Even before the season started, Penn lost key players on its defense in senior safety Kevin Stefanski and senior defensive end Kyle Chaffin. For at least the next three weeks, they will be even more short-handed.
The Quakers lost their third defensive starter this season when senior co-captain Steve Lhotak strained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee Saturday against Lehigh.
Lhotak was an all-Ivy performer at linebacker a year ago for Penn.
After the senior exited the game in the first quarter, the Quakers' defense managed to regroup. Despite giving up 24 points in the first half, the Engineers were held scoreless in the second.
Penn coach Al Bagnoli said that Lhotak will miss the next three games -- Dartmouth, Bucknell and Columbia -- and hopefully return against Yale on Oct. 25.
"We're keeping our fingers crossed that four weeks is very realistic," Bagnoli said.
Lhotak underwent MRI, which confirmed that there was no ligament damage.
Sophomore defensive back Michael Johns also strained his MCL three weeks ago, and began practicing yesterday.
Junior starting linebackers Luke Hadden and Ric San Doval will see extra time with Lhotak out. Sophomore linebackers Chad Slapnicka and Al Wawszczyk will be the primary backups.
Both Hadden and San Doval believe that Lhotak's influence on the team will continue despite his absence on the field.
"Steve is helping us through it all," San Doval said. "Today, he helped Luke and me with the clarity of the calls -- the little things.
"I'm sure he'll be there for us until he's back on the field."
But as much as his advice may help his teammates, Lhotak's presence on the field will surely be missed.
"It's a huge loss," Hadden said. "He's our best defensive player and a team leader."
San Doval echoed Hadden's sentiments.
"Obviously it's a huge loss for us," he said. "Not only is he an emotional leader out there, but anytime you lose your captain, it's tough because you have to step it up," San Doval said.
Penn did just that Saturday against Lehigh. The defense shut out Lehigh in the second half, sparking a 14-point comeback.
"We still have our confidence," Hadden said. "Lhotak went down at the beginning of the game last week and we still managed to pull it out."
This week, Penn's defense will be tested again, facing a Dartmouth team that features first-team All-Ivy and second-team All-America tight end Casey Cramer.
"He's a really good player," Bagnoli said. "Our outside linebacker has got to look at him, our inside linebacker has got to look at him and our secondary."
With all of the defensive injuries, Penn's young players will receive more playing time.
"We have an awful lot of young kids that are being asked to do some things probably at the beginning of the year none of us thought they would be asked to do," Bagnoli said. "But that's the situation we find ourselves in.
"There are certainly capable players and we have confidence in them."
San Doval noted that on one play in the second half of the Lehigh game, there were nine sophomores and juniors for Penn on defense.
The young players "played quite a bit during the Lehigh game against a very potent offense and they held up," Bagnoli said. "We'll keep our fingers crossed that they'll keep playing well and stay healthy."
