After two tough Ivy League losses in consecutive weekends, the stakes have been raised for the Penn men's soccer team, which will now face its toughest competition of the season in the coming weeks.
This tough road begins tomorrow when Dartmouth comes to Rhodes Field.
Though not ranked in the national top 20 like Ivy-foe Brown, the Big Green will be another competitive opponent, according to Quakers players and coaches.
"They have the athleticism of Columbia and the organization of Cornell," Penn coach Rudy Fuller said.
The Quakers (3-4-2, 0-2 Ivy ) hope to rebound after a 1-0 loss to the Big Red and a 2-1 defeat to the Lions.
"Dartmouth is more of a physical team," junior midfielder Matthew Waddell said. "They will look to beat us in the air with the long ball, so that's exactly what we have to focus on."
Dartmouth (4-3-2, 0-2) was ranked No. 25 before a pair of tight losses to Ivy League foes Princeton and Yale. The Big Green enter the game on a three-game losing streak.
To contain the Big Green's offense, Waddell says the Quakers will have to "squeeze the opposition."
"When they have the ball, we have to try to squeeze them into one part of the field," he said. "When we attack, we'll play big, but when we defend, we'll try to make it really small."
This week's practices also focused on the speed of the Penn game.
"To break down an organized team, you have to be able to move the ball fast," Fuller said.
"We all thought that the times when we played quickly against Columbia, we kept the ball and made them chase, but if we held the ball for one too many touches, they closed the gap," freshman defender Andy Howard said.
Howard is just one of many freshmen that have had an immediate impact on the Quakers this season.
Midfielder Charles Snyder and forward Derrick Jumper have also stepped into starting positions as Penn gets deeper into this crucial series of league games.
Rookie midfielder Ryan Tracy could also see significant playing time tomorrow.
Freshman midfielder Arthur "Bartholomew is hurt right now and if he doesn't start, I think Tracy could start," Waddell said. "He has been playing well.
"A lot of the freshmen have started to pick it up."
While Bartholomew may sit out, the Quakers will welcome the return of junior midfielder Stephen Kroculick, who missed Penn's games against Columbia and Philadelphia University last week with a groin injury.
Fortunately for Penn, Fuller said the team has rebounded well from its two Ivy defeats.
"They get more determined with each loss," he said. "The team does a pretty good job of keeping an even keel."
"The guys are still really upbeat," Waddell said. "This is really the part of the season we want to do well in.
"I've seen a lot of wilder things than winning a title after losing the first two games."
