After the men's soccer team's season-opening 6-2 loss to Seton Hall, coach Rudy Fuller told his team that that if they worked on their defense, everything else would fall into place. With the defense in order, the Quakers finally managed to show their high-powered offense on Sunday against La Salle. Although finishing was an issue, the Quakers managed 21 shots (11 on goal) and 15 corner kicks. The first half was a defensive battle, with only four shots between the two squads. But the Red and Blue were holding good possession, which was tiring out the pesky Explorers. "I think we started to wear them out," coach Rudy Fuller said. "They're a tough team that takes a lot of energy to beat. That said, it's tough to defend for long stretches. We had a lot of the ball today, and you can't defend for 90 minutes." Once La Salle started tiring, Penn used a speedy counterattack and quick ball movement from the defense to the forwards to penetrate the back line of the Explorers. Penn forward Andrew Ferry, said that the Quakers "started connecting a lot more on our runs, on and off the ball, and slipping it behind their back four." Ferry, playing a striker-type role, was particularly good at releasing off his marker and getting good off-the-ball runs. Several times he found himself in front of the net with a ball at his feet, but couldn't finish. "Andrew is a blue-collar forward," Fuller said. "He gives teams trouble from his work-rate, which resulted in a lot of opportunities up front for him. We look for him to disrupt the other team's back line and to be an option when our guys come forward." But there were other options than just playing it through the middle to Ferry - important, since Ferry went out with an injury after colliding with the Explorers' goalie in the 88th minute. Wingers Mike Klein and Alex Grendi used their speed and passing ability to get down the flanks and cross the ball into the box, creating header chances and corner kicks. On a few occasions, Klein beat defenders both on and off the ball, cutting in across the box and managing three shots on goal. Other forwards got in the mix, too. Richard Frank, a junior transfer from Georgetown, saw 80 minutes of action and had two chances at the goal. Freshman Tobi Olopade helped spell Ferry near the end of the first half, and according to Fuller, his dangerous mix of "unmatched pace, aerial ability, and deceptively good touch gave the defense some trouble." And Omid Shokoufandeh's toughness and ability to mix it up with La Salle's back line helped keep the attack fresh for the 30 minutes he played. Fuller would constantly tinker with the lines he put out, frequently having Klein and Grendi trade places across the field. At times they'd drop back to a more midfield position, while at others they'd be hybrid forwards. Every formation seemed to work on Sunday. In the end, though, the quality of the Quakers' finishing could not match the speed and deftness with which it built its attacks. "We made their keeper look good," Grendi said.
M. Soccer starting to put the pieces together
In search of their second victory, the Quakers' best defense is a solid effort on offense
