M. Soccer can't net first win

The Penn men's soccer team dropped two games to nationally ranked opponents over the weekend. HANOVER, N.H. -- It did not bode well for the winless Penn men's soccer team that they were the only unranked squad entered in this past weekend's Dartmouth Umbro Hypertherm Classic. The Quakers entered their matches with No. 15 Dartmouth and No. 13 Boston University trying to break out of their continued pattern of 1-0 losses. The Quakers (0-4, 0-1 Ivy League) were able to accomplish that, taking early leads in both games. But despite pressing both the Big Green (2-1, 1-0) and the Terriers (5-1), the team returned to West Philadelphia still looking to deliver new head coach Rudy Fuller his first win as a Quaker. On Saturday afternoon, the Quakers squared off against a Dartmouth team that returned 10 starters -- including senior first team All-Ivy selection Matt Nyman and his scrooge-like 0.53 goals against average in net in '97. But much to the Big Green's surprise, they found themselves down early. Quakers freshman striker Evan Anderson -- who was named to the All-Tournament team -- netted a goal in the 17th minute, the team's first in nearly 200 minutes of play in '98. Despite being pressured in their half of the field for most of the first half, key saves by junior goalie Michael O'Connor and stellar defensive play from 6'6" junior defender Tom Hughes kept a resilient Dartmouth squad down 1-0 at the half. Hughes' strong play placed him on an all-tournament team for the second straight weekend this season. But in front of its home crowd, Dartmouth equalized in the 51st minute on a header by senior defender Brendan Reidy. The goal, assisted by senior forward Chris Dedicik and sophomore midfielder Nick Magnuson, came off the Big Green's second corner kick in as many minutes. This constant pressure by the Big Green yielded further results, as Dartmouth took the lead for good on goals by Dedicik in the 60th and 68th minutes, winning 3-1. Dedicik, who tallied three goals in the Classic, was named tournament MVP. Though the Quakers denied Dartmouth an equalizer for over 30 minutes, the Big Green deflated the Quakers with their 20-minute offensive burst and took control of the game from there. Yesterday's match with No. 12 Boston University did not have the added implication of league standings at stake, but it was expected to be just as much of a fight for the Quakers. The Terriers, 3-0 losers to No. 19 Stanford (4-2) on Saturday, came back in yesterday's match with a more solid and focused game plan. Again, the Quakers took the lead early, this time on a low liner by senior defender and tri-captain Jared Boggs in the 16th minute. But for the second straight day, the Quakers could not maintain their lead. A header by BU striker Joachim Kaland knotted the score just six minutes later, and the game went into halftime tied. On paper, the BU game was very even, and it suggests good things may lie ahead for the Quakers. The Terriers took one more shot, and both teams took eight corner kicks. But on the other hand, it's quite clear that the team is in need of some additional work. The Quakers offense has begun to show signs of life, as Boggs and junior midfielders Reggie Brown and Jason Karageorge were all able to put multiple shots on net against BU. Nonetheless, this tournament has shown that the Quakers must learn to guard a lead -- albeit in the face of nationally ranked opponents -- slightly better if they are to compete at the top-tier level Fuller is seeking to bring to Penn. The Penn men's soccer team arrived back on campus too late to comment for this article.