A year ago, the Penn men's soccer team ended Seton Hall's season on a penalty kick in a first-round game of the NCAA College Cup.
Yesterday, the Quakers (5-9-2, 1-5 Ivy) succumbed, 3-0, to a Pirates team that did everything it could in an attempt to prolong its season.
The matchup of teams that are seemingly going in opposite directions was vital for Seton Hall. The Pirates (9-5-4) tried to improve their chances of being selected as an at-large team for this year's College Cup after losing in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament, 1-0, in overtime to Rutgers on Saturday.
"They had to win this game to have a shot at making the NCAA Tournament, and they played like it," Penn coach Rudy Fuller said.
"They came out and knew they had to get a result and played very well in doing so."
Seton Hall managed to double Penn's shot total, 20-10, while the Pirates' freshman goalkeeper, Ian Joyce, was perfect in net, making four saves on the afternoon -- as the Quakers were shut out for the fifth time this season.
In the first half, the Pirates got on the board with a goal by senior Luke Vercollone -- the midfielder slipped a shot by Penn senior goalkeeper Matt Haefner from eight yards away in the 12th minute of play.
Junior midfielder Jerrod Laventure increased the Pirate lead to 2-0, as he headed home a goal with 17:58 left to play in the first half.
Freshman forward David Roman netted the third and final goal of the game after receiving a cross from Vercollone. The pass left him with an open net in the 78th minute.
"In the first half, we were really having trouble getting things going," Fuller said. "In the second half, we came out and played fairly well, and I thought the third goal that they scored kind of went against the run of play."
Although this was the first game after all suspensions -- stemming from a violation of an unspecified team rule -- were served, the Quakers still found themselves short-handed because of nagging injuries.
Junior forward Stephen Kroculick, sophomore forward John Rhodes and sophomore defender Erik Violante did not make the trip to South Orange, N.J., as they nursed injuries that were aggravated in the 3-1 Homecoming loss against Princeton.
"With the play in a game against Princeton on Saturday, then having to come back in less than 48 hours and play again, a number of guys weren't able to recuperate in time," Fuller said.
Penn will look to end its season on a positive note as it closes out the year and Ivy League play in Boston against Harvard on Saturday.
