Homecoming weekend will not only mark the return of Penn alumni to campus, but also the return of eight Penn men's soccer players who have not suited up since their game against Yale two weekends ago.
Seven Quakers will play their first game back from a two-game suspension for violating an unspecified team rule. Sophomore Erik Violante is also scheduled to return from a leg injury.
The timing could not be better, as Penn (5-7-2, 1-4 Ivy) will take on rival Princeton (5-7-3, 2-2-1) at Rhodes Field tomorrow.
Both players and coaches think the transition back to a full roster will be fairly smooth.
"It's not like they have been out of it, they just haven't played in a game since Yale," Penn coach Rudy Fuller said. "It's not even that we have to worry about integrating them into the team because they've been training."
Though many reserves saw the most playing time of their season in these two games -- a 1-0 loss to Brown and a 7-1 sacking of Saint Joseph's -- the players are happy to see a full roster again.
"Everyone is excited for the whole team to get back," freshman midfielder Ryan Tracy said. "Everyone is trying to do well in the future." Tracy was not one of the suspended players.
Violante looks to return to full strength this weekend for the first time since he strained his leg against Cornell.
"It's a muscle strain and inflammation of the joint," he said. "I was playing through it for the first three or four Ivy League games, but after the Yale game, my cycle of recovery broke, and I didn't recover in the week prior to the Brown game."
Violante was at his first practice in over a week yesterday and said he is progressing well.
"I'm doing a lot better," he said. "I'm keeping my fitness, it's just a matter of getting the strength."
Fuller is optimistic about Violante's chance of returning to play the Tigers.
"He's feeling pretty good, which is a good sign," he said. "It all depends on how he responds to the workout.... We'll see if we can get him some time" tomorrow.
Even though Fuller has a full squad back, he has yet to determine who will start against the Tigers because of the recent exemplary play of some reserves.
"They are some guys that, when they got the time, they took advantage of it," Fuller said.
"St. Joe's isn't Princeton or Harvard or Seton Hall, but we had a lot of guys get a lot of points, which is always good.... We'll see who is healthy.
"I hope we didn't use [the goals] all up" Wednesday.
The full squad will also mean that the Quakers who had to play in different positions will be back in their normal routine.
One such player is sophomore midfielder Richard Brushett, who played defense against the Bears and Hawks.
Yesterday Brushett was named to the 2003 Verizon Academic All-District II soccer team by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Brushett has scored two goals and two assists this season and was named to the Ivy League Honor Roll earlier this season.
He is the only Ivy League representative on the Verizon list.
The Quakers and Tigers records are practically identical this season -- Princeton has one more tie.
"The teams are very tight this year," Fuller said. "We are very similar teams.... It's another heated rivalry and will be a close game, as all the Ivy League games are."
"It will be no different than the [Penn-Princeton] basketball game."
Violante said the Tigers are "better than their record would suggest."
While Princeton lost some players from last year, the nucleus has returned, including co-captain Jeff Hare, who was a unanimous All-Ivy selection last season.
"He's their pillar in the back, what holds the team together," Violante said.
Accolades aside, the Quakers promise tomorrow's game will be a grudge match for the ages.
"The Princeton game is always a battle," Violante said. "We know them pretty well.... We're looking forward to have them play on our field."
"We're going to try to win our last games, and that's really what we want more than anything," Tracy said.
