The men's soccer team has not been kind to the Atlantic 10 this year.
After fending off two A-10 opponents this weekend, shutting them out in the Penn Soccer Classic by a combined 5-0 margin, Penn (4-1) faces another in La Salle (3-3-1) today.
And if the Quakers come away from McCarthy Stadium with a victory, they'll win the Philadelphia Soccer Seven for the second consecutive year.
Penn (1-0), Villanova (2-0) and La Salle (1-0) are the only three schools who have won all their Soccer Seven games.
Since each team plays only two games and Penn's goal differential is already higher than Villanova's, a Quakers win would guarantee them the top spot.
"You know a bunch of these guys, from playing them over the last three years," senior captain Dan Cepero said of the regional competition. "So to be the best in Philly - it's bragging rights."
La Salle, for its part, has a problem that Penn knows all about - inexperience. The Explorers have only two seniors, both of whom are defenders, on a roster of 28 players.
There isn't a single scoring threat for the Blue and Gold, either: Eight players have combined to score the 11 goals La Salle has tallied this season. Midfielder Joe Heavey, who has netted three, is the leading scorer.
Still, it may not be so easy for Penn coach Rudy Fuller's team, even though the Quakers' opponent finished below .500 in the A-10 last season and hasn't reached the College Cup since the Carter administration.
One potential pitfall could lie be the team's fitness. Today's game will be Penn's third in six days, and Fuller has needed to make adjustments accordingly. Against Saint Joseph's on Friday, he sat two starting defenders - juniors Jeffrey Livingston and Keith Vereb - for the entire game.
It seems a safe bet that Fuller will again make good use of his bench. Sophomores Kevin Unger and Andrew Ferry are candidates to make an impact.
On Sunday against Duquesne, sophomore midfielder Alex Grendi reaggravated an ankle injury. Grendi, who scored the game winner, said that he "went up for a header and rolled [his ankle] again."
The midfielder had to come off the field for good with about 30 minutes to go in the game.
Grendi indicated after the match that he expected to practice last night and play today.
"I would make the assumption that he'd be fine," Fuller said yesterday evening.
With the rigorous Ivy League schedule starting on Saturday, the Quakers will need the ambitious midfielder- and the rest of their team - in the best possible health.
