1995 IVY LEAGUE SOCCER STANDINGS: M. Soccer, Hawks know each other well

Hey kids, it's Soccer Seven time again. Today, the Penn men's soccer team gets a break from Ivy League action as it heads across town to face the St. Joseph's Hawks. With half of the Soccer Seven season complete, the league title is up for grabs, and the Quakers could bring home their first crown since 1986. The Soccer Seven is an alignment of NCAA Division I soccer programs in the Philadelphia area, similar to basketball's Big 5. Penn has been a member of this league since its inception in 1977, but chose to compete only as an associate member for the past four years, forfeiting any chance at the championship. This year, the Quakers elected to return to a full schedule. This is more than just a city rivalry. Many of the players on the teams have been competing with each other since grade school. "St. Joe's is loaded with guys from around the area," said junior midfielder and Wyndmor, Pa., native Read Goodwin. "These are guys we've known all the way through club teams and high school. It should be fun." At 3-6-3, the Hawks haven't been flying high so high this season, despite retaining seven players who contributed to the team's Soccer Seven title two years ago. The advantage they will carry into today's game is the home-field one. The game will be played on artificial turf, instead of real grass. "It'll be different and much more consistent," sophomore midfielder Jared Boggs said. "It's a whole lot faster and you can't slide. " Penn coach George O'Neill held practice at Franklin Field last night to help the players adjust to the change in surface. Many chose to shed their customary cleats for flats to make things easier. The Quakers succumbed 3-1 to the Hawks last year in a game many felt they should have won. Penn dominated that contest until the final moments, when St. Joe's managed to score three times in 10 minutes. "We outplayed them the entire game," Boggs said. "We'll probably dominate them again this year." The Quakers (3-4-1) are coming off their first defeat in five games, falling to Harvard 3-2 in double-overtime last Saturday in a fashion similar to last year's loss to the Hawks. Although Penn looked strong throughout the game, it was unable to capitalize on its scoring opportunities. Frustration led to fouls, which the Quakers racked up 34 of during the course of the game. "We played a great game, we had momentum, but they just put one in with three minutes left in final overtime and there was nothing our goalie could do," midfielder Goodwin said. The Quakers have to get out of the habit of putting together great games only to lose them in the closing seconds. They still have a chance to contend for the Ivy League title, as long as they maintain their concentration throughout the game. "A little more discipline and we'll be fine," Boggs said.