M. Soccer in search of first victory

The season is barely three weeks old and the Penn men's soccer team is still searching for its first win. That's right, a win. You know, when your team scores more goals than the other team. The Quakers have lost at home, they've lost on the road and they look lost on the field. But they haven't lost their drive. Today, the Quakers hope to find their way out of their current rut as they travel across town to face city-rival La Salle (2-4) at 3:30 p.m. The Explorers know a thing or two about turning things around. After a dismal 1993 season in which they won exactly one game, the Blue and Gold bounced back last year, winning 11 games to finish second in the Philadelphia Intercollegiate Soccer League (Soccer Seven). La Salle has had a so-so start this year, managing to win only two of its first six games. But two of those losses have come against powerhouses such as UMass and the University of Rhode Island, and the Explorers won earlier over Drexel, last year's Soccer Seven champion. Returning for the Explorers is last year's Soccer Seven freshman of the year, Cesidio Colasante. Colasante led the Mid-Atlantic region last year in scoring, finishing seventh in the nation with 47 points on 18 goals and 11 assists. This year hasn't been going quite as well for La Salle's big gun. Teams have been quick to double-team him, limiting his scoring opportunities. Even so, Colasante has already scored four goals, the same number produced by the entire Penn team. Last Saturday against Cornell, the Quakers (0-3), who dropped their season opener to Soccer Seven rival Philadelphia Textile, didn't seem to show up until the second half. Even then they failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities. "Our big problems have been passing and a lack of organization on the field," Penn co-captain Steve Marcinkiewicz said. "We have to try and take better control, to dictate the pace of the game. We just can't wait for it to come to us." Marcinkiewicz has been one of the few bright spots on the team, earning a spot on the Ivy League honor roll last week after scoring two goals in 20 seconds in a 9-3 loss to Seton Hall. Seniors Matt Stern and co-captain Andrew Kralik have been anchoring the defense, which held Cornell scoreless for 31 minutes last Saturday. Penn has the potential to reverse its past misfortunes. "We've just got to come out from the start," junior midfielder Read Goodwin said. "It's a city game, so both teams will be fired up. We both need the win." Both teams are members of the Soccer Seven, an alignment analogous to basketball's Big 5 consisting of Penn, La Salle, St. Joseph's, Temple, Villanova, Drexel and Philadelphia Textile. Penn has been a member of this league since its inception in 1977, but spent the last four years as an associate member. From 1990 to 1994, the Quakers elected not to play a complete round robin, preferring to fit other teams into their schedule. This year, Penn returns to a full Soccer Seven schedule and will be able to contend for the league championship.