M. Soccer is 'golden' in last seconds

Junior Steve Cohen stole a road victory for the Quakers with a goal in overtime. "We've still got time, let's fight it out!" screamed Reginald Brown from the Penn men's soccer bench yesterday. Hot, tired and down two goals -- it looked bleak for the Quakers in their final 15 minutes against local opponent La Salle. But Penn listened to its midfielder and pulled out a 4-3 overtime win in a Soccer 7 showdown. After a scoreless first half full of fouls, injuries and missed opportunities, both squads came out ready for the second 45 minutes of play. Penn (2-0) was without starting forward Morgan Blackwell, whose twisted ankle caused him to leave the game early, and midfielder Henry Chen, another starter, who received an eye injury. La Salle (2-2-1) struck first, as Cesidio Colasante scored just minutes into the half. Colasante, called "pro material" by Penn coach George O'Neill, attacked the Quakers all afternoon with his smart passing and aggressive play. Down 1-0, Penn responded quickly as sophomore Ted Lehman's shot off of a deflection found its way to the net. But the tie didn't last long as Colosante, one of the nation's leading scorers over the past few seasons, scored again on the next possession. Minutes later another La Salle goal put the Quakers down, 3-1, with a difficult comeback to put together. "I was just thinking, one goal at a time," Penn senior captain Brad Copeland said. "We just had to stay tough and keep pushing." Senior Read Goodwin did just that, scoring to begin a Penn run with seven minutes remaining. Next Brian Foote's dribbling through multiple defenders assisted a David Bonder goal. Several key saves by goalie Mike O'Connor filled the final minutes and then, miraculously, the Quakers were going into sudden death overtime. After 16 overtime minutes, Penn's Steve Cohen finally scored "the golden goal," a term referring to the shot that ends the game. Reginald Brown's steal led to Cohen's breakaway and, ultimately, to a Quakers victory. Cohen also scored the game winner against defending Ivy League champion Harvard last Saturday, a game which vaulted Penn into front-runner status in the league. The La Salle victory sends a further message to the league. "This is a huge win for us," O'Neill said. "It was a tremendous team effort." The Quakers are currently ranked No. 21 in the nation and will face Dartmouth, a recent La Salle victim, on Sunday in their Ivy League opener at Rhodes Field.

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