Junior Artie Bartholomew and sophomore Derrick Jumper scored timely second-half goals as Penn men's soccer kicked off its Ivy League season with a 2-0 victory at Cornell Saturday night.
The Quakers knew their first match against an Ancient Eight opponent would be a battle, despite Cornell's lackluster record leading up to the Ivy League season.
"We knew it was going to be very challenging, Cornell would be trying to make a fresh start" in the regular season, Penn coach Rudy Fuller said.
Both teams came out playing well, although neither team was able to apply consistent pressure offensively. In the second half, however, the Quakers showed their class, as they "settled in and had more of the ball," according to Fuller.
Only three minutes into the second period, senior David Maier fed Bartholomew with a pass near midfield. Bartholomew snuck past the defense and found the back of the net, ripping a shot from the right side of the penalty box.
Bartholomew, who scored for the first time this season, helped Penn claim the lead and gain the momentum for the rest of the game. Jumper's quick turn and shot sealed the contest with only five minutes remaining. His second goal of the season came as no surprise to his coach.
"He's very good with his back to the goal," Fuller said. "When we saw him roll and square, we had a good feeling about what was going to happen."
The Quakers coach was excited by the play of his bench, particularly contributions from senior midfielder Matthew Waddell and freshman Jonathon Blackwell. Fuller thought his reserves "came on and played well," with Blackwell and Waddell "partnering well" together.
Fuller said that "what's really started to show itself is the depth of our team. It's important because if someone gets hurt, or someone's form slips, you need to have good players to bring in."
In what is becoming a pattern, Penn again controlled the game with staunch defense from the back four. Sophomore goalkeeper Daniel Cepero was only forced to make a save twice in his fourth shutout of the year, and the Big Red mustered a mere eight shots.
With a deep team and a solid defense that has allowed only two goals in the last five games, Fuller is optimistic about the rest of the Ivy League season.
"We are doing a good job of not giving dangerous opportunities," Fuller said. "Our team defending has been great. It is difficult to score on us, and that makes us hard to defeat."
This has certainly been the case recently, as Penn is unbeaten in its last five matches, dating back to Sept. 17. During the period, Penn has manufactured eight goals, while giving up just two.
This Saturday, Columnia will be traveling to Rhodes Field for a 2:30 matchup. Like Cornell, the Lions have a losing record (2-6-2), but gave Ivy League favorite Brown a scare over the weekend.
Fuller is confident in his team's chances.
"In the Ivy League, momentum is everything, and we are looking forward to taking this momentum into Columbia on Saturday," he said.
