M. Soccer falls to Tigers

PRINCETON, N.J. -- Penn defender Alan Waxman laid on his back on the sidelines. Ten minutes remained in the men's soccer game against Princeton, and the sophomore defender could not play. His heavily taped right thigh had finally given out, and Waxman could do no more. The Quakers lost the contest, 3-2, to the Tigers. Without Waxman and junior forward Pat Larco, who was serving a one-game suspension for a red card, the Quakers (6-8, 2-4 Ivy League) were scrambling to regroup. Junior defenders Matt Stern and Gregg Sexton filled in, taking on deflections and skilled Princeton players. Junior goaltender Andrew Kralik made several excellent saves, throwing his body in front of Tiger shots. "I really did think we were going to win," Stern said. "Steve's hit the post more times than anyone I've ever seen." Co-captain Steve Marcinkiewicz continued to hit the rounded goal posts of Lourie-Love Field Saturday night. He inspired the Quakers in the third minute by deflecting the ball across the goal mouth and back out. In a fast-paced game, Penn battled the younger Tigers (7-6-1, 3-3). The Quakers were down by two goals before responding. Princeton midfielder Jeff Plunkett scored first, followed 12 minutes later by Princeton forward Jesse Marsch, as Waxman went down and junior defender David Choi lost his man in the box. Marcinkiewicz scored the first Penn goal of the contest, a slow rolling shot that passed Princeton freshman keeper Ethan Bing and settled into the right corner of the net. "We didn't have a great first half, and that killed us," junior midfielder Brendan Sullivan said. "We came in here really nervous, a night game with all those people. Steve putting the ball in the back of the net settled me down. I didn't want another Brown." The Quakers were demolished by the Bears earlier in the season. That was Penn's last night game. Though some players felt anxious, the Quakers excelled early. Saturday night's contest was much closer. "We had many chances to score," Waxman said. "They're very skilled, but we outplayed them. We just kept hitting the post." Penn was called for 23 fouls and 10 offsides penalties, at least two of which prevented breakaways. A controversial penalty in the box cost Penn the deciding goal. Princeton midfielder Andre Parris put on a show for the hometown fans, dribbling the ball around several Quakers before being taken down. Senior Mike Busch squared off against Kralik for the penalty shot, and Kralik lost. Busch capitalized on the opportunity, something Penn could not do throughout the game. Sullivan delivered Penn's second goal unassisted, then danced along the sidelines. The Quakers rejoiced, but they were still down in the game. Despite applying strong offensive pressure with five minutes remaining, Penn could not recover. "Not now," junior midfielder Pat Brannigan said, as Penn's final chance disappeared on a mishandled throw-in. The Tigers performed like a well-oiled machine, connecting on passes and intercepting the Quakers' before they even could turn. "They're a well-coached team," Sullivan said. "They prove it every time they come out. They don't have the best individual players, but they work well together." Bob Bradley was NCAA Coach of the Year last season, when he guided the Tigers to the Final Four. "We're showing signs of being a good team," Waxman said. "We're starting to get some respect. We're outshooting and outplaying just about everyone. Unfortunately, it's a little late." Pain, anger and frustration mixed on his face, Waxman added: "Bottom line, we should have beaten Princeton."