M. Soccer begins heart of schedule

After its 2-1 win over La Salle, the Penn men's soccer team has been waiting. And waiting. Finally the time has come. Let the rest of the season begin. "The players worked hard in the preseason, building up to games," Penn coach George O'Neill said. "We went in against La Salle and won. Now there's a 10-day delay when they're back facing each other again in practice. It's like another preseason." Ten days later, the Quakers (1-0) are ready to take on anyone. They faced alumni Sunday, defeating them easily. The first collegiate opponents to face the healing and resurgent Quakers will be American (3-3-1). The team travels to Washington today. "American has a technical squad, very quick," senior captain Keith Amen said. "We'll be trying people in different positions to try to compensate for their speed, and attacking strong, to get our hits in early. We want to show them we're for real, not a team to be taken lightly." Though the Quakers were shut out 3-0 by the Eagles at home last season, they are not worried. Penn believes it has improved immensely over the summer, and is out for revenge. "Last year, American was the only team that thoroughly beat us in all areas of the game," sophomore forward Max Englehart said. "This is a different team with a new mentality, but we definitely haven't forgotten." Though the Eagles are mainly sophomores, the team is very strong in the midfield and up front. They are also a faster squad than the Quakers. Some players, like seniors Ignacio Tirado from Lima, Peru, and Kingston, Jamaica, native Andrew Graham, have had international playing experience. To rise to the challenge, Penn will switch players out of their usual positions. "We need to win the midfield battle," O'Neill said. "We will use our own creativity to get into their end of the field, and hopefully get quality passes to the front men. Our passing certainly has improved in training, but the ultimate test is the game itself." The Penn defenders, especially sophomore Alan Waxman and junior Matt Stern, will have a tough job ahead, attempting to neutralize the Eagle forwards. They, along with the rest of the Quakers, are extremely confident. They feel American is beatable, and this year Penn has the players to do it. "I don't really fear anyone faster than I am," Stern said. "I've got a job to do. If we play our defense organized -- the way it's suppose to be -- we can play with anybody. In our eyes, the season starts now. We want to redeem ourselves from last year." In last year's game, the Quakers found themselves unable to capitalize on what few opportunities they had. The 10 days of practice, focusing on passing and finishing, or putting the ball in the goal, should ensure there will be no repeat poor performance. "Last year we were at a point where we'd let ourselves be intimidated," junior co-captain Steve Marcinkiewicz said. "They're a team that's respected. To beat American will put us on the map." The Quakers' game plan is remarkably simple -- to play the best soccer they can and win the game. "We want to cause some turnovers and wreak some havoc," freshman defender Bradley Copeland said. "Look for us to surprise a lot of people this year. I'm not saying we can go all the way, but we can definitely open some eyes."