There is often a majestic light placed upon athletics at top-flight universities. But the reality of the situation is that staying competitive, no matter what the sport, requires hard work and time -- lots and lots of time.
That was the realization Bert Lockwood came to during the past few weeks. Consequently, the Penn junior goalkeeper opted to leave the men's soccer team in order to concentrate on his studies and pursue other activities on campus.
"I just wasn't into it anymore," he said. "As a college student you have to prioritize your life. If it's a situation where you feel like you want to move on, then that's what you got to do."
Penn coach Rudy Fuller sympathized with Lockwood's situation and noted that the former player left the team on good terms.
"At a school like Penn these guys have a lot going on and sometimes they have to shift their priorities and make a decision to step away from" soccer, Fuller said.
When Lockwood opted to leave the men's soccer team on Sept. 30, he left the Quakers in a precarious spot.
Penn, which only came into the season with two goalies on its roster, now must rely solely on sophomore Daniel Cepero to patrol the net. Both Cepero and the Quakers have had surprising success thus far.
Cepero has amassed five shutouts and recorded a 0.75 goals against average over the first nine games. He was also named Philadelphia Soccer Seven Player of the Week and named to the Ivy League Honor Roll after shutting out Columbia last Saturday. Cepero made six saves against the Lions, including a lunging one-hander that left everyone at Rhodes Field in awe.
Meanwhile, the Quakers are in the midst of a six game unbeaten streak and on Tuesday broke into the NCSAA/adidas national rankings at No. 15. The Red and Blue are the only team in the Ivy League currently ranked in the top 25.
However, everything the Quakers have worked to build this season could fall apart in less than a second with one unlucky step by Cepero. If he goes down, so will the Quakers.
Penn currently has no contingency plan in case Cepero sustains an injury during a game, and Fuller offered little foresight into any possible strategy.
"Hopefully we won't have to cross that bridge," Fuller said. "We really haven't thought much about it because we hope we don't have to deal with it."
However, it is a weakness that the Quakers have to acknowledge. Not only does Penn lack a backup to replace Cepero in case of injury, but the Red and Blue do not have another goalie to give him relief in games against weaker teams. Each time Cepero has to dive to the ground or go full speed to grab a ball out of the air, with opponents flying just as fast in the other direction, wear and tear is added to the goalkeeper's body.
Those extra minutes still add up, whether they come against good teams or bad teams.
Opponents will also know that the Quakers are carrying just one goalie and will be unlikely to take it any easier on Cepero.
"Whenever you're playing as a defender, your prime objective is to keep the goalie safe. It's kind of like the quarterback in football," Penn junior defender Justin Estrada said. "Just like the rules in football protect the quarterback, they also protect the goalkeeper. But as a player, your emphasis is that your goalie is healthy and being safe. Knowing that we don't have a backup makes it just that much more sharp in our minds."
Cepero, who is still nursing a jammed right thumb from two weeks ago, is confident that he will be able to maintain his place as the Quakers' rock in goal. But he admitted that it is strange not to have a fellow goalie on the team.
"It is a bit weird not to have somebody other than a coach, but you get used to it," Cepero said. "But I'm out here with [assistant coach Bob Butehorn] a little bit earlier, which helps to get the work in."
The Quakers are currently using Butehorn to man the goal during full pitch drills in practice. Fuller does not believe having only one goalie will hurt the Red and Blue's preparation.
"It would [be an issue] if [Cepero] was a guy that needed competition to train hard," Fuller said. "Fortunately, his attitude is that he trains hard regardless of whether he is by himself or with four or five others."
The Quakers 2003 roster on the Penn Athletics Web site includes two other goalies who still attend the University, sophomore Garrett Herfkens and senior Greg Muller, but Fuller refuses to try and coax anyone back onto the team.
"They made a decision that their priorities shifted," Fuller said. "To bring somebody like that back into the program would be detrimental to the guys on the roster who have made the commitment and the sacrifices so far this year."
