At Rhodes, out with one Unger, in with the younger

Pass by Nick and Kevin Unger on the street and you might think: "twins." After a few minutes of listening to their back-and-forth banter, you may be convinced.

The two are brothers, not twins, but they've been nearly inseparable for the past 18 years. Growing up in Milwaukee, Wis., they had the same friends, went to the same school (Marquette High School) and played soccer together on the same teams.

"There were good times, fights and tears on the field," Nick said.

"More tears," Kevin chimed in, without missing a beat.

Thus far, though, it's been all smiles on the pitch as the two suit up together in Red and Blue. Nick, a freshman, joins his older brother, a senior, on coach Rudy Fuller's squad.

Due to the younger Unger's links to Penn, recruiting him was less of a courtship than usual. Kevin would talk to Nick about his time at Penn, and as a result, Nick felt that he was more prepared for life in West Philly than anywhere else.

"I got an inside look at Penn - both aspects about playing soccer and socially," Nick said.

"It was the type of stuff you wouldn't hear at any college tour."

Kevin's history at Penn, as well as the Unger family history - their father played for Northern Illinois - were both factors that only piqued Fuller's interest more.

"Truth be told, we wanted him because his genes were a known commodity," Fuller said. "Bringing Nick in also helps to reinforce our Wisconsin pipeline."

That pipeline also includes senior forward Mike Klein, who grew up in a Milwaukee suburb but played on the same high school team as the Ungers.

It's worked out well for everyone so far. Fuller and the Ungers say that Nick's comfort with Penn has made the transition to college easier.

"He's certainly acclimated himself better than he would've were those guys not around," Fuller said.

"It's been really easy meeting people thanks to my brother," Nick said of his NSO experiences. "It's been a great time so far."

With classes beginning and a grueling schedule to slog through, it won't all be fun and games. But that has never deterred the Ungers.

"Just like you have gym rats for basketball, these guys are soccer rats," Fuller said.

"You can see it when you watch them, you can feel it when you talk to them. They just have to be out there. They live and breathe soccer. It's in their blood."

- Staff writer Joe Sanfilippo contributed reporting to this article.