While highlights from Penn men's soccer games usually consist of big defensive stops and key offensive decisions, the Quakers' 1-0 loss to Yale will be remembered for its physical nature, which left Penn with two yellow cards in the first half and a red card with 90 seconds left in the game.
"We knew it was going to be a rugby match more than a soccer game in that respect," freshman defender Andy Howard said. "We knew that coming in."
Howard, who was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week after netting the game-winning goal against Dartmouth last weekend, received the red card in the second half after a vicious tackle on Yale junior Andrew Dealy on the right sideline. Dealy had to be helped off the field, and Howard suffered a bloodied and black right eye.
While the tackle was certainly worthy of a card, Penn players and coaches disagreed on whether or not the awarding of a red card was warranted.
"The red card was deserved," Penn coach Rudy Fuller said. "It was a bad foul and we can't lose our cool like that."
"I don't know if it was necessary," junior Stephen Kroculick said. The official "could have given him a yellow because there were only two minutes left in the game and it wasn't that harsh of a challenge, but I guess in his eyes it was enough to give him the red."
All debates aside, Fuller said the ejection was "uncharacteristic" of the Ivy League Honor Roll defender and "the team in general."
"I don't even remember the last time one of our players was red-carded at home... I don't remember it happening at my time at Penn."
Fuller also said the foul was caused by a "combination of frustration, a poorly timed challenge, and it looked bad, but I don't think Andy Howard was going in with the intent to injure and get thrown out of the game."
The physical nature of the game began in the eighth minute, when sophomore defender Justin Estrada was tripped and fell over a Yale player down near the Penn goal. Estrada left the game in what was just his second match back from a previous injury.
"He had a similar problem of getting knocked in the last match" against Maryland, Kroculick said. "He can't seem to get back without getting hurt."
Two Penn players received yellow cards in the first half, junior midfielder Josh Duyan got one in the 11th minute and Howard another in the final minute of first-half play.
Howard will now serve a one-game suspension for tomorrow's match against Seton Hall.
"Someone will have to step up and fill his spot," Kroculick said. "But we've got guys that can definitely step in. That won't be an issue."
