M. Soccer sweeps to upset win over Lions

"We're not going to come off this field losing," Penn men's soccer coach George O'Neill told his team before it faced Columbia Saturday. And he was right. The Quakers dominated the longtime Ivy powerhouse and nationally ranked Lions at Baker Field. Penn led at halftime and, despite giving up two second-half goals, won 3-2. Freshman midfielder Greg Kroll had the first score of the contest with 17 minutes, 52 seconds elapsed in the game. Taking advantage of a free kick by co-captain Steve Marcinkiewicz, Kroll headed the ball past Columbia keeper Steve McAnulty. McAnulty did not make a save all afternoon, and Penn did not look back. "We came off the field at halftime winning," O'Neill said. "And after another 45 minutes, we were still winning." The Quakers (3-3-1, 1-1 Ivy League) never trailed in the contest. Although the Lions (4-4, 0-2) attempted a comeback, Penn's physical play proved to be too much. Columbia defender Jeff Traola put home the Lions' first goal with 11:17 remaining in the contest, cutting Penn's lead to 2-1. The Quakers responded with a goal by Marcinkiewicz with 3:40 to go that turned out to be the game winner. The senior has had a goal in five of the Quakers' last six contests and is currently tied for the Ivy lead in scoring. "We played better team defense," Marcinkiewicz said. "We got right on our man as soon as we lost possession. The backs played great." The Quakers defense improved as a whole Saturday. Junior Alan Waxman was matched up against Columbia's leading scorer, international star Rikki Dadason. While Dadason assisted on the Lions first goal, he did not score in the contest. Andrew Kralik put in another outstanding performance, making seven saves in the Penn net. The Quakers think the addition of a sweeper to their defensive scheme has given them more confidence. Instead of the usual four-man line, this system allows a "free man" in the back to stop anything that manages to get through. Midfielder Brendan Sullivan, who played sweeper Saturday despite a broken hand, scored the second goal of the game. Penn has not lost in the three games it has used a sweeper. The intense play of the midfield has been a standard for Penn throughout the season. Saturday, the Quakers stepped their play up to a new level. "This is the best the midfield has been collectively," O'Neill said. "We really got back and marked our men well. We were able to string a couple of passes together. We closed down the other team and didn't give them a chance to play." Penn's depth also proved to be a key factor in the contest. Numerous players, such as senior David Choi on the defense and freshman Morgan Blackwell on offense, came into the game off the bench and made contributions. "We came together as a team," O'Neill said. "Everything they could do for themselves they did. The passing was better. We were very focused on playing Columbia at Columbia. Winning the Ivy League began Saturday." After their cohesive performance against a nationally-ranked opponent, the Quakers have gained confidence in their ability to compete in the Ivy League. "We've got the team to do it," Marcinkiewicz said. "With our experience and players who have been around long enough to know what has to be done, we realistically could challenge for the Ivy League title."