To most Penn students, a summer abroad in Spain means sprinkling a few classes in between siestas and fiestas.
But senior Johnny Elicker - who spent a month in Alicante - also got a taste of the offseason workouts in La Liga, Spain's premier soccer league.
"My host brother is on the Villareal reserves team, so I got to train with him," he said. "Even though the team wasn't there because it was the offseason, it was a great experience."
Elicker is one of 12 seniors on Penn's 28-player men's soccer team this year. Having such a large senior group is unusual, and not surprisingly, coach Rudy Fuller plans to use their versatility and cohesion to throw varying looks at the opposition.
"We'll be able to adapt well within games," he said. "Our experience is unlikely to be matched - we're such a deep team."
The dynamic has drastically changed from last season, when a core group of three seniors provided the leadership.
Now it's blurrier, with just under half the squad elder statesmen. By all accounts, though, the leadership has been split evenly.
"Most of us are good at being role models for the team," midfielder Brian Mascarenhas said. "We might not all be talkative, but we all can lead by example, by being good, professional seniors."
Elicker added that with so many seniors, there's no shortage of players to whom the freshmen can turn for advice.
Fuller's latest freshman crop is rated No. 36 in the NCAA by CollegeSoccerNews.com, making it the lone Ivy program to crack the top 40.
Headlining the class is forward Christian Barreiro, a top-100 recruit. Nick Unger, the younger brother of Quakers defender Kevin Unger, also joins the team.
But with enough upperclassmen to fill the starting 11, Fuller expects the freshmen to sit back and play supporting roles rather than step up and start.
Fuller does expect competition in goal, though, and he has yet to name a starter. Senior Drew Healy got the nod for much of last season, but junior Kevin Sweetland also saw lots of playing time. Sophomore Ben Berg rounds out the trio and has been solid in practice.
The Red and Blue are hoping their keepers see less action than they did last season. After surrendering 30 goals and stumbling to a 6-9-2 record (3-4 Ivy), the Quakers have stressed the importance of team defense.
Everyone from forwards to defenders "is focused on being responsible individuals on defense," Fuller said.
With last season's frustration still fresh in their minds, and the seniors' realization that this is their last chance at an Ivy title, the Quakers are itching to get back on the field.
Yet Elicker is warning his teammates to temper their excitement.
"As seniors, it's natural to feel a little more anxious because it is our last year," he said.
"But at the same time, we have to remember it's just soccer, and being too aggressive, too intense can be a detriment."
