Leave the term "rebuilding" at the door of the recently renovated Rhodes Field this fall.
Many Penn teams have spent early practices bringing in new talent to fill holes left by graduating seniors, but the Penn men's soccer team is not in such a bind.
Most of the members of what coach Rudy Fuller calls the "young, inexperienced team" of last year are returning this season. They bring an extra year of knowledge to a team that will begin ranked No. 3 in the Mid-Atlantic region, according to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America preseason ranking.
Penn garnered publicity in 2002 for its defensive presence in low-scoring games, led by then-senior captain Nathan Kennedy and then-junior goalkeeper Matt Haefner.
While the loss of All-Ivy Kennedy might cause people to suspect the defense will falter, the Quakers believe they can continue their chokehold on opposing offenses.
This confidence stems from the fact that All-American Haefner, first-team All-Ivy junior Erik Hallenbeck and sophomores Erik Violante and Justin Estrada return.
Though he missed a semester of play his freshman year when he played football, Hallenbeck has become a team captain. Fuller is confident that he has the skill necessary to replace Kennedy in the backfield.
"He's an outstanding athlete and a very good defender, who settled into our team very quickly that first spring, and I think he deserves a lot of credit for that," Fuller said.
Fuller has also seen Hallenbeck's leadership qualities develop as his role in the defense has become more significant.
"He's definitely one of our more vocal leaders, and it stems from how competitive he is," Fuller said. "He despises losing, and he's going to do everything in his power to make sure the team is playing at the best of its ability."
Due to extensive playing time a year ago, the defensive corps as a whole has experience beyond the norm for players their age.
"We were very young last year," Fuller said. "So even though we're sophomores this year, it's a very experienced group, so it's kind of misleading."
"Violante started alongside [Hallenbeck] and played every game last year, so he's very experienced."
Violante, a native of France, also spent part of his summer training with the French pro team Sochaux alongside Haefner.
Because of Kennedy's departure, Hallenbeck said that the team is experimenting with a new 3-5-2 setup.
In the new system, Hallenbeck would "play alone in the middle with three central midfielders, one playing a holding midfielder."
"It will take hard work in practice, and hopefully we'll have everything straightened out for our first game," Violante said.
The Quakers open September 12 against Lehigh on Rhodes Field.
"We looked good yesterday working in our formation," Haefner said. "We still have a good defense.
"We have to cover a spot, but Hallenbeck and Violante are doing real well.... With the 3-5-2 we don't have to worry about having as many defenders on our team, and I think we will be able to work around the missing spot."
Haefner also noted the abundance on young talent on the defensive end of the ball, including freshman Charles Howard, a two-time All-State and All-League selection while at Jesuit High School in Portland, Ore.
Violante agreed, saying that "the freshmen are bringing up the level of play, helping the defense move forward and progress."
After allowing only one goal in 130 minutes of practice games Sunday night against Princeton and Mercer County Community College, the Penn men's soccer team does not appear worried about their lone senior loss.
Haefner projects that the games will be low-scoring, "only on the other team's part."
Ironclad Defense The Quakers will again look for strong defensive play in their run at a second straight Ivy crown. • Graduated: Penn will need to fill the void left by the graduation of first team All-Ivy pick and 2002 team captain Nate Kennedy. • Defensive Leaders: The team's two captains -- junior defender Erik Hallenbeck and senior goalkeeper Matt Haefner -- will provide vocal leadership for Penn's defense. • Experienced Sophomores: Erik Violante and Justin Estrada will bring experience to the field as sophomores, having appeared in almost every game for Penn in 2002.
