M. Soccer has only seniors to play for vs. Tigers

The 1997 Penn men's soccer team will walk onto Rhodes Field for the last time this season tomorrow. For four players, it will be their last game as Quakers. Brad Copeland, Read Goodwin, Marc Schwartz and Jason Smoke will get in their parting shots as Penn (4-11-1, 1-5 Ivy League) hosts Princeton (6-8-1, 1-3-1), a team none of the seniors have ever defeated. "By far, they are my least favorite Ivy team to play against," said Copeland, a defender. "I don't know why. For some reason, they rub me the wrong way. After the way we got it rubbed in our faces last year in the last game, I would like to return the favor for my send-off." During their four years on the Penn men's soccer team, the four seniors' combined record is 23-36-4 with a 8-18-1 record in the Ivy League. From cellar dwellers to contenders and back, Copeland, Goodwin, Schwartz and Smoke have battled through rough times and good times. Copeland and Goodwin felt the team lacked intensity and the will to win their first two years. With the addition of the current sophomore class, both have enjoyed the turnaround, including an eight-game undefeated stretch last season and a second-place finish in the Ivy League. "Last year no one knew what to expect of us," Goodwin said. "We lost eight or nine guys and had a bunch of freshmen coming in. It is amazing the job they did to step up. All of a sudden things started to come together. We weren't afraid of anyone. We were going up against teams ranked in the top 10 and beating them." During his four years as a Quaker, Copeland feels he has taken a lot from his experiences. With the disappointing results of this year's team, Copeland has learned to take everything is stride. After graduation, Copeland is going to marry Eden Houser, a 1997 Penn graduate, in July. After attending seminary school in Philadelphia and St. Louis, Copeland plans to become a minister. "A lot of the experiences I have had on the field has taught me how to deal with adversity, especially this year when things have not been going the way you expected them," Copeland said. "It teaches you to try to persevere through things that are not always pleasant." Goodwin's collegiate play differed from the others, as he started his soccer quest at the University of Virginia. Goodwin left the Cavaliers, the nation's premier program, hoping to receive more playing time as a Quaker. During his time at Penn, Goodwin has developed into a midfielder capable of leading an 11-man team on the field. "Read is very comfortable on the ball," Penn coach George O'Neill said. "He is very difficult to push off the ball. He is more of a player that can hold the ball and set the tone of the game and the pace of the game." Scoring five goals and assisting on six others, Goodwin had the option of coming back this year as a fifth-year senior. Unsure of his future, Goodwin is happy that he stayed around and decided to play soccer at Penn. "This is a great group of guys," Goodwin said. "It is one of the closest teams I have ever been on. Yeah, you would like to win, but in the end that is what is important... to be able to play a sport is so cool in college. I was not able to play at UVA. It was a good move coming here. Although the records have not been that great besides last year, it is still an amazing experience." Both Marc Schwartz and Jason Smoke have seen their playing time increase dramatically during the past few years. Playing defender and forward respectively, Schwartz and Smoke have added solid play and leadership to the team and are highly regarded by their peers and coach. "Schwartz has become a very strong player," Copeland said. "He has always been a strong player, but in the last two years his confidence has gone up. It has been a privilege to get to know him and to be able to play on the field with him." "Unfortunately Jason Smoke was in great shape when he came in this year and hurt his knee," O'Neill said. "When he is on the field he does the best he can... He is a funny guy. He says funny stuff on the bench and keeps everybody laughing." As for the Princeton game, it will be emotional as the seniors try to end on a positive note. The Quakers are also especially bitter after the Tigers ended Penn's six-game winning streak last season in a 5-1 loss. Ending with a win against their biggest rivals and most elusive opponent would be a moment of joy on what has been a disappointing season for the Quakers.

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