M. Soccer knocks off Towson for first win, ties against Loyola

WEST WINDSOR, N.J. -- While the Mid-Atlantic region struggled to regain power after Hurricane Isabel, the Penn men's soccer team finally was switched on this weekend. The Quakers worked well enough collectively to get their first win at the Princeton Soccer Classic.

The Quakers beat Towson on Friday, 1-0, and tied Loyola yesterday after double overtime, 2-2.

"Each game has gotten better and better," Penn coach Rudy Fuller said. "This team has been working hard to find itself, build chemistry and come together as a group, and we took major strides [this weekend]."

Penn (1-2-1) had control for most of the game against Towson (0-5-1), though senior goalkeeper Matt Haefner was tested at the net multiple times during the game.

In the 24th minute, opportunity knocked for the Quakers when junior midfielder Stephen Kroculick drew a foul inside the 18-yard box. The play set up Penn sophomore defender Erik Violante's second goal off a penalty kick in as many attempts this year. The sophomore hit the left-center part of the net as the goalie dove in the opposite direction, giving Penn a 1-0 lead.

"It was good overall team pressure [that] got us the chance," Kroculick said. "They coughed it up in the back and we just took advantage of it."

"Steve has created both penalty kicks [this season] and we know what kind of guy he is," Fuller said. "He makes good, hard runs through the box, and those are going to draw penalties."

Penn's defense, which has been a question mark while experimenting with a new formation, played well against Towson.

"We were much more organized defensively," sophomore midfielder Artie Bartholomew said. "I think we did a good job earlier in the week working that out, and that defensive effort correlated into us winning the ball more easily."

"We really got it going and were making them chase and had them running," Fuller said. "We kept them in it a little bit, and then got a hold of it again late in the game and held on for the win."

The Quakers' offense, which had not been able to capitalize on many of its open looks this season, was firing on all cylinders against Loyola. Penn took a 2-0 lead after 27 minutes.

Kroculick scored both goals, heading one in off Violante's corner kick and putting the other one in by the far post off a pass from junior midfielder Matthew Waddell.

"The keeper had no chance on either shot," Kroculick said.

During the Quakers' three previous games, their only two goals came from Violante penalty kicks.

"We were just finally clicking up top and got a lot of good chances on net," Kroculick said. "The team just gelled well. We worked the ball better in the midfield, allowing guys to get good field position."

Loyola (3-2-2) scored off a penalty shot in the first half, and also in the second half when freshman Danny Wheelan connected on a cross from senior Jay Joyce to tie the game at two on what Fuller called "a fluke goal."

"He hit a shot that I don't think he will ever be able to hit again in his life," Haefner said.

Even though the Quakers would have liked to leave New Jersey with a pair of victories, they understand the vast improvements they made as a team over the weekend.

"This was by far our most complete performance of the year," Fuller said. "Everything was where it needed to be.... I am confident in saying that if we can play at this level for the remainder of the season, we're going to win far more than we lose."

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