Another Ivy loss for M. Soccer

In the penultimate game of its season, the Penn men's soccer team was hoping for a taste of Ivy League success. After playing league-leading Brown tough at Rhodes Field last week, it seemed as if the Quakers' chances for victory against one of the Ancient Eight's weaker teams were good. But victory was not in the cards for Penn, as it fell to Princeton, 2-0, Saturday night in front of 200 spectators at Princeton's Lourie-Love Field. The decision elevated the Tigers to 9-6-1 and 2-4 in the Ivy League, while it dropped the Quakers to 5-10-1 and 0-5 in the Ivies. The loss also made it a certainty that if Penn is going to win a game in the Ivies this year, it will have to do so in its season finale next Saturday, when it hosts Harvard. The contest with the Tigers was one of grit and sweat. While the Tigers outshot the Quakers 12-7, the Quakers played with an energy level they felt was acceptable. "It was a hard-fought game, and it was a night game, so it's always fun playing in front of a crowd at night," Penn midfielder Alex Maasry said. "[And we played] Princeton. I'm sure you know Penn-Princeton, in pretty much every sport, it's a pretty big rivalry. And neither of the teams this year are in the Ivy race for the title. It didn't really have an impact on the game. Both teams were out there playing pretty hard." Despite the relatively equal level of skill displayed by the combatants in the match, the eventual winning tally came relatively early in the game. In the 12th minute of play, a small Penn defensive breakdown allowed Princeton forward Matt Striebel to kick the ball into a virtually empty net on a pass from fellow forward Matt Douglas, giving the Tigers the only goal they'd need. Douglas was credited with the assist. "We came out strong at the beginning of the game, and they got a goal halfway through the first half," Penn defender John Salvucci said. "It put our backs against the wall, and we just didn't respond hard enough.... We needed more creativity... [more] movement off the ball [and] smarter runs." The score remained constant going into the half. In the second half, the Tigers added an insurance goal with 30 minutes left on the clock after a Penn foul prompted the referees to award Princeton midfielder Matt Behncke a direct kick. "[Behncke] basically came down the middle, and we didn't pick him up until he was in the box," Salvucci said. "By that time, the tackle came from behind and resulted in a kick, a penalty shot." Salvucci added that three Penn players were involved in taking Behncke down. On the kick, Behncke put it past Penn goalkeeper Jeff Groeber, who made six saves on the day, and gave Princeton a 2-0 lead. The score would remain the same until the final buzzer sounded. The Quakers had a few good scoring chances, but were not able to capitalize on any of them. "It was disappointing," Salvucci said. "It was definitely a game we were capable of winning, and if we came out and played the game we should've, we definitely would have won it. Now all we can look forward to is Harvard." If the Quakers are to have a shot against the Crimson, they will have to find a way out of the offensive slump in which they are mired. Penn has now been shut out in its past two games, and has not scored a goal since October 25, when William Lee tied Rutgers at four with 2:18 remaining in the game. The Quakers have not scored a goal in their last 191 minutes and 39 seconds of play. Penn has not won a game since it beat La Salle on October 8. Since then, the Quakers have gone 0-6-1 and have been held scoreless in three of those losses.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.