PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Despite a fierce storm that featured heavy rain, sleet and temperatures close to freezing, Penn's men's soccer game Saturday night at Brown was played as scheduled. In retrospect, perhaps Penn would have preferred that it was played some other time. Penn conceded a goal midway through the first half and never fully recovered, losing 2-0 to the No. 18 Bears at Stevenson Field.. The loss eliminates the Quakers (8-4-1, 2-2-1) from title contention, while bringing the Bears' (10-3-1, 5-0-0) a step closer to the championship. Neither team looked capable of scoring before Brown forward Scott Geppert's shot from just inside the penalty box was mishandled by junior goalkeeper Dan Cepero. Andrew Daniels slotted the rebound into the net to give the Bears a 1-0 lead and the momentum in the game. Penn, in need of a win to realistically keep their title hopes alive, came out more aggressively after halftime and dictated the game's pace in the beginning of the second half, to the delight of head coach Rudy Fuller. "We came out spirited in the second half," Fuller said. "We changed the nature of the game." However, Penn missed its best chance to equalize five minutes after the break. Freshman forward Mike Klein found himself unmarked eight yards from the goal, but couldn't direct his first-time shot to the target. "We are a little young in the front," Fuller said. "We just couldn't make that final pass and shot; we were a bit naive in the final third." After the miss, the Bears re-established their offensive pressure. Brown was unlucky not to score in the 57th minute when a potential handball by Penn senior Jon Abelson in the penalty area went uncalled by the referee, who also called back a Scott Geppert goal for offside.
The Bears finally got the insurance goal they were seeking when Brian Joyce's free kick from 25 yards out slid past Penn's defenders and into the corner of Cepero's net with about 30 minutes to go. As the final minutes ticked away, the Quakers became increasingly frustrated at the lack of a dividend on their effort. Senior John Rhodes and sophomore Keith Vereb picked up yellow cards in quick succession for hard tackles. The incidents told the story of the whole game, as the Quakers matched the Bears in intensity but couldn't create the attacking opportunities to let them do the same on the scoreboard. "Two soft goals," Fuller said dismissively when asked about the plays, both free kicks, that gave Brown the win. However, the coach did acknowledge Brown's advantage in the game. "We weren't winning many battles for the ball, especially in the first half. In games of this caliber, you have to win the battles." Having emerged from its last two Ivy League games with only a loss and a tie, Fuller's team now finds itself fighting a different type of battle in its final two league games - for pride, rather than the championship. PENN 0 0 - 0 (18) Brown 1 1 - 2 Scoring: 1st Half: 1, Brown, Daniels 4 (Geppert, Caldwell) 26th. 2nd Half: 2, Brown, Joyce 2, 62nd.
