Defense has kept M. Soccer in games

Goalkeeper Mike O'Connor has played thrugh pain all year. In a team sport like soccer, the most any coach can ask for is that each player carries his share of the load. The offensive woes of the Penn men's soccer team (4-8. 1-3 Ivy League) have been well-documented, but little credit has been given to the defense and goalkeeper for keeping the Quakers in every game they have played this season. While Penn has lost more games than it has won this season, the play of sophomore goalkeeper Michael O'Connor has been steady enough to keep every game within striking distance. Until Saturday, the Quakers had not lost any game by more than two goals this season. "It's very important that Mike stays focused on the game and keep us in the game," Penn coach George O'Neill said. "He must take command of his penalty area, physically and verbally, giving the directions he's given before." Statistically, O'Connor is performing to the same standard he set last season, when he was honored as the Ivy League Rookie of the Year and was made a second-team All-Ivy selection. His 1.56 goals against average and three shutouts in four wins this year dispute any claim of a sophomore jinx. A substantial difference between last fall and this year is his record. Last year, O'Connor finished with a record of 7-5-1. Another key difference from last year is his offensive support. In 1996, the Quakers outscored their opponents 24-21. This year, the Red and Blue are being outgunned 19-12 with five games remaining. "When we do make mistakes defensively, I think we get punished more for them," O'Neill said. "Some of the mistakes were sheer mental, where they could have cleared the ball away." The remarkable thing about O'Connor's season is that he is still working back from major knee surgery this past summer to repair a torn meniscus. He has not yet fully recovered, and has been unable to practice every day. O'Connor's injury, which he sustained while in high school at Episcopal Academy, did not affect his play as a freshman. However, he decided that it would be best to have it repaired over the summer. "Right now, I'm probably at about 90 percent," O'Connor said. "I'm having trouble exploding and moving off of my right leg, and it has definitely limited me." Although the 6'2'' native of Springfield, Pa., is putting together another solid season, O'Neill believes the injury has limited him and prevented him from becoming an even better player. "He couldn't train every day like he was able to do last year because his knee was so sore," O'Neill said. "I think he's doing a very good job, but had he not had the injury, I think he'd be an even better goalkeeper, more commanding in net." During the Quakers' recent seven-game slide, the confidence of the team, including O'Connor, has been visibly shaken. There are still communications issues between O'Connor and his defender, leading to an all-around hesitancy to go after balls, because each thinks the other will cover. "Maybe there's a wee bit of uncertainty in his head. Maybe it's his knee, but everything, for me, is about communication," O'Neill said. Penn is slowly regaining its confidence after a 2-7 start. It has since won two out of three contests. The question now, for O'Neill and the Quakers, is whether they can build upon their recent success. The next road block is Brown (5-5, 2-1 Ivy League), which will visit Philadelphia tomorrow for a 2:30 p.m. affair at Rhodes Field. The Bears will rely on their stingy defense, led by Hans Wittusen. The senior, a first-team All-Ivy selection last year, is one of the strongest defenders in the conference. Last year, however, Brown gave up three goals to Penn in a 3-0 loss in Providence, R.I. "If we make a couple good passes, some good tackles? bang! Score a goal, score another, we'll be right there," O'Neill said. "Maybe a couple of victories in a row would take us over the hump again."