M. Soccer tries to fit together

BY SALIM MITHABY SALIM MITHADaily Pennsylvanian Sports Writer Today at 2 p.m., the Quakers (4-7-1) will once again embark upon the challenge at hand as they host Big East rival Seton Hall (7-6-3) at Rhodes Field. The Pirates have beaten Penn in three consecutive meetings, and are looking to extend the streak with a win this afternoon. Meanwhile, the Quakers are hoping to use today's match as a springboard for their upcoming weekend matches against Princeton and Dartmouth. With three victories to close out the campaign, Penn can salvage the season and finish at the .500 mark. With this in mind, the Quakers realize the importance of defeating Seton Hall in order to achieve their goal for the season. "The next three games are important for us, both individually and as a team," sophomore Greg Sexton said. "We have to prove something to ourselves and these three games give us that opportunity. We know we still have what it takes and we have to realize that." Penn will have the home-field advantage for its final three games, but it will need more than familiar surroundings to defeat the Pirates. Seton Hall is on a roll, winning five of its last seven games, including a victory against a Columbia team who defeated Penn earlier this season in overtime. The Hall boasts a consistent offense and a sturdy defense. The Pirates have five starters who are in double figures in points for the season, while Penn's only double-digit point-man is senior forward Kossouth Bradford (four goals and three assists, good for 11 points). The Pirate "D" features a platoon at the goalie position, which has met with considerable success. Junior John Maffeo and freshman Eric Shaw have limited the opposition to 1.15 and 2.14 goals per game, respectively. Seton Hall, however, does not underestimate the Quakers, despite past success against Penn. "Every game on our schedule is a tough one," Seton Hall coach Manfred Schellscheidt said. "We just can't pencil in a victory against any team, especially not against Penn. The games against Penn have always been very competitive and luckily we have been able to pull off a few victories against them...but it could go either way [today]." The Quakers are hoping it goes their way, though. However, if they want to come away victorious, the Quakers realize that they cannot be as lethargic as they were against Yale this past weekend. On many occasions, Penn defenders were caught napping by the Elis, and it was a common sight to witness several Penn players burned by one or two opposing players. "It's a breakdown of concentration and communication that kills us," Penn coach George O'Neill said. "When people do not fulfill their responsibilities, we end up losing. Our players know themselves and know what they can do. They just have to do it during the game." The Quakers were able to put it together two Sundays ago when they shut out a nationally-ranked Brown team. Penn points to this game as its inspiration, and uses this upset as a reservoir from which to draw confidence and hope. "During the season, our players learn certain things, and you see them put everything they have learned together on the field at certain times," O'Neill said. "Against Brown, they put it all together. The positive thing is that if you have done it once, you know you can do it again. We have done it before – we have communicated and concentrated as a team and have won." Like the pieces of the puzzle, when assembled correctly, the entire work seems complete and yields a favorable result – victory. For Penn however, the pieces have seldom come together before the clock runs out. For this season only three more chances remain for the Quakers. The questions remains?can the puzzle be solved?