M. Soccer tangles with No. 13 Columbia

The Penn men's soccer team is feeling good after Wednesday's win over Lehigh. But the fact is, both of its victories have been against teams that could not compare in talent or skill. Quaker losses have been disastrous and their wins have been marginal. After it was blown out 5-1 in its first Ivy League contest against Dartmouth, Penn has yet to show it can compete with its peers. "[Wednesday's] game was a gut check for us," junior co- captain Steve Marcinkiewicz said. "We were playing a team we knew we could beat, but it was 0-0 for a long time." Tomorrow at noon, the Quakers will have a chance to prove themselves against Columbia at Rhodes Field. The No. 13 Lions (4-0-1, 1-0 Ivy League), who are defending Ivy League champion, have already shown they will be a top contender for the Ivy crown again. If Penn (2-2, 0-1) can pull out a victory or just keep the score close, the game could be a turning point. "Columbia is a very good team," Quaker coach George O'Neill said. "They are well coached and organized and off to a great start this season. It will be a hard match." Penn will need to tap into the defensive strength that just started to heat up against Lehigh. With junior Matt Stern and sophomore Alan Waxman putting up a tough front in the backfield, the Quakers hope to stifle the lethal Lions offense while putting themselves in position to score. "We played better defense [against Lehigh]," Marcinkiewicz said. "We gave them very few chances. [With Columbia] the defense has to give the midfield more time to create chances, more time to look around and get the ball in the net. The roots of the game are in the defense." The Quakers' stagnant offense will also have to kick into high gear. The Quakers won't be able to get away with 18 shots before scoring like they did with Lehigh. Penn will need to capitalize on every opportunity it can muster. "The boys have to concentrate and do the things they are good at doing," O'Neill said. "We are good at getting the ball in the penalty box, but we have to finish. I'm looking for all to step up. It's time to stop talking and waiting for someone else to do it." Along with Marcinkiewicz, the Quakers will need offensive leadership from leading scorer Pat Larco, and the healthy return of sophomore Max Englehardt. Hard work from the whole squad will be necessary to back up their scoring runs. "To beat Columbia, we have to outwork them," Marcinkiewicz said. "The work rate has to be better than it has been, but we can play with them."