Men's Soccer seeks NCAA upset

This Cinderella team is going to try and extend its run a little past midnight.

Today, the No. 25 Penn men's soccer team travels to the Joseph J. Morrone Stadium to face No. 8 Connecticut in the second round of the NCAA playoffs.

"UConn is consistently a national powerhouse," senior tri-captain Alex Maasry said. "It's going to be a challenge."

The Huskies (15-5, 7-3 Big East) are in the NCAA tourney for the 23rd time, but enter on a down note, having lost in the Big East title game to Boston College.

Meanwhile, the Ivy champion Quakers (12-3-1, 5-1-1 Ivy) have made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1973, after defeating Seton Hall 1-0 last Saturday.

That same Pirate squad bested the Huskies 3-2 in UConn's season opener.

Though the Quakers concede that UConn is a more talented squad, the Red and Blue still like their chances.

"On paper, you would have to say Connecticut is better," Penn coach Rudy Fuller said. "But this isn't the first time we've faced a team that has more skill on paper."

Not only have the Quakers proven that they are capable of winning as an underdog, but they have also shown that they can win on the road.

Penn is 5-0-1 away from Rhodes Field, which is not reassuring for the host Huskies.

"We've proven that we are a very good team on the road," Fuller said. "The undefeated road record speaks for itself."

Still, UConn has shown itself to be formidable at home, going 9-0 on the season.

And the Quakers may face yet more obstacles as well.

For starters, while Penn pulled out an emotional overtime win over Seton Hall, the Huskies were resting during their first round bye.

The weather may also be a factor, as a snowstorm has been forecast for today's game.

"If there is a snowstorm, there will be a slick field and fast direct play," freshman Justin Estrada said. "There won't be a chance for fancy dribbling in those tough conditions."

Regardless of the conditions, the Huskies' high-powered offense -- led by Kingston, Jamaica, seniors Damani Ralph and Anthony Curtis -- should be able to put a tremendous amount of pressure on the Penn defense, just as they have done to opponents all season long.

Ralph, a forward, was named Big East Offensive Player of the Year after finishing the season with 15 goals.

A preseason first-team All American, Curtis was named the Big East midfielder of the year.

Curtis is the Huskies' playmaker, and finished the season with eight assists -- good for third in Big East play.

The Quakers respect the tandem, but stress the importance of remaining composed when facing stars like Ralph.

"If you get intimidated, you are opening up the door for problems," Estrada said. Ralph's "a very talented player but he's still just another human being."

But the Quakers also have some star power of their own -- most notably in junior goalie Matt Haefner, who was named Ivy League Player of the Year.

Haefner has recorded 10 shutouts with a goals against average of 0.63 this year.

If the Quakers are to come away with a victory, however, they will need the players in front of Haefner to step up as well.

"Matt has always come up with a save when we needed it," Fuller said. "But we need 10 guys in front of him doing their job to make it as easy as possible for him."

Though it is hard to predict what will result from this classic offense versus defense clash, the Cinderella team guarantees a tough game for its Big East opponent.

"We are going to be ready to play a full 90 minutes under intense pressure," Estrada said. "Every play is going to be a battle."

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