Although the field may belong to the Eagles, the Quakers today will find themselves descending into a lion's den.
In their second matchup this season against a Patriot League team, the Red and Blue will attempt to do something no team has done this year - defeat American at home.
This challenge comes in the wake of the low point in the Quakers' Ivy League season, a 2-1 loss at Dartmouth earlier this week. The loss dragged the Quakers (7-3-1, 3-1 Ivy) into a tie with Harvard atop the Ancient Eight standings.
Penn goalkeeper Dan Cepero - with a 0.88 goals-against average on the season - was disappointed with his team's first Ivy blemish but emphasized the difficulty of trying to steal a win at the defending co-champions.
"Any loss is tough, but to have a loss in the Ivy League, it hit home more," Cepero said. "Dartmouth played well; they're a good team, and they're always a good team . especially on the road."
Quakers assistant coach Rob Irvine was also frustrated with the loss.
"Overall, I think it was a game where we didn't come out sharp," he said. "The positive about the game was that we did create a lot of chances. The negative thing was that we didn't finish them."
The team can ill afford to come out sluggish against American (4-8-3, 1-1-2 Patriot). Although the Eagles' overall record is anything but formidable, their reputation and 4-0 record at home ranks with the best in the nation.
When notified of the Eagles' prowess in Washington, D.C., Kevin Unger, the only Quakers player to score against Dartmouth, responded with a mix of trepidation and determination.
"Should have played them here," he said. "We're just going to do what we usually do. We'll make them play our game and hopefully put them on their heels early."
Mike Klein, Penn's leading point-scorer with three goals and seven assists, did not seem fazed, either.
"They actually have a really nice field and that helps us out a lot," he said. "We can actually put the ball on the ground and play soccer how we want to play."
He also said that no external playing conditions can adversely affect the chemistry, talent and camaraderie that have been the hallmarks of his team's success this season.
"No matter where we're playing, we're a good team, so it shouldn't really matter where we go," Klein said.
Although the Quakers have had a successful season to date, the loss at Dartmouth looms as a potentially frightening harbinger for the remainder of their season. Bouncing back with a win on the road against an undefeated home team would be the first step to reviving Penn's hopes for an Ivy League title and a potential NCAA Tournament berth.
"We'd like to think we haven't reached our peak," Cepero said. "To say that we have would be inaccurate."
