M. Soccer seniors see end is near

The Penn men's soccer team's season is rapidly approaching a conclusion, as are the collegiate careers of its three seniors. Henry Chen, Mike McElwain and Austin Deng are all near the end. They've seen it all -- almost. They've been through four years of Ivy League war with but one win to show for it -- the first Ivy game in which they ever played, against Harvard on September 13, 1997 -- and not only haven't they won an Ancient Eight contest since, they have never come close to sniffing an Ivy championship. But these painful facts will not taint the memories these three close friends will carry with them in the future. Undoubtedly, they will look back on their days in Red and Blue with warmth. "It's definitely been fun, man, playing with Mike and Henry," Deng said. All they are able to see now, however, is one immutable fact -- there are more days in the sun of Rhodes Field behind them than there are in front of them. Their only remaining home game is the season finale next week against Harvard. "It's gone by really fast, actually," Chen said. "It kind of seems like yesterday I was coming in, and preparing for preseason and not knowing what to really expect in college, what college soccer would be like." Chen is universally respected -- indeed, the soft-spoken Mount Laurel, N.J.-native's teammates unanimously elected him captain of this year's team. On the field, Chen is having one of his best seasons at Penn after making the switch from defense to the midfield. "Henry's more like the silent leader," Deng said. "He's always on the soccer field, real quiet, and he gets things done." But this doesn't mean that the past four years haven't been trying. "It's been a great experience," Chen said. "It's also been very humbling, too. It's been frustrating throughout my four years here, so far. "I think the program is definitely going in the right direction.... Everybody's working so hard to get the program on the right track, and we're finally doing it, and it's kind of like my four years are up. And it's probably going to come within a year or two, and I won't be here to see it." The "it" to which Chen refers is a winning program, and unfortunately for these three seniors, they haven't been a part of one during their tenure. "Throughout their four years, [they] have not gotten the rewards for their efforts," Penn coach Rudy Fuller said. "A lot of people may have given up on it, but all three of them, Henry, Mike and Austin, have kind of stuck through it, and... their love of the game... that is really what they had to turn to when things weren't going as well as they would have liked." In addition to a love of soccer, these three are also defined by their friendship. The lone three survivors of a 1997 recruiting class that was ravaged by athletes dropping off the team, the three are good buddies and hang out together when there isn't an opponent to beat or a goal to be scored. "The three of us just kind of stuck with it, and we're best friends here," Chen said. "We go out sometimes, not too often. A lot of times during the day we'll end up studying, or going out and getting something to eat. We always keep in touch every day, especially with soccer. Especially in the offseason, a lot of times we'll go lifting, or we'll go down to the field and just have a pickup game. I've become accustomed to seeing those two guys every day." Deng put it more succinctly. "If I did it again, playing soccer, I would definitely want to play with these same guys, Mike and Henry," he said. Deng, like his teammates, is disappointed that he wasn't able to play soccer for Penn during better times, but he is glad that he was on the team. "[I'll remember] just having a chance to play soccer," he said. The defender from Tenafly, N.J. -- like Chen -- is having one of his best seasons as a Quaker and points out that he is grateful for both the excitement and the memories that Penn soccer has given him. "I've definitely learned a lot of things playing for Penn, going through what we've gone through," he said. "Going through [coaching] changes, losing streaks, short winning streaks, stuff like that." Deng's friends speak glowingly about him and what he brings to the team. "Austin's real laid back," Chen said. "He let's everything come to him, he has his own way of doing things and he has his own way of dealing with situations. He's always real thoughtful of other people; he's always concerned with Mike and I, how we're doing. "He's always handling his portion of the game, whether it be beating his man one on one, holding his own in practice. He's somebody I've never had to worry about effort-wise." McElwain, the third part of this triumvirate of elder soccer statesmen, plays with offense on his mind. A vociferous leader and forward from York, Pa., McElwain led the Quakers last season with five goals. "He's always worried about doing well in academics and athletics. He's the ideal student-athlete," Chen said of his housemate. "He knows a lot of people on campus. He's like everybody's friend. When I walk down Locust Walk, he's always talking to this guy here, that girl there. He's a real easy guy to get along with, an easy guy to like." "What Mike brings to the team is that he has an unbelievable passion for the game, and a love for playing the game," Fuller added. Perhaps it doesn't start to hit home until one thinks about the Great Beyond that awaits all students after college. For these three -- who have undoubtedly begun to think about life after school -- there are still two games left to play. Both are against weaker Ivy opponents -- Princeton and Harvard -- and both represent the last, best chances for these three seniors to notch a second career Ivy win. Chen, for one, will be applying to medical schools in the next few months and is beginning to put Penn soccer into the perspective that he will hold it in for a long, long time. "The results weren't really too important to me," he said. "I was playing because soccer is so enjoyable for me. I just loved going out there every day and hanging out with the guys, and seeing Rudy and being coached by him. Whether we win or we lose, it's not too big of a deal for me. I've come to the end of my career, and it seems difficult to let it go." The Quakers will visit the Tigers tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.

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