shots. "If we go out there with the same intensity as we did against Textile, we'll be all right," Kammersgaard said. "I don't think [the Big Green] know what to expect from us and I think we have a surprise for them when they come." And Penn hopes its surprise will be much to the chagrin of Clark and the rest of the Big Green on Clark's big day.