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Senior Jeff Groeber may be forced to sit out the rest of his career. Penn's starting goalkeeper tore his MCL when he dove for a ball in practice. [Will Burhop/DP File Photo]

It is said in the game of soccer that the six-yard box is the goalie's domain. Anything that comes inside is his to keep.

Jeff Groeber, the Penn men's soccer team's starting goalie, believes in those laws. So when a cross flew in front of him during last Thursday's practice, he dove for it without even a second thought.

Little did he know the consequences of his efforts. In an instant, it became apparent to him that something wasn't right.

"I moved across the goal and collided with a couple of players," Groeber said. "I fell back onto my knee and heard a pop. I got up right away and just knew that something was wrong."

The senior immediately scheduled an appointment with his doctor back home in Newton Square, Pa.

The bad news from the doctor was that Groeber has a Grade 2 medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear. But the good news was his ACL and meniscus were still intact.

Unfortunately, the recovery time for a MCL tear is not short. This collision will cost Groeber the bulk, if not the entirety, of his senior season.

"As far as recovery, they don't operate on MCL injuries, so I have to let it heal by itself," Groeber said. "For the first two weeks I'm not supposed to do anything that involves my knee at all. It's about two months before you can do anything really physically active."

This was definitely not how Groeber hoped his senior season would turn out. The entire Quakers squad has high expectations for this fall, but Groeber's injury is an unexpected bump in the road.

"I'm still not used to the fact that my senior season is over," Groeber said. "It's really hard to comprehend. I'm dealing with it but I'm definitely not happy about it."

The four-year veteran will remain a part of the squad, even though his presence will now only be felt off the field.

But on the field, his shoes will be very difficult to fill.

Groeber was a main presence in the backfield in the 2000 season. He started all 17 games and made a record three shutouts.

He also holds the team record for the most minutes played in one season.

Penn's last line of defense will now be sophomore Matt Haefner, a player with much less stature and significantly less goalkeeping time at the collegiate level.

"Anytime you have a guy with Jeff's experience, it's a loss," Penn coach Rudy Fuller said. "But luckily, we have someone who can step up in his place."

Haefner, a native of Amherst, N.Y., only saw playing time in one game last season. But he is confident that his game is at a collegiate level, and is more than ready to prove it.

"I've improved a lot over the last month," Haefner said. "It definitely sucks for Groeber, but I just have to look past that and assume the role."

The new man in the net gets a vote of approval from his predecessor as well.

"Matt's been working hard this year," Groeber said. "I'm sure he'll be able to step up and give the team what they need. I'm confident in his abilities."

But Groeber acknowledges that overcoming this loss will have to be a complete team effort. The loss of a starter can offset team chemistry, which is the last thing that Penn needs at this point.

"The team needs to get comfortable with me," Haefner said. "There is an adjustment period, but I think we're sort of past that as a team."

Groeber will watch from the sidelines as the Quakers take on Seton Hall today in South Orange, N.J.

The six-yard box is now Haefner's domain.

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