M. Soccer rests on midfielders

Junior co-captain Steve Marcin-kiewicz is expected to turn into Superman every time he runs on the field with the Penn men's soccer team. Marcinkiewicz goes beyond his role in the midfield. He assumes responsibility for finishing scoring opportunities as well as creating them. This afternoon at 2, the Quakers host Temple at Rhodes Field. The shiftless Penn squad (5-7) might be up and ready for its opponent this time around, but the pressure on the midfield remains the same. The midfield is expected to score, in addition to setting the ball up and performing defensive functions. Due to inconsistencies in the front line, the four midfielders have picked up much of the offensive slack. The Quaker forwards have been struggling all season. Junior Pat Larco has assumed leadership, netting four of six goals by forwards this season. But Larco has been inconsistent from game to game, and with little back up from the other forwards, he cannot be counted on to produce all the scoring. The Penn roster simply lacks strong forward players. The magic combination has been eluding coach George O'Neill, who has been rearranging his front line for nearly every game. The starting forwards have had little experience playing cooperatively together in game situations. The two positions with Larco on the front line have been shuffled among various midfielders, forcing them to assume a new identity on the field -- a transition that is not always easy to make. "That is not their real position," sophomore forward Read Goodwin said. "Playing midfield, you're inclined to come back when you are not supposed to. But they have adjusted well, because we have had people who were injured or quit." Like a chain reaction, the weakness of the front line has increased the responsibility of the midfield, backfield and ultimately junior goaltender Andrew Kralik. The midfield has taken up the largest part of it, and handled it well. Marcinkiewicz and the midfielders have had more goals this season than the forwards, nine of 15. Marcinkiewicz also leads the Quakers with 37 shots on goal. After tearing his anterior cruciate ligament his freshman year, Marcinkiewicz started all 15 games for the Quakers as a sophomore and emerged as the third-leading scorer. This year he has been an offensive powerhouse, coming through consistently on key plays. Marcinkiewicz scored the overtime goal that gave Penn its third Ivy win this season against Yale. Ideally, midfielders are supposed to act as the transition between the defensive and offensive spectrums. They pass the ball off to the forwards to score and keep their opponents far from the net. Penn's midfielders have been forced to go to the offensive extreme. As a consequence, they are spread thinly over their defensive functions, creating lapses for the backfield to resolve. "In the midfield, if you lose the ball it's really bad," Goodwin said. "It puts a lot of pressure on the backfield?.In our biggest games, we've controlled the midfield." Today, Marcinkiewicz, Goodwin, senior Brian Brown and junior Brendan Sullivan will likely start in the midfield for the Quakers. Brown moved to his native midfield after filling in for several games as forward. Former midfielder Scott Ford will likely start at forward. The problems adjusting to forward were illustrated by Ford against St. Joseph's last Tuesday. Ford passed up his offensive chances like a midfielder. In the Yale game, Ford improved. If the forward line continues to strengthen, the Quakers could be looking at a big win. Successful games, like the Columbia and Yale matchups, were marked by precise ball control and possession in the midfield. When Marcinkiewicz and Sullivan don't have to lead all of the scoring attempts, they can spread the field out and discourage the opposing offense. "Brendan is probably one of the most talented players in the country," sophomore defender Alan Waxman said. "[Marcinkiewicz] is definitely the most consistent player on the team." Fortunately for the Quakers, the talented midfield can keep their necks above the water when it counts.