M. Soccer frustrated by two losses

The Penn men's soccer team sleepwalked through a game and a half this weekend before beginning to truly compete.

Too little, too late...

The somnambulists, following consecutive losses at Lafayette and Lehigh-- 2-0 and 3-2 in double overtime, respectively-- have now begun their 2001 season with a pair of "L"s, a letter that the Penn men's soccer program has gotten to know all too well in recent years.

Sunday's 3-2 overtime loss at Lehigh was an especially bitter pill to swallow, as the Mountain Hawks' Steve Fisher scored a fluke game-winning goal, beating Penn goalkeeper Matthew Haefner with only 10 seconds remaining in the second overtime period.

"Frustrated is the only word to describe the loss," Penn men's soccer head coach Rudy Fuller said.

After dropping Friday's 2-0 defeat at Lafayette in the Quakers' opening match of the season, the trip to Lehigh offered the Red and Blue the chance to salvage the weekend.

From the opening kickoff, however, the Red and Blue looked outmatched by their opponents.

Lehigh scored in the ninth minute off of a corner kick by Kyle Hartman, as Doug Cusick fired a shot that beat Penn's Haefner.

Five and a half minutes later, the nightmare continued for the Quakers, as Lehigh tallied yet another score, as Evan Bruno notched his second goal of the season.

Sensing the need for a change, Fuller replaced the Red and Blue's starting freshman forward tandem, Joe Klein and David Maier, with a pair of senior captains, Sam Chamovitz and Evan Anderson in the 19th minute.

With the experienced veterans on the field, the Quakers were able to contain the Mountain Hawks scoring arsenal for the remainder of the half.

Heading into the locker room with a 2-0 deficit, it was now the responsibility of the Red and Blue's tri-captains -- John Salvucci, Chamovitz and Anderson -- and the experienced leaders to rally the squad.

"The captains and the seniors sent a message to the other guys on the team," Fuller said. "They knew we were better than we had played and they knew they had to step up. And they did."

In the second half, the Quakers came out playing inspired soccer with the triumvirate of senior captains leading the way.

Firing a barrage of shots on Lehigh net-minder Ryan Grzeszcak, the Red and Blue were showing some signs of vitality for the first time in the young season.

A blistering shot by Chamovitz at 72:48 found the back of the net. The goal, off of an assist by sophomore Ross Chanin, got Penn on the scoreboard for the first time this season.

Ten minutes later, the Quakers knotted the score at two with a goal from Anderson, assisted by Chamovitz.

"[Chamovitz and Anderson] certainly made a statement today with the way they played today that they deserve to be on the field," Fuller said.

The score remained tied for the final eight minutes of regulation play before overtime began.

For the next 29:45, though the Quakers were outplayed, they managed to keep the game tied. Penn's formidable back line -- anchored by Salvucci and junior Nathan Kennedy, and the splendid goalkeeping of Haefner -- battled off the successive wave of Lehigh attacks.

With 15 seconds remaining in the match, however, the redoubtable defense suffered an untimely lapse.

The Mountain Hawks' Wes Roach approached the 18-yard box and sent the ball towards the Quakers net. As Haefner came off his line attempting to corral the kick, Lehigh's Steve Fisher gained possession, avoided the Penn goalkeeper and blasted the ball into the empty net for the victory.

"It was a freak play to end the game. [Haefner] just misplayed it and that was the end," Fuller said.

With two losses in the standings, the Quakers aim for an improved result next weekend at the Old Dominion University STIHL Classic where they are slated to battle Syracuse and College of Charleston.

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