Soccer teams go opposite directions over break

Men take trip to Florida to face top-ranked squads The Penn men's soccer team left for its fall training trip yesterday, while juniors Pat Larco and Andrew Kralik headed home. But Penn's top scoring leader and co-captain goaltender are far from quitting. The Quakers are all going to Miami today to face Florida International -- Larco and Kralik's home ground. The duo will see many familiar faces on the opposing side. Current Florida International coach Karl Kremser coached Larco and Kralik for six years. While Larco and Kralik attended high school at Gulliver Prep in Miami, they played soccer for the Miami Football Club, which was headed by Kremser. Many of Larco and Kralik's former club teammates passed directly into the ranks of the Golden Panthers after graduating from high school. "It will be a lot of fun," Larco said. "They are a very, very good team. They are very confident and disciplined." Confidence and discipline are just the factors Penn (3-3, 1-2 Ivy League) has been missing. Pulling out a victory against the nationally ranked Golden Panthers (10-1-1) will not come easy. But then again, the Quakers have a penchant for rising to the occasion against top teams. The Quakers defeated No. 13 Columbia Oct. 1. In fact, no one knows what to expect from the Quakers. One game they come out sloppy, and in the next they play with the kind of finesse championships are made of. The Quakers have alternated wins and losses all season, regardless of the other team's quality. "We are 3-3 right now, and we shouldn't be," Larco said. "I don't know what the problem is. If there is a switch you could flip, I wish I could find it." Penn will need to come out with the same kind of confidence they had in the Columbia game, but they have been walking with their heads down since last weekend's loss to Dartmouth. "We are very disappointed after the last game," coach George O'Neill said. "But the boys are looking forward to the trip. We will try to get focused -- our concentration has been our biggest problem." Penn received another blow this week when sophomore Max Englehardt quit the team. The starting forward has recently been plagued by a leg injury, and has been spending more time on the Quaker bench. Although Englehardt was unavailable for comment, O'Neill said Englehardt left due to academic reasons. "It is definitely a loss," O'Neill said. "But he's got to do what is right for him." With Englehardt out of the picture, senior Brian Brown will likely be stepping in as he has been in the last two games. The Quakers will finish the weekend Sunday against Florida Atlantic (2-9) in Boca Raton. "We are taking the games very seriously," O'Neill said. "It is another chance to to learn more about our strengths and weaknesses. October is going to be a tough month for us."