After playing its first three games on the road, the Penn men's soccer team is finally homeward bound.
The Penn Soccer Classic kicks off this weekend at Rhodes Field, as the Quakers host South Carolina (4-0) tomorrow and Fairleigh Dickinson (1-1-1) on Sunday.
"Our guys are eager to play on our field in front of our fans," Penn coach Rudy Fuller said. The Quakers went 1-1 in the Coca-Cola Panther Invitational in Milwaukee last weekend to improve to 1-2-1 on the year.
The Gamecocks should prove to be a tough test, however, coming into the match undefeated and ranked No. 18 in the Adidas/National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll. Just last weekend, they knocked off then-No. 16 Portland, 3-2, at home.
Nevertheless, Fuller believes his team is prepared for the battle with the best of the Southeastern Conference.
"That's something that we've always tried to do here, put together a very challenging schedule," Fuller said. "We've got to have one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country."
The Gamecocks are led by a pair of sophomores in striker Ayo Akinsete and goalkeeper Brad Guzan. Akinsete, a London native, leads the team with three goals, while Guzan, South Carolina's team captain and an All-American candidate, has posted two shutouts in goal thus far.
The Knights of Fairleigh Dickinson, though not as highly touted as South Carolina, will still be a tough opponent on Sunday. The program has found success in recent years, appearing in the NCAA Tournament the past three seasons.
The Quakers' defense must watch out for midfielder Antonio Nunziata. The senior from Caracas, Venezuela, returns as the leading scorer from last year, when he netted 10 goals.
One change the Quakers will certainly be looking forward to is having a day off on Saturday between their two contests. The Red and Blue were forced to play in back-to- back days last weekend in Milwaukee, a transition that is extremely difficult.
"It is very challenging to play at such a high level back- to-back," Fuller said. "That day in the middle makes a big difference."
If the team is going to be successful this weekend, the Red and Blue must focus on playing their style for the entire game. Fuller's squad learned that the hard way last weekend, when the Quakers gave up a late goal to Wisconsin-Milwaukee before giving up the game winner in overtime.
Penn had controlled the game with its indirect style of play through the first half, but allowed Wisconsin-Milwaukee to control the tempo later in the game. "That was really my only disappointment from last weekend," Fuller said.
One bright spot was the play of sophomore goalie Dan Cepero. Although much was made of the loss of Matt Haefner to graduation, especially after a tough 3-0 loss to Villanova to open the season, Cepero proved to be a steady force in net last weekend.
"Danny's a good goalkeeper," Fuller said. "The reality is he played in some games last year, and with three games under his belt this year, it's not like he's cold turkey. It's not something we're concerned about."
